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When money is very tight, we usually look to our food cost to
save money.
Many of our expenses are fixed, and we can't do anything to
change them--like
the mortgage or rent. However, how much we spend on food is up to
us.
The average American family spends 15 percent of their income
on food.
With planning, you can spend a lot less.
One way to do this is by the use of a Food Book. This is
where
you keep track of what you buy, how much it cost, and where you
bought
it.
For organizational purposes you will want to divide your
notebook into
sections, such as meat, dairy, fruits, canned foods, etc.
Be sure
and save your receipts when you go shopping, and then when you
have some
time, write down how much you paid for each item in the notebook
(in the
appropriate section)- and where you bought it.
It won't take long until patterns become clear to you.
You will
notice that some food chains sell certain items cheaper than
others. You
will know the average price of each item, and then be able
to tell
a real sale from a promotional item that isn't really priced
well.
A lot of people do this instinctively, in their minds.
They are
like human calculators when it comes to food, it doesn't come
easy to you,
write it down!
It is a lot of work at first, but it gets easier with
time. As
an added bonus, when you plan your menus, you will be able to
calculate
the cost of each dish you want to make, as you will know the
prices of
the ingredients. Then you can determine the cost per
serving of the
dish, which is the bottom line in your food budget.. If you are
willing
to take the time to do this, as well as make good use of your
leftovers,
and coupons, you can reduce your food budget significantly.
Reprinted with permission from:
The Pennypincher
An E-zine for the Frugally Minded
The Conservative Homemaker & Home of The Pennypincher
E-zine
http://www.AllThingsFrugal.com
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