Methods to cut food costs

[Dr.Bitcoin_Strange]

The best way so far I have found to cut expenses on food is to go shopping with a list. For me this is the only way to resist temptation of buying something tasty just to have it, when I already have a stock of something tasty at home.

Yeah, I agree with you. It's really what it is: even if you have some tasty food or items at home, you will sometimes still go shopping and buy the same things that you have at home, and you cannot return them. So, going with a list will help, just as you said. What happens to some people most of the time is that they don't also check very well in their kitchen store to see the other food items they have before going out. They can roughly make a little list of what they want to buy, but on getting to the grocery, they begin to see things that they feel they don't have, even though they have a bunch of them at home. It is good to cultivate the habit of checking for things you have and those you don't have before you carefully you Make a list.

[1714757761]

1714757761

[1714757761]

1714757761

[1714757761]

1714757761

[STT]

Ultimately if we're talking a real cut back in available cash for food, you will be making everything yourself   and/or eating super basic stuff.  Learn to cook is one of the biggest money saving methods there is, of course it takes time, skill and energy plus some tools.  Even after all that its still gigantically cheaper to cook for yourself and as a bonus almost everything tastes better freshly made.
  Any prepared food from a supermarket has been packaged and reinforced in its ingredients to survive a journey down a conveyor belt & over a week sitting on a shelf even if its refrigerated it cannot be as nice as a well cooked meal.   I say all that and Im not a good cook but if poor theres not that much choice imo; some find they do cook well and make it their job, making a cut back into an opportunity

[ChiBitCTy]

This is a great topic Hydrogen!  I'm surprised I'm just now seeing it. 

Cutting costs when it comes to food/fuel/energy ...things of this nature is something I'm very in to.  I use a lot of the methods that you've pointed out.  My grocery store has an app and a fuel savers rewards program, and I'm constantly taking advantage of it.

I always check the local papers for coupons.  I will also always do a google search before I buy anything to make sure I can't find it at a lower cost.

Buying in bulk is something that has saved me a lot of money.  For example I buy a 36 cans of Monster Energy instead of just buy 1 or 2 at a time, and that's saved me a ton of money since I drink them for work fairly often.

Walgreen a pharmacy/grocery store here in the States will often print out coupons when you go there that are  "Spend $40, get $10 in store credit".  What I do is buy $40 worth of toilet paper and paper towels and stock up.  Anytime I get the chance to make this deal, I do.  Those $10 in store credits add up!

Wal-Mart has good credit cards with great savings being passed back for food purchases.

I will think of some others and post them here as they come to me.  But great thread!

[ammo121810]

Well there are several methods to cut food costs that can help us to save money while still enjoying delicious and healthy meals. First is Plan your meals in advance. By planning your meals ahead of time you can create a shopping list and you can avoid impulse purchases. This can help you stay on budget and reduce food waste. Next is you can try to buy in bulk. Purchasing food items in bulk can be a great way to save money, especially for non perishable items like rice, beans and pasta. You can also consider buying meat in bulk and freezing it for later use. Shop sales and use coupons. Cook at home can also save money. Use cheaper cuts of meat like chicken thighs or pork shoulder can be just as delicious as more expensive cuts when cooked properly. Buy generic items can also save money. By following different methods you can reduce your food costs without sacrificing the taste or nutrition.

[bakasabo]

One of my tricks to save on food cost is not to stick to one supermarket chain. For example we have 3 big supermarket chains with lots of shops. Not all of them are located nearby, but on the way from home to work I can visit all of them. Each week they make discount brochures. And it is wise to look through them from time to time. Because when one shop offers something with a huge discount, there is a chance that in the other supermarket chain same item will be at lower price.

For example Corona beer. It cost around 1.3 EUR. One of the chains now offer it @ 99 cents and put attention to that (huge discount). While in the other chain I can get Corona this week for 89 cents. I would not go to that shop on purpose to save those 10 or 40 cents, but if I drive by, I would hope in to get some.

[uswa56]

One of my tricks to save on food cost is not to stick to one supermarket chain. For example we have 3 big supermarket chains with lots of shops. Not all of them are located nearby, but on the way from home to work I can visit all of them. Each week they make discount brochures. And it is wise to look through them from time to time. Because when one shop offers something with a huge discount, there is a chance that in the other supermarket chain same item will be at lower price.

For example Corona beer. It cost around 1.3 EUR. One of the chains now offer it @ 99 cents and put attention to that (huge discount). While in the other chain I can get Corona this week for 89 cents. I would not go to that shop on purpose to save those 10 or 40 cents, but if I drive by, I would hope in to get some.

