Food On A Budget? Wallet-Friendly Tips

Make A Shopping List And Stick To It

People buy more if they come without a shopping list, because they overestimate what they need. This leads to overspending, food wastage, and often to making impulse purchases of items like cookies and freezer meals. Don't do fall into this trap. Start your week off in front of the computer, meal planning for the next seven days. Make a grocery list and stick to it, and you will find that you simply can't exceed your budget. If you are not sure what items will be available at the store, write down several alternatives along with your first choice so you will not go into a full-blown panic and change your plans completely if a single item is not available.

Don't Go To The Store When You Are Hungry

No, really. Research consistency shows that people who have not eaten all afternoon buy more calorie-rich foods than those who have had a meal or snack just before heading to the store. "Don't go shopping when you're hungry and you don't have a list, because you're just going to buy all sorts of junk food," Amy Yaroch from the Gretchen Swanson Center for Nutrition in Omaha, Nebraska warns consumers. 

Buy Less At Once To Avoid Wastage

Have you committed to eating a vegetable-rich diet, like I have? If you live in an urban center where you have access to stores all the time, buying smaller quantities of fresh produce more often will help you avoid wastage. When you are at the store or the market, you can choose the freshest, most appealing produce you see and use it over the next two or three days. At home, you may find that that broccoli does not all that wonderful any more. Instead of eating it, you may decide to buy something else or even head to a fast food outlet. 

People who just have to buy that extra cheese or some beer every time they're in the store should probably shop no more than once a week.

See Also: Top Kitchen Appliances You Need In Your Healthy Kitchen

Watch The Offers And Buy Non-Perishables In Bulk

Couponing can seriously help you if you're in the United States, but make sure you don't go for foods completely devoid of nutrients. What you can definitely do is watch special offers on your favorite stores' websites. Sign up for their email news letters or set up Google alerts for products like dried beans, rice, diced tomatoes, and whatever other non-perishables you want to stockpile. Do watch the expiry dates.