There's a community and little grocery store that just opened up close to my home. I'm happy when I shopped there as it's truly near to my house as if it's a safe haven.
For the longest time when I do shop for my groceries, it's the first time that I've looked for coupons and appreciated those free small sachet of shampoos, food power and even a stamp for another free giveaway whenever I fulfill the card that's given to me. With times that are too high in inflation, anything that gives out the promo and is beneficial for an individual like me, I'm taking it.
Topic: Methods to cut food costs - page 10. (Read 1407 times)
I'm not living in the US but you have good point. I should merit you but Im out of it.
I have read a book but I don't remember the name and it says "Promo is always existed" My point is that we can actually live well and enjoy life from the discount like you have been shared. and this not just happened with food it can be clothes and anything and if you guys want a discount just give a little research and you will find one. Keep searching and good luck. but personal tip don't fall to deep to promo when you still can afford
I have read a book but I don't remember the name and it says "Promo is always existed" My point is that we can actually live well and enjoy life from the discount like you have been shared. and this not just happened with food it can be clothes and anything and if you guys want a discount just give a little research and you will find one. Keep searching and good luck. but personal tip don't fall to deep to promo when you still can afford
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bulk purchase and looking for sales. dont work well, because most sales are of items near their use by date. and if buying in bulk you are buying more then you may need before use by date
Aside from that, some people might not even have the storage / fridge large enough to store all these foods or ingredients that was purchased in bulks though so this wont work well unless you have your own space
People today are really lucky because they can get almost anything they want and can use discount coupons to buy things they need.
Being self reliant to grow vegetables is the best to cut the food cost. Almost every vegetable and fruits required can be grown in home. These days we've got more and more ways available to grow. Something like rooftop garden and different other concepts. Maybe it'll cost initially to set it up, then onwards based on our choice we can grow the required vegetables to meet our daily needs. It cuts the food cost as well as helps in consuming good food as most of the vegetables are grown only with pesticides.
Lucky on us that we have still free area in backyard that you cam garden for vegetables. It really saves you a lot and its free and you are sure that it is fresh and doesn't have insecticide sprayed on it as most we buy have one and its dangerous. To those who dont have space it is nice to do vertical farming as you can still grow vegetables on it . You can save on this than buying it
-snip-
And that chicken and its derivatives are really expensive in your country? I have always believed that chicken / eggs are everywhere very affordable, inexpensive and, in general, a quality product. At the same time, they can sufficiently diversify your diet - from this you can cook quite a lot of dishes, albeit not intricate, but varied and of quite high quality.
Here in Venezuela, during the worst times of inflation, chicken was not affordable to most of the people, it I was quite expensive so was eggs (they are still are a bit). Most of the people had to switch to full vegetables or sardines and cassava.
Beef and pork were actual luxuries, so were many other things, not long ago I still had people begging for food around here, both adults and children, knocking on my front door.
bulk purchase and looking for sales. dont work well, because most sales are of items near their use by date. and if buying in bulk you are buying more then you may need before use by date
Aside from that, some people might not even have the storage / fridge large enough to store all these foods or ingredients that was purchased in bulks though so this wont work well unless you have your own space
eating left overs means you didnt portion control the preparation very well
I find it way cheaper to eat the left over though but to be frank about this, it doesnt really matter if you didnt portion it well as long as you are going to eat it and not throw it away. Im totally cool with cooking / buying food that is way larger portion of what you usually need then store it away in fridge afterward
Being self reliant to grow vegetables is the best to cut the food cost. Almost every vegetable and fruits required can be grown in home. These days we've got more and more ways available to grow. Something like rooftop garden and different other concepts. Maybe it'll cost initially to set it up, then onwards based on our choice we can grow the required vegetables to meet our daily needs. It cuts the food cost as well as helps in consuming good food as most of the vegetables are grown only with pesticides.
