Save on Your Big Food Bill
Many people often consider that their largest monthly outgoing is their mortgage or rent payment, and for many it is the biggest single monthly payment. However, for others it may only seem like the biggest payment because it goes out in one lump sum but have you considered how much you spend on groceries and other consumables each month of each year? Could this be the biggest drain on your monthly income?
The biggest of these is food with the cost of eating out, or takeaways, a luxury which can be reduced but still enjoyed now and again. Over the past decade or so it has become the norm to eat out every week, a couple of times a week, and sometimes much more, but the added cost to your monthly budget can be substantial.
Eating away from home can be a huge drain on financial resources, breakfast in a cheap cafe twice a week, lunch twice a week and an evening meal in a restaurant twice a week are often very unnecessary expenses that can easily be avoided - using the funds to reduce the pressure in other areas of your life.
In the modern convenience world, eating at home is often in the form of takeaways, these are another big drain, a pizza that's delivered because it's too much trouble to walk or drive the mile to the takeaway. An Indian for two adults and two teens may be very convenient after a hard day at the office, but it is hardly cost effective, again the concept of it being a treat rather than the norm should be considered.
Our grandmothers used to buy many food items at different shops because of cost savings but in many ways supermarkets killed off the concept of shopping around. Most people have a favourite supermarket and stick to it when this is not always the cheapest option, with the local butcher or green-grocer possibly offering the best value for money even in these troubled times.
Don't be afraid to split your shopping between two or three supermarkets and take advantage of price differences on certain products. By avoiding the products that individual supermarkets concentrate on to make their larger profits, this may mean buying eggs in one supermarket and bacon in another but it all adds up in the course of a month's food bill.
Don't shop by grabbing a trolley and wandering the isles looking for something that catches your eye, again take a lesson from our grandmothers, make a list of what you need, stick to it and avoid the expertly positioned goods which you don't really need. That means not being tempted to throw in a little treat for the kids and your favourite biscuits; these are the kinds of items you need to learn to live without if you are going to make it through the impending financial troubles besetting the world.
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