It's a good way, sometimes I also use this way, luckily where I live close to some supermarkets and I often visit some time to buy necessities.
And also I do other ways to save on my daily food costs, such as cooking at home and others.
We all have different views on basic needs, but for me the most important thing is to be able to consume the food you want and are healthy without having to go into extravagance.

[BRINIRHA]

This is a great topic Hydrogen!  I'm surprised I'm just now seeing it. 

Cutting costs when it comes to food/fuel/energy ...things of this nature is something I'm very in to.  I use a lot of the methods that you've pointed out.  My grocery store has an app and a fuel savers rewards program, and I'm constantly taking advantage of it.

I always check the local papers for coupons.  I will also always do a google search before I buy anything to make sure I can't find it at a lower cost.

Buying in bulk is something that has saved me a lot of money.  For example I buy a 36 cans of Monster Energy instead of just buy 1 or 2 at a time, and that's saved me a ton of money since I drink them for work fairly often.

Walgreen a pharmacy/grocery store here in the States will often print out coupons when you go there that are  "Spend $40, get $10 in store credit".  What I do is buy $40 worth of toilet paper and paper towels and stock up.  Anytime I get the chance to make this deal, I do.  Those $10 in store credits add up!

Wal-Mart has good credit cards with great savings being passed back for food purchases.

I will think of some others and post them here as they come to me.  But great thread!

I like how you are also quite competent in carrying out savings methods to meet your daily needs without reducing consumption or anything like that. but you tenaciously search for information and take advantage of every discount or coupon or whatever can make you more economical.

Actually I also have a character similar to yours. I personally prefer to buy in bulk. or in another sense I prefer to buy things in large quantities at once. such as for example energy drinks, medicines, even children's snacks and some instant foods. I'm used to buying them in bulk at a time because you'll get a lower price than buying retail individually.

but for vegetables and fruits I prefer to pick them in the small garden that surrounds my yard. I made my home page into a vegetable and fruit garden which was just enough for me and my family.

[mich]

When it comes to spending money on food, I really try to save money and cut the cost of food by using the store applications where I can see the weekly special that they have. Or if I go out to get fast food, I like to sign up for the reward programs and get points and redeem them for free food.
If the fast-food place has an app to download even better for me because I can order from the app and collect my deals, point, and offers for being a member. It is a great way to not spend a lot of money while you're out on the street.
I am also a big fan of using coupons just about everywhere I like to go out and eat. If I have the right amount of time while I am out, I also try to find the happy hour specials to really save money on my food and enjoy a well-deserved meal.

[xSkylarx]

One of my tricks to save on food cost is not to stick to one supermarket chain. For example we have 3 big supermarket chains with lots of shops. Not all of them are located nearby, but on the way from home to work I can visit all of them. Each week they make discount brochures. And it is wise to look through them from time to time. Because when one shop offers something with a huge discount, there is a chance that in the other supermarket chain same item will be at lower price.

For example Corona beer. It cost around 1.3 EUR. One of the chains now offer it @ 99 cents and put attention to that (huge discount). While in the other chain I can get Corona this week for 89 cents. I would not go to that shop on purpose to save those 10 or 40 cents, but if I drive by, I would hope in to get some.

Planning out your grocery shopping is really best because you can really save. Let's say that no matter if it is cheaper at another supermarket if you are driving long, it is still useless with your time and gas. It is better to go to a nearby supermarket as it is more expensive on gas than saving cents. That is also what I've done, as well as looking for coupons that I can use to get discounts. Also, it is really best if you can just walk or run to the supermarket, like if you need to buy small pieces while you are exercising, or you can also do cycling, as it is an exercise and you can save up gas.

[Aanuoluwatofunmi]

Have we taken time check on the cost we use on food items over the course of the week and a month and compare to the rate of our income and what we have to save up at the end of the day, there are sometimes we will need to pay some sacrifice in other to be able to meet up with some basic financial needs and cut the rate we spend on food items and how some of them waste away in thin air, there must be proper way of storage for this food items in other for them to last longer to our satisfaction than going shortage when they spoil.

[bayu7adi]

I do enjoy having food coupons and promos from restaurants, but I don't monitor them all the time. The majority of restaurants that offer coupons tend to be expensive. However, there are still places where you can find delicious, nutritious, generous portions of food at an affordable price.

What I do is constantly survey different dining establishments. I tend to avoid junk food and prefer buying fish or chicken meat to complement my daily nutrition.

In fact, when food prices are on the rise, I lean towards purchasing raw ingredients and cooking them myself. It's cheaper, and the price difference can be quite significant.

As for emergency food supplies, I often opt to make bulk purchases from wholesale stores. My go-to emergency food items usually consist of canned sardines, sausages, and instant noodles.

