Good morning Dinks.  Let me ask you a question, how much do you spend on groceries each month?  Nick and I spend approximately $120 a week on groceries for the two of us.  I’m not sure if that’s a reasonable amount.

How do you save money on groceries each week?

Plan your menus

I try to do this as much as possible but the problem is sometimes I feel like eating a certain food when I’m at the grocery store and then a couple days later I don’t feel like it anymore.  This usually ends up in me eating something I don’t want to or food being wasted – which makes me very angry.

Planning your menus makes you think about the ingredients and maybe you can reuse them in several menus.  For example I love Mexican food.  A mixture of peppers and onions can be used for several dishes such as burritos, tacos and quesadillas.  They all have very different tastes and one batch of ingredients can make all three. That’s a big money saver.

Think about the cost per unit

This is how I’ve adapted my shopping strategy over the last year and it’s helped save a lot of money.  Sometimes there are two sizes of the same item on sale and you’re not sure which one is the best deal.  The way to know is to figure out the cost per unit.  The smaller size is usually cheaper but it’s not always the best deal.  It might be better to pay a little more because you’ll be getting more bang for your buck.

Many grocery stores and pharmacies are starting to list their prices with the sale price as well as with the cost per unit.  This helps everyone become more savvy shoppers.

Eat the same meals

In a couple or in a family we always try to accommodate each other and sometimes this means making multiple meals.  I know my Dad always did…and he still does.  I am a vegetarian and my sister is gluten-free so this makes for a very interesting family meal.

Cooking multiple versions of the same meal can be very costly.  The economic thing to do is to is to try and find meals that everyone can eat and include the same ingredients.  It makes grocery shopping a lot simpler and cooking meals a lot easier.

How to save money on eating out

Dining out in restaurants is not exactly grocery shopping, but it has to do with food.  Nick and I eat out quite a bit but it’s always grab and go food or takeout, we rarely order delivery or eat out in restaurants, why?  Because it’s expensive.

If you go to pick up your food you can save on the delivery fee and tip.  Many restaurants also give a discount for takeout orders.  That makes eating out economical and worthwhile.


This entry was posted in Budgets, Savings by Kristina Tahnyak. Bookmark the permalink.

Avatar photo About Kristina Tahnyak

Tahnya is a Certified Financial Planner and former Investment Advisor turned marketing and communications professional She holds a degree from Concordia University, is debt free and currently works in the field of digital marketing.

MANAGE YOUR MONEY TOGETHER

Here are some simple guidelines for DINKS to build wealth:

1) Collaborate: Meet regularly to talk about money, set goals together, track and monitor them.

2) Understand and respect your partner. Take time to understand your partners values about money.

3) Watch the numbers. Get a budget, monitor your spending and track your net worth.

4) Max your retirement. Maximize contributions to your tax deferred retirement accounts.

5) Invest in stock. Stocks perform better than bonds or cash.

6) Avoid high interest debt. Credit cards and title loans are financial cancer.

7) Diversify. Don't put all your eggs in one basket.

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