order of priority(top is best advice)
eating out usually costs 3-5x more then cooking from scratch
bulk purchase and looking for sales. dont work well, because most sales are of items near their use by date. and if buying in bulk you are buying more then you may need before use by date
only find the reduced stuff for small meals you are likely to eat same day/next day
only find the bulk deals on the regular items you consume the most often
also its counter intuitive to make an inventory to limit buying more then you need then say buy in bulk/stockpile
short answer is buy in bulk only items you use alot and only if they are in good discount by buying more then one
eating left overs means you didnt portion control the preparation very well
Limit Eating Out
Make food from scratch
Make an inventory check
Consider bulk food purchases
Be on the lookout for sales
Eat leftovers at least once a week
Make food from scratch
Make an inventory check
Consider bulk food purchases
Be on the lookout for sales
Eat leftovers at least once a week
eating out usually costs 3-5x more then cooking from scratch
bulk purchase and looking for sales. dont work well, because most sales are of items near their use by date. and if buying in bulk you are buying more then you may need before use by date
only find the reduced stuff for small meals you are likely to eat same day/next day
only find the bulk deals on the regular items you consume the most often
also its counter intuitive to make an inventory to limit buying more then you need then say buy in bulk/stockpile
short answer is buy in bulk only items you use alot and only if they are in good discount by buying more then one
eating left overs means you didnt portion control the preparation very well
There is some advice given by this sites[1][2] on how to cut food costs and they are as follow:
Have meals in mind before you shop
Be on the lookout for sales
Consider bulk food purchases
Make food from scratch
Eat leftovers at least once a week
Limit Eating Out
[1] https://www.midlandnational.com/learn-and-plan/budget-friendly-ways-to-cut-food-costs
[2] https://banzai.org/wellness/resources/reducing-your-food-bill
Have meals in mind before you shop
Quote
Meal planning means having a strategy in place for what you eat. Taking the time to plan what you’ll have for breakfast, lunch, or dinner can help you avoid expensive and unhealthy meal purchases and will likely save you time. Some people plan meals a month in advance. Others do a week or a couple of days in advance. Adopt whatever time frame works best for you. To start your meal planning, you could:
Make an inventory check- Search for delicious and easy-to-make recipes by browsing blogs and cooking websites.
- Save recipes by jotting them down, bookmarking pages online, or printing them.
- Keep a journal of recipes you enjoyed cooking (and eating!) as a way to remember your favorites.
- Create a calendar for what you’d like to cook over the next few days, week, or month.
Quote
Before you head to the grocery store, look inside your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. Write a list of the ingredients you already have on hand. By regularly taking inventory and keeping track of what you have, you’ll likely make a better plan for your meals.
Be on the lookout for sales
Quote
Most grocery stores will publish a weekly flyer that highlights new food items and sales each week. They may offer coupons for additional discounts too. Some stores also have clubs with rewards for frequent shoppers. Signing up for email updates from your local grocers or download their apps can help you stay up-to-date on the latest deals.
Consider bulk food purchases
Quote
Buying items in bulk could save you money in the long run. Warehouse stores are everywhere these days, so it’s easy to stock up for less. When you buy in bulk the idea is to minimize your cost per unit. Just be prepared as you will likely spend more money upfront. Look to purchase items with a long shelf life. Canned goods, butter, dried pasta and beans, and household essentials like toothpaste, trash bags, laundry detergent, and batteries are good choices. It’s also a good idea to keep your storage space in mind when you buy in bulk to help make sure you can store whatever you purchase.
Make food from scratch
Quote
Swapping store-bought for homemade is a great way to potentially cut down on costs. If you have flour, water, and yeast, you could bake your bread in an oven, for example. Try exploring to find easy recipes for your pantry staples. You may be surprised by how simple it can be to make items like yogurt, oatmeal, pasta, and more.
Eat leftovers at least once a week
Quote
A good way to potentially save both time and money is to plan with at least one night of leftovers per week. If you don’t like eating leftovers, try using them to make a new meal. If you have leftover vegetables, for example, you can easily toss them in an omelet and have breakfast for dinner one night.
Limit Eating Out
Quote
It's probably obvious, but takeout, that delicious ramen place, and even quick "cheap" burgers add up quickly. That's why hitting up your go-to restaurant less often is one of the most effective ways to lower your food budget. Of course this doesn't mean to stop eating out entirely. Restaurants are cultural, they're social—they're not the enemy. But, when it comes to your budget, they can turn into a bit of a black hole.
So how often should you eat out? It’s up to you. The key is moderation and balance. If you can’t stomach the idea of eating out less, know that you’ll have to cut your budget in other categories. Just remember that eating out truly is one of the largest chunks of your food budget, so think critically and carefully about how much you’re currently spending at restaurants and how much you want to be spending.