[Fortify]

Food Delivery

Walmart, target and other large retailers offering food delivery services were offering big sales for delivery only. Not certain whether the trend will continue into the future but it was nice while it lasted.

edit:
Learning to hunt and fish

Give a man a fish, and you might feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you could feed him for a lifetime.

While it seems that hobbies like hunting and fishing are on a decline. Perhaps current era food prices are exactly what they need to make a return?

Foraging in the wild

There are places in the wild where fruits and vegetables grow naturally. Some are located close to official hiking trails and natural landmarks like waterfalls.

Working part time in the food industry

The food industry is known for sometimes giving away free food and cost benefits. Bakeries and restaurants and known for throwing food away. Which employees sometimes are allowed to have.

....

What are other good methods of cutting costs on food items?

Shopping around, paying particular attention to the prices of certain items in different shops can add up to a huge difference over time, but in can vary so much based on the country your in and the different competition available. Saying "stick with Amazon" might be an ok strategy in the middle of nowhere in America, but in Europe you would now be overpaying based on the jacked up prices they seem to place on things. One other important thing: Pay particular attention to the special offers that you are picking up, this may be more of an issue with specific retailers, but several times lately I've caught special promotional items not coming up with the right price when you come to pay and having to tell them to fix the price to what is advertised.

[Iroh]

As to cooking a small portion - that isnt cost effective imho. Imagine how much you will spend gas, electricity and water when frying, boiling, washing + time, if you prepare meals 3 times a day vs preparing a huge pot with meal for few days.

Cooking a smaller portion isn’t really time effective but it could be considered cost effective and I had been replying to someone else who mentioned that they were single and I mentioned they could cook a smaller portion as it would be for just one individual.
Personally, I think it’s much better to cook in larger quantities and then store these foods in a freezer. Whenever you’re hungry, you could take the quantity needed and put the rest back.

[Fatunad]

As to cooking a small portion - that isnt cost effective imho. Imagine how much you will spend gas, electricity and water when frying, boiling, washing + time, if you prepare meals 3 times a day vs preparing a huge pot with meal for few days.

Cooking a smaller portion isn’t really time effective but it could be considered cost effective and I had been replying to someone else who mentioned that they were single and I mentioned they could cook a smaller portion as it would be for just one individual.
Personally, I think it’s much better to cook in larger quantities and then store these foods in a freezer. Whenever you’re hungry, you could take the quantity needed and put the rest back.

Not all would really be having that kind of mindset or preferred things when it comes to food because there are people who do much prefer on eating warm and newly cooked food than on food which are stored already on the fridge which we know that reheating them would really be affecting its taste and we know that there are people who are really that sensitive when it comes to food taste. This is why they wont really be bothered on using up their gas tank on cooking as long they could really eat on what they do want to eat on whats been cooked on point and not something that its already be cold and then get some preheat.
Cost effective? not all wouldnt really be minding if the difference is really just that small and not all people would really be that lazy on not to cook their own food and the time being spent.
For some cases then it might be that relevant but not all the time people would really be loving its taste and this is why they do really cooked up on active manner.

[ZaklievscaD]

Have you ever noticed how cooking at home can also be a gold mine... of savings? I've found Costco to be a lifesaver. Not just for the variety of groceries that transform into killer dishes, but also for the sweet balance it strikes between quality and cost. And this isn't just about buying in bulk - it's about smart shopping. I discovered costcofdb.com recently and it's a game changer. It lists everything Costco has, so you can plan your meals, and your budget, in advance. With their variety, you can recreate your favorite restaurant meals right at home and save a ton. I whipped up a gourmet dish the other day with one of their marinated meats, and my wallet thanked me! So if you're into cooking, or just love good food, you might want to check out Costcofdb.com. It's all about good food that's good for your budget.

[Kadal Ijo]

It cannot be denied anymore that the price of food will continue to increase due to many factors, apart from the decreasing land for agriculture, another thing is the weather which is difficult to predict, in my country, which used to be the rainy season, but news of drought has occurred in many places, making it even more difficult for farmers.

[xSkylarx]

It cannot be denied anymore that the price of food will continue to increase due to many factors, apart from the decreasing land for agriculture, another thing is the weather which is difficult to predict, in my country, which used to be the rainy season, but news of drought has occurred in many places, making it even more difficult for farmers.

I remember before that when the month of April to June takes place, it is very hot and all of us are going to the beach, but right now, they declare it a rainy season, which is true, and the rain is very heavy and can affect all the crops as well as cause floods. This is really due to climate change, which we should start to prevent by planting trees, but again, this will only be solved if we unite to do it.

[CarnagexD]

