How to Create (and Stick to) a Food Budget for Two

Have you received a little sticker shock after your last grocery shop? News flash…food is expensive! There is no way around it, everyone has to eat. So how are we supposed to save money on important purchases when our food habits are draining our bank accounts? Today we discuss how to create (and stick to!) a food budget for two. These tips should start saving you money on your food shopping so you can spend it in other places.

Create a Monthly Food Budget (You Probably Guessed That One!)

Before you can put together a grocery budget, you should have a good idea of what your current typical spending habits are. Keep track of what you spend each month in and out of the grocery store because not all of your food is typically purchased at the grocery store. Keep track of purchases from coffee shops, restaurants, and farmers markets, then tally up all of your food spendings in an entire calendar month. If it helps, break it down into simple categories like “grocery store purchases” and “restaurant purchases”. After a month of tracking, you now have your baseline of what you typically spend each month. In order to cut costs, you must know what you spend on food. Now you are ready to create a budget.

Figure Out What Your Food Priorities Are

When creating a food budget, you are going to have to make certain sacrifices. You can almost divide your list into two different categories: “Necessities” and “Luxuries”. Necessities are exactly how they sound, essential food items that you can’t do without. For wellbeing purposes, items like fresh fruits, vegetables, lean meat, and fish are all necessary for a healthy diet. Other items like whole grain or sourdough bread, organic milk, butter, and free range eggs are also necessities. Luxury items are food that you don’t necessarily need, but you like to indulge in, like desserts, condiments, dressings, etc. This is not to say you must cut out ALL of your luxury items, but by eliminating a few and making your own, you can really cut your costs down.

The New Eating Out, is Eat In

Another way to cut down on grocery costs is not a fan favorite and is going to require some willpower. Eliminate eating out. Eating out is expensive. Eating out multiple times a month is going to add up. Learn to utilize your leftovers. A few simple purchases of quality glass Tupperware can aid in the freshness and flavor of your leftovers. You can save even more money by making your own coffee at home as well. Invest in a travel mug. Even though coffee is relatively cheap at your local shop, multiple coffees a week will drive up your budget.

Comparison Shop

Comparison shopping used to be a major inconvenience for consumers. Who has the time to drive all over creation tracking food prices? Technology today makes it a cinch. You can easily go online and pull up different store pricing with a few clicks of your mouse. Why stay loyal to one store when another has the same item at half the cost? Before you venture out for your next shop, go online and check out a few different stores for food pricing on items that you need. Comparison shopping will help you save money on your food bills.

In summation, creating and sticking to a food budget will help you save money. Tio Rico Te Ayuda is a great source for quick cash loans like title or car registration loans, which you can combine with your newly found food savings to maximize your purchase potential. Fill out the application to the right to see if you qualify or if you like these tips, check out our post about furnishing your new home, for less!