Looking to cut back on your food costs? This is something that most people are looking to do right now amid the cost-of-living crisis. Inflation is causing food prices to skyrocket, which can be even harder to afford when everything else is getting more expensive. Although an essential cost, you should know that there are lots of good ways to save money on food while still being able to enjoy a good diet.
Plan Carefully
First, you should get into the habit of planning your food shopping carefully. Often, people do not put too much thought into what they need and what they will eat each week. This can result in doubling up on items as well as buying food that goes off before you have used it. Plan out your meals each week so that you can make the most out of everything you have and avoid buying anything that you already have/don’t need.
Batch Cook
You can also save money each month by batch-cooking food. Instead of cooking something new each night, you should cook something that will have multiple portions and then freeze/refrigerate the remaining portions so that they can be enjoyed again throughout the week. Not only will cooking meals from scratch can save you money on food, but you will also reduce your energy usage too.
Shop at a Cheaper Supermarket & Try the Downshift Challenge
It is amazing the difference that different supermarkets charge for the same food. Therefore, you should find the cheapest supermarket in your area and start shopping here. Additionally, you can make big savings by trying the Martin Lewis Downshift Challenge – this involves dropping one brand level on all purchases and it is said that this could save around 30% a year.
Take Advantage of Discounts
You should also look around to see what discounts are available and take advantage of these. As an example, there are Morrisons NHS discounts for healthcare workers that could help them to make significant savings on their grocery bills.
Cut Back on Luxuries
One of the best ways to save money is to cut back on luxuries. While it might not be ideal, it does not have to be permanent and you might be able to simply cut back instead of eliminating items that you enjoy completely from your budget. For many families, meat is a major cost and you might find switching to chickpeas, beans and lentils to be a great way to save and even improve your health.
Hopefully, this post will give you a few ideas for ways to make savings on your food costs each month. It is easy to panic when everything is getting more expensive, but there are always things that you can do to keep your costs down while still enjoying a good diet.
