Financial guru, David Ramsey, often recommends spending 10 to 15 percent of your earnings on food, whether it’d be groceries or takeout. But, let’s admit—especially since the self-isolation snacking started— that you’re probably spending way more than that. It’s okay—people love food, and we absolutely need to nourish our bodies and generate energy to get through our day.
But, when it comes down to it, the average individual spends 163 to 372-dollars a month on groceries. For married couples, it’s anywhere between 371 and 773-dollars a month, and for a family of four the bill shoots up between 570 and 1298-dollars a month. Yikes—that could be someone’s rent! So, if you’re looking for ways to cut costs at the check-out counter, take a look at these 3 simple tips for saving money on your grocery bill.
Redefine Dinner
Believe it or not, your three square meals a day don’t have to be huge, grandiose events. Supper isn’t always some big feast with a nice cut of meat, two steaming sides, a warm loaf of French bread, and a chocolate-inspired dessert. Lower your expectations, and in turn, you will decrease your grocery bill. Your partner and/or kids will survive on BLTs, omelets, or salads several times a week, and you can, too!
Estimate Cost
Before you make your big weekly or bi-weekly trip to your grocery store of choice, make a concrete list of what you need. This way, you’ll have a better idea of what you’ll be spending. Try hard not to go off-list with other temptations, and keep a mental list of the costs of everything in your cart. With minimal effort and a little basic addition, you should be able to keep within your budget each week.
Raid Your Pantry
It’s always important to make note of everything you already have available to you in your pantry or storage space. You won’t have to deal with accidental overages or extra costs once you’re aware of all the food items you already have at your disposal. Duplicate purchases just lead to expired food, bigger bills, and the inability to get other things you ready need for the apartment! And, who wants all of that?
The team at The Westport Apartments in Norfolk, Virginia finds it important that our residents lead healthy, well-informed lives. By presenting new ideas in our resident blog, we make it easy to stay up-to-date with the latest information on health, wellness, finances, and more.