Save Money On Food Costs

It seems no matter what we did, our food costs kept on rising. After examining our total food costs, including dining out, we came to a major realization. We were spending a lot more on all food related items than we thought.

What we realized was that when we went grocery shopping, we were sticking to one store that was conveniently located close to home. We were ignoring any flyers that offered grocery savings simply because we couldn't be bothered running all over the place to track down an item just to save a few pennies. Our rational was that for any savings, we would spend more time and more costs on gas than we could possibly save. It was an easy rational because we were living extremely busy lives, and we could afford to buy what we wanted, when we wanted it.

It was also too easy, having just arrived at home from our daily work commute, to feel so tired that cooking a meal was out of the question. Instead, a quick five minute drive down the road lead us to several fast food outlets, or several restaurants that provided us with a fast meal.

The results of the two aforementioned habits lead us to conclude that on a monthly basis we spent much more than we needed to.

That was a few years ago but not now. So, what happened?

Quite simply, we moved to the country where the nearest fast food outlet, or restaurant is more than 30 miles away. No more can we just pop down the road to find that easy meal ignoring the need to cook. So, what about those food-spending habits I talked of earlier? Have I changed my buying habits?

We have, partly out of necessity (we no longer have those high paying, high stress jobs), and partly because planning has taken on more importance. When you have to drive over 30 miles to get groceries, one tends to think about economizing in various ways. First of all, you need to plan your menus far in advance; after all, you just can't pop down the road in five minutes to pick something up you forgot. But, even better, health wise, you can't pop down the road to get that fast food buzz either.

The result of planning this way is to make the rounds of the stores that offer the best sales by going a route that does not require doubling back or criss-crossing the city. This route planning not only saves time, it saves gas. And, when you throw all the other needed stops into this plan, you tend to plan your business trips to coincide with a needed grocery trip.

The results of this change in habits has been three-fold: 1)save money by purchasing food sale items since you have to make the rounds anyway, 2) learning to stock up on usual needed items so unwanted and unnecessary trips are minimized, and 3) a much more healthy diet since meals are planned, and fast food consumption is drastically reduced.

Does this all mean that you have to move to the country in order to save money?

No. It simply means that you get to be a smarter shopper, save money, and potentially improve your health without having to sell your home, or quit your job. Learn from my mistakes - it can help improve your bottom line, give you some extra money for those things you've always wanted, and potentially improve your over all health with better eating habits.