Get your Food Costs under Control in 3 Easy Steps

Are you like most people out there who can’t believe how much they are spending on food? We all have to eat, but we don’t need to spend a fortune feeding ourselves and our families! With a little strategy, planning, and intentionality you can save a ton in this money-sucking area of life. In this post I will share 3 simple steps to get your food costs under control.

3 SIMPLE STEPS TO GET YOUR FOOD COSTS UNDER CONTROL

Saving money on food doesn’t have to mean daily PB&J sandwiches or rice and beans. You can feed your delicious meals each and every day without spending all of your money on food. I’m sure you’d rather have that money to spend on other things.

DIY YOUR MEALS

Stop paying other people to make your food for you.

Shocking, I know.

But while it might be a lifestyle adjustment, making your own meals is really the biggest impact and easiest way to save big on food.

Ditch restaurant meals.

Just forget that take-out is even a thing.

I’ll be honest, it’ll be challenging at first. Especially if you’re used to eating out often.

But once you adjust, it will become a simple part of your daily routine and it will save you big!

MAKE A MEAL PLAN

Planning your meals ahead of time allows you to go shopping knowing exactly what you need to buy. This stops you from wandering the aisles haphazardly grabbing groceries and then getting extra to make sure you have enough.

Meal planning sounds intimidating if you’ve never tried it before.

You may be thinking, do I really need to plan out every meal?

But the truth is that meal planning can be so much easier than it seems.

And there is not one right way to do it.

I was someone who struggled to make meal planning work for me for years.

I really wanted the benefits of meal planning but I didn’t want to have to decide on Sunday what meals my family and I would feel like eating on Friday.

So, I created a flexible meal planning solution that I call the Meal Plan Alternative.

If meal planning hasn’t worked for you in the past, check it out here. It’s foolproof, I promise.

BUDGET FOR GROCERIES

Set a grocery shopping budget that just right for your family.

There is no one-sized-fits-all answer to what your family’s grocery budget should be. There are so many factors that vary family to family: allergies, preferences, specific needs, number of family members.

This post will help you determine the right budget for your family.

You may think that shopping with a budget would make grocery shopping more challenging. I know I used to think that.

But I’ve actually found that shopping with a budget is freeing.

I know ahead of time how much I’m going to be spending on groceries each week. I can plan accordingly.

I’m not stuck trying to scramble and adjust after shopping when I’ve spent more than I wanted to.

Once you set a grocery budget, make sure you stick to it. Otherwise, it’s not going to help you very much.

Psst… If you want more help with this, join my Grocery Budget Challenge HERE.