So how often should you eat out? It’s up to you. The key is moderation and balance. If you can’t stomach the idea of eating out less, know that you’ll have to cut your budget in other categories. Just remember that eating out truly is one of the largest chunks of your food budget, so think critically and carefully about how much you’re currently spending at restaurants and how much you want to be spending.
[1] https://www.midlandnational.com/learn-and-plan/budget-friendly-ways-to-cut-food-costs
[2] https://banzai.org/wellness/resources/reducing-your-food-bill
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What are other good methods of cutting costs on food items?
Learning to cook for myself has helped me save money on food. Constantly buying food from restaurants and some eateries, paying delivery fees, and paying taxes all contribute to the cost of food, but when an individual learns how to cook for themselves, you just have to go to the market once and get some food items that can serve you for some period of time, then you can just be in your house and prepare whatever you want to eat. I cook for myself because I know how, and if I don't finish what I'm cooking, I refrigerate it for another day.
Hunting and fishing are under the control of some agency in most regions; you don't have the right to hunt unless it's during a hunting period, where individuals are generally allowed to do so. However, those with enough land can cultivate some vegetables and forages, which will save them money on food because they may not need to buy vegetables from the market because they can simply eat them from their garden. Depending on the country and environmental regulation in such an area, an individual with enough land space can have a poultry farm and may not need to buy chicken and egg 😉.
Cutting the cost of food can be done by reducing its volume just to remain its price and still be affordable to many. Giving out coupon and discounts can also be a good one but I think it will just a temporary solution and offers.
You also have to analyze the reason on cutting the cost of food if its good to economic and good for everyone, this is not an easy decision to make especially to some businesses they have to do their budgeting as well.
You also have to analyze the reason on cutting the cost of food if its good to economic and good for everyone, this is not an easy decision to make especially to some businesses they have to do their budgeting as well.
you lot do realise that retailers raise the prices. and then do silly "discount" schemes where only certain populations get the regular price (higher price - discount=old regular price) as the mechanism to get people to not complain about new prices and get used to new prices by having this "saviour" discount period
i could (dont have to) but could save alot of money by avoiding processed final product/ready meal style groceries. and instead cook from scratch and batch up meals in the freezer
back in my early bitcoin days where i was saving fiat to buy coin. i stopped what i would call "toilet flush" money wasting. you know the wsted money that just results in a bowel movement and toilet flush the next day
this wa no longer buying fast food but cooking it from scratch
in the UK 6piece drumstick/thigh KFC was £10 yet i can get 10 plain drumsticks/thighs for £4
KFC= £1.66 per drumstick/thigh
plain=£0.40p per drumstick/thigh
seasoned flour/breadcrumb chicken=£0.50 per drumstick/thigh
300% discount.. not just 10%
i could (dont have to) but could save alot of money by avoiding processed final product/ready meal style groceries. and instead cook from scratch and batch up meals in the freezer
back in my early bitcoin days where i was saving fiat to buy coin. i stopped what i would call "toilet flush" money wasting. you know the wsted money that just results in a bowel movement and toilet flush the next day
this wa no longer buying fast food but cooking it from scratch
in the UK 6piece drumstick/thigh KFC was £10 yet i can get 10 plain drumsticks/thighs for £4
KFC= £1.66 per drumstick/thigh
plain=£0.40p per drumstick/thigh
seasoned flour/breadcrumb chicken=£0.50 per drumstick/thigh
300% discount.. not just 10%
Coupons and promo codes
Am I the only one who hates those? We've had "bonus cards" for years, and once in a while coupons to use or stickers to collect. Now more and more supermarkets are switching to apps to I am now against those kind of bonus because these sre done with the intention of doing something big later which will certainly affect us.
I don't remember ever buying Online food before.
Most of the food comes to us from abroad, but there are many supermarkets and shops and food is rarely sold like that.
Therefore, there are no coupons for food.
The only way to save is to buy in large quantities from suppliers, but I don't remember once that we suffered from supply chains.
So your methods won't work for everyone.
Most of the food comes to us from abroad, but there are many supermarkets and shops and food is rarely sold like that.
Therefore, there are no coupons for food.
The only way to save is to buy in large quantities from suppliers, but I don't remember once that we suffered from supply chains.
