Get Back to Basics: 6 Simple Tips to Save More Money on Your Food Budget

Whether buying groceries for your family, or breakfast and lunch at work, food and beverages are usually the second highest expense on a monthly budget, second only to housing.

Making changes in your eating and purchasing habits when away from home can certainly save you a lot of money in a very short time, as suggested in 5 Simple Tips to Save Money on Food and Beverages at Work.

Learning to get back to basics will save you more money on your food budget. By using these six simple tips, you will save money on your food and beverage budget.

You say "po-tay-toh," I say "po-tah-toh"

The potato is an inexpensive staple food that is versatile. In the larger bags, they become quite economical. If you are close to a farm, they may even be a better bargain. Potatoes come in many varieties, can be prepared in a multitude of ways, and make a good start for a soups, stews and main dishes.

Baked potatoes can be used as main course using leftovers. Heat up the two cups of leftover chili that will not make a full meal for your family of four, but spoon it over a baked potato, top with a bit of cheese and onion, serve with a side salad, and you have a healthy, economical dinner.

"Eggs-zactly" right

Eggs are a cheap, but complete source of protein and many other nutrients. One egg supplies six grams of protein, with only 72 calories. If you are watching your cholesterol, talk to your doctor or nutritionist about your consumption of eggs.

Eggs are versatile and can be used as your protein choice for breakfast, lunch or dinner entrees. Three or four eggs, combined with a few other simple ingredients, make a delicious quiche which will serve 8 as the main course at any meal.

A dozen eggs can make three quiches, so the cost of the protein is quite the bargain than on meat, fish or fowl. The price for a dozen eggs, depending on size, averages $3.

Make your own casseroles

Boxed casserole dishes, such as macaroni and cheese, or meat "helper" dinners, may seem inexpensive, but are extremely high in sodium, preservatives, and costs per serving. Learning to make your own from scratch will save you money and will result in healthier versions.

Butter, flour, milk, cheese, and pasta are all it takes. Find a recipe for cheese sauce, add cooked macaroni and you have mac'n'cheese. It can be served creamy from the pot, or put into a casserole and baked, if you like a drier version. For variety, you can add a bit of onion, tomato or meat.

Shop the weekly sales

Grocery advertisements come out in the Sunday paper or in mailboxes early in the week. They feature items at or below cost (a pricing strategy called "loss leader") to draw the consumer in to the store where they are likely to buy other products.

Check the ads, make a list, clip the store's coupons and shop ONLY these sale items, planning your meals around the deepest discounted products.

Discount bins

If canned goods or packaging gets a bit damaged, the product finds its way to a discount bin or table and the price is marked down considerably. Take care to make sure that cans have not lost their seals because of the dent.

Meat departments will discount packages closing in on the "sell-by" date. Some are discounted by 25, 50, or 75 percent. Cook or freeze these meats immediately when you get home.

Discounted produce is also often a great deal. Before buying, make sure the items are not showing decay. Opt for hardier selections that are only showing signs of withering, such as apples or collards. Lettuces are not usually a good bargain unless you plan on using immediately.

Some organic grocery stores will have a discount bin with local, organic produce at 59-79 cents per pound. (The author's BEST find was 3 pounds of organic maitake mushrooms starting to dry around the edges for less than $2 total, normally priced at $18 a pound. Chopped and frozen, they lasted several months.)

Share or co-op

If you can find a great bargain by buying in bulk, then go in together and share with friends, family, or neighbors. Five dozen eggs at $6 or $7 is a great deal, but not if you throw them away because they have been sitting for months.

Save your clean egg cartons, buy the bulk eggs and divide them up. (Some cartons can be cut in half easily and close nicely so for the single person could have a half dozen.) By sharing the cost, you may have saved yourself 50 percent of what you would normally spend on the same amount. This can go for any type of bulk items, fresh or packaged.

There are also many coops that you might be able to get involved with in your local areas. Check into where they are and how you can get involved.

Sources
Personal experience
For more tips on saving money: 5 Simple Tips to Save Money on Food and Beverages at Work.