(Image via https://twitter.com/ohmyveggies)
Food isn’t cheap. In fact, grocery shopping can certainly add up to a lot more than it used to. Whether you’re looking for mini cheesecake ingredients or keen to invite the family around for a bbq in the sun, getting everything in order can cost a fair bit. In fact, the cost of living has gone up in many parts of the world, and food is a huge part of that.
There are numerous ways in which we can cut back on food costs and save money in the way we do things, though. It isn’t always easy, but it’s certainly do-able, especially in 2020 when the variety of food options and online resources we have available to us are priceless. You can still enjoy a healthy diet and save money, too. It isn’t all about just eating junk on cheap offers in stores. In fact, it’s the total opposite. Maintaining a healthy diet and eating delicious cuisine, all while saving money, is easy to achieve, it just involves making a few changes.
So, without further ado, here’s a few helpful ways in which you can lower your food costs.
Forget delivery, cook at home
We have all been there after a long day at work and the realisation that there’s no food in, so the temptation to order in a delivery from your favourite restaurant, settle into the sofa with a game of Heart of the Frontier slot in Canada or a Netflix movie, and not move for a few hours is there. But, fight it. Cooking at home can not only be a lot easier than it initially seems, but you end up saving a huge amount of money over the course of a year if you scrap deliveries altogether. For example, a dominos pizza costs around $15, whereas to make one at home costs about a quarter of the price and you’ll have fun doing it.
Become a vegetarian for a few nights a week
Vegetarian cuisine is not only deemed as a healthy way to go, but it’s also a lot kinder on the wallet. In fact, meat is often the most expensive part of a meal, which is why ditching it all together on some days of the week is not only healthy but incredibly cost-effective. Of course, you’ll miss it at first, but it’s only for a few days a week and meat will taste even better when you do get your chops around a sirloin steak or the beefiest of burgers on the days you are tucking into some meat. You’ll be doing your bit for the environment too, don’t forget.
(Image via https://twitter.com/ohmyveggies)
Minimize waste
Food wastage is a huge problem in modern society. Many of us buy food, forget about it, so it goes off or not use an ingredient to its full potential, therefore wasting food in the process. Planning our meals better, assessing what we can use leftovers for, and storing foods in the correct places for the right amount of time can go a long way. Make a list of what you buy, come up with a food plan for the week and keep track of what is going in and out of your cupboards and fridge. Also, some food can still be used even though it might be past its sell-by date. For example, a soft banana can make the best banana bread; likewise, a wrinkly and old tomato can make a delicious tomato sauce. Not everything is off when it says it is. Use your nose and judge it before sending it to the trash.
