When working on my budget, my last piece of the puzzle is budgeting for food. Up until last month my husband and I have been very guilty of fast food excursions instead of a home cooked meal. In the beginning of cooking at home, it was difficult to make the transition because after our meals we were not very satisfied with what we ate. But over time and finding easy and tasty recipes we have been making more and more at home, and even craving some of our home cooked meals. We rarely eat out anymore, to think back I don’t really know the last time we did. Which if you are anything like my husband and I, it’s a complete 180.
Here are some tips I used when we were beginning our budget, that really don't take too much time:
Driving Home:
· On our way home from work we pass all of our favorite fast food places: In N Out, Panda Express, Jack in the Box, Yoshinoya, McDonald’s, Taco Bell… it’s a great street. So now I drive on a different street, and only pass by Burger King, which I am not crazy about. This has been a huge help because we aren’t tempted to pull in to a drive-thru.
Shopping Smarter, not Harder
· Be open to going to different Markets. I mainly shop at Ralph’s. But I am always checking out the sales at all of the stores around us. Von’s, and Food 4 Less are my other go to stores. But only when it is worth it, and when I do I stock up on the items that are on sale.
Couponing without Scissors
· * Ibotta: Ibotta is a great app where you can go to a lot of store, even Target, Walmart, Joann’s Fabrics & Best Buy, and get money back. Before I go shopping I check the Ibotta app for the deals they offer add them to my list. After my shopping trip I open the app scan my receipt and if necessary I also scan the items I bought. I have earned $40 in 3 months. The money earned can get sent to you via paypal, or an electronic gift card.
o Use this invite code and get an extra $10: vl2dta
· * Shopkick: This is a great app because you get points from walking in a store, scanning items, and purchasing. On purely getting points from walking in a store, and scanning items I was able to get $15 in a few months. But if you were to purchase the items you can earn a lot more. The money earned here can be redeemed with an electronic gift card.
· *Grocery Store Reward Card: For markets like Ralphs & Von’s (there are more!!) you can link you card to an account thru one of their apps. From there you can make grocery lists and even add coupons straight to the card. I love it because it saves me a lot of money, and you can even earn gas rewards at their designated partner gas stations.
· * Cartwheel from Target: This is a must have if you are addicted to that bullseye. You can get typically 5 % to 10 % off items they have available on the app. These items include pretty much everything in the store, but make sure you are getting the right brand. When you get to the register show the cashier your barcode from the app and the money gets taken off. I can normally save a few bucks each purchase. But if you are shopping for a big family the savings will multiply!
Walking the Aisle
· Here is my biggest secret, that may not be such a huge secret… Check the price per unit not the price. It is labeled on the price tag in a corner; once you get the hang of this you can find it everywhere or even calculate it yourself. Here is an example. I am going to buy salsa. My options are $1.99 for an 8 ounce jar or $2.49 for a 12 ounce. On the surface the 8 ounce seems cheaper. Using my calculator I found that if you divide the price by the ounces you will get the price per unit. For the 8 ounce jar it is .24 cents an ounce. For the 12 ounce jar it is .21 cents an ounce. Always check this when you are trying to save money, sometimes buying in bulk is the way to go! Here is another example:
What food budge tips do you have to share?
