Simple Ways to Lower the Food Bill

Bills are a fact of life, some of them can be lowered and others can't. Then there are those bills that you just think you can't reduce. The food bill falls into this classification. There are some rather easy things that you can do to reduce your food bill.

Portions

Starting by paying attention to portions sizes will save you a great deal of money on food. All too often the amount of food put on our plates is twice what we actually need and more than we want. This leads to waste which costs money in the long run. Putting smaller portions on children's plates will help to prevent a lot of waste that can increase the food bill.

Cheaper Meats

While you may enjoy boneless cuts meats with the bone in are a lot cheaper per pound. When it comes to purchasing meat the family packs are normally cheaper per pound than smaller packages. Purchase a few of the family packs and portion them out for more than one meals. Buying a roast or a double pack of roasts when they're on sale will save you money. You can take the roast home and cut them yourself to portion them out for a variety of meals. You can also purchase items such as neck bones, ham hocks and reduced bacon to use as seasoning in foods.

Stretching Meals

A three pound bag of rice is around $2 or you can purchase a 20lb bag for $5. Either way rice can used in a variety of ways. You can cook it to serve under vegetables, combined with meat or as a side with a little butter or gravy to make a meal go farther. A large bag of potatoes will have a variety of sizes in it. These can be used for baking, boiling, mashing or placing in stews.

Leftovers can be incorporated into the next days meals. Uneaten vegetables can be mixed with rice and potatoes for a stir fry at lunch the next day. Eggs can be added to stir fry to make breakfast. You can also use bones to flavor meals so that you aren't using actual meat at each meal. Left over meats can be put in gravies as well.

Breads and Desserts

You can either purchase day old bread to toast with the meals or you can make a pan of corn bread. Cornbread is cheaper than actual bread and can be eaten at any meal you choose. A piece of fried cornbread can be covered with peanut butter for a quick lunch if you don't have time to heat something or if you're out of regular bread. A pan of homemade biscuits is less than purchasing the tubes and will last longer.

Desserts don't have to be regular desserts. You can use fruit slices with some whipped cream or buy themselves. A homemade cobbler can costs a lot less than one from the grocery store. A cake from a box of mix is a lot cheaper than one from the bakery.

Use a List and Reduce Trips

Make a list of the items that you want and need. Try to get everything in one or two trips. The less time you spend in the store the less you'll spend. You can also grow some of your own vegetables and use a few generic brands to cut the cost of groceries.