So your methods won't work for everyone.
Growing your own food is an option but may not be available to everyone on this forum. It is costly as well but can be a long term source of food and income if done correctly. It will cut down the cost of buying the same from the market, however if you are not a professional in agriculture you might not produce good quality veggies like those available in the market, but it will suffice the needs of the family.
Those of us living in cities do not have this option and for them coupons and cashbacks are good but something that is not always available. The companies running such stores would not go into a loss when making a sale everyday would they? You would have to hunt down the nearest supermarket giving the max discount but even then the gross amounts would be similar.
In short, if you want quality food, you have to pay.
Those of us living in cities do not have this option and for them coupons and cashbacks are good but something that is not always available. The companies running such stores would not go into a loss when making a sale everyday would they? You would have to hunt down the nearest supermarket giving the max discount but even then the gross amounts would be similar.
In short, if you want quality food, you have to pay.
We don't have that kind of coupons here, so this is a big no-no for us. And i think the best is to just buy raw, everything and cook it by yourself. Or unless you have some farm, organic vegetables that you can just get and cook.
Of course sardines and bread could be cheaper though, but there could be more alternatives. Maybe you can buy poultry from time to time. You can't just eat the same food over and over again. And those sardines might not be good for our health in the long run. It should be balance though, vegetables, we need that and maybe just small portion of chicken and beef.
Of course sardines and bread could be cheaper though, but there could be more alternatives. Maybe you can buy poultry from time to time. You can't just eat the same food over and over again. And those sardines might not be good for our health in the long run. It should be balance though, vegetables, we need that and maybe just small portion of chicken and beef.
I would like to point out that these methods are exclusive to countries where those services are available. It is usual that, for example, some franchises offers those discounts in United States but does not in Latin America. The same happens with food coupons.
My methods on saving money on food are mostly based on buying cheaper food and prepare one's meals oneself.
Sardines and beans are cheaper than beef and chicken.
My methods on saving money on food are mostly based on buying cheaper food and prepare one's meals oneself.
Sardines and beans are cheaper than beef and chicken.
believe me - this way is much better than eating incomprehensible things, such as quick-cooked vermicelli, and a lot of carbohydrates with palm oil ... Sardines, beans, vegetables - quite a quality diet, with limited options.
And that chicken and its derivatives are really expensive in your country? I have always believed that chicken / eggs are everywhere very affordable, inexpensive and, in general, a quality product. At the same time, they can sufficiently diversify your diet - from this you can cook quite a lot of dishes, albeit not intricate, but varied and of quite high quality.
I also hate too, so far I never install or join a membership of the supermarket even though the cashier always offer it, but I don't care with it. The cashback is really so low and doesn't worth it, it's like I need to spend for $1000 in order to earn $5.
I actually installed one recently, it got me a €5 discount on a €40 grocery bill. But I refuse to carry it with me, so I installed the app on my kid's tablet, and printed the QR-code. The weird thing is: it used to be only the most expensive shops doing this, now the cheaper ones joined too. And don't get me started on home improvement shops. 
Am I the only one who hates those? We've had "bonus cards" for years, and once in a while coupons to use or stickers to collect. Now more and more supermarkets are switching to apps to give you discounts spy on you and give you notifications. I really hate the fact that they overprice items, unless you join their marketing scheme that's designed to tie you to their shop.
I also hate too, so far I never install or join a membership of the supermarket even though the cashier always offer it, but I don't care with it. The cashback is really so low and doesn't worth it, it's like I need to spend for $1000 in order to earn $5. I only interested with a coupons card, but usually I lose it because I forget where I keep it lol. However some stores do give a direct discount, but most of them because the stuff is near to expired date or the package get damaged. 
What are other good methods of cutting costs on food items?
Maybe it's too obvious, but learning how to cook from basic ingredients and herbs/spices will save you a heck of a lot of money over buying prepared meals. Not to mention it is better for the environment (less plastic packaging) and can be done in bulk to get several meals for the future. It's a very useful skill to have and might even get you a job as a cook if you found it more interesting. Most people go for the ready meal type food, which can be packed with a lot of preservatives and unnecessary chemicals to extend the life of the food, which might not be so good for your health. The only slight downside is it takes a little longer to prepare, but like anything you practice, it gets faster and faster - plus the food can often come out much tastier.
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