How to Eat well on a Budget. Kind of sounds like an oxymoron, doesn’t it?

Lately I’ve found that when I do a huge Grocery shop, half of what I buy probably goes to waste, primarily because I’m not running a 5 person household anymore.

Now that I’m finally able to go grocery shopping without kids in tow, I’m much better able to concentrate on what I should be buying. But there are a few ways that I really do save money and still manage to eat well on a budget.

It’s much easier than you think.

Some of these tips might sound familiar, because they really are ‘no brainers’, but there are a couple that I’m sure you haven’t really thought about, or aren’t familiar with.

The first How to Eat Well on a Budget is to buy multiples of what’s on sale. 

Now…yes…this is a no brainer, but more than just buying what’s on sale, the key to winning with this tip lies in buying multiples when it’s on sale if you can afford it, and even more so if the item isn’t perishable; pasta, canned goods, sometimes even items that can be frozen should be purchased in multiples when they’re on sale.

Once I’ve bought what’s on sale, I scour the web for recipes that include those items, and plan meals for the week around that.

Grocery Delivery

Now…this doesn’t sound like something that should be in a piece on ‘eating well on a budget’, but stay with me.

My grocery store delivers groceries that I go online and order. But the best part about ordering groceries for Delivery is that it keeps me from ‘over-ordering’. I’ll explain. I pick an evening of the week to crack open my laptop and hit the grocery store website. In it, they include the most recent store flyer, so I can see all the deals for the week as I shop. I can even shop just the deals, as they’re totally clickable!

Now, I’m certain that you’re thinking “well…what about the delivery charge?”. And to that I say, find a store that has a minimum spend, after which your delivery charge is free. So, if your minimum spend is $50, it’s really not that difficult to spend fifty bucks on food now, is it? I’ve even received $10 coupons by email for grocery delivery. So I spend the $50, get free delivery AND another $10 off! AND I don’t have to lug everything home myself! Online grocery shopping is ‘plusses’ all around!

Stay away from store bought baked goods!

Do you know how inexpensive it is to BAKE???

If you’re paying $7 for brownies that cost about a buck to make, we need to have a serious talk. Stay away from the baked goods aisle at the grocery store, and grab yourself a bag of flour, sugar and some eggs.

This tip actually serves two purposes; the first is obvious, you won’t be paying a small fortune for things that you probably shouldn’t be eating anyway.

The second is that, because you actually have to expend the extra energy making those things at home, you probably won’t! Which means that they won’t be sitting in your kitchen to tempt you, so you won’t eat them You’re welcome

Set a Budget, and Stick to It

This one is the ultimate ‘no-brainer’. If you don’t set a budget, how’re you going to know what you should and shouldn’t be spending? I can eat like a queen on $30 a week, and that’s not difficult!

I keep my ‘staples’ topped up, and only splurge on ‘treats’ about twice a month. When I do splurge on treats, it’s usually in the form of something baked (I’m making apple streusel squares later today), or something salty (chips are my weakness).

Peace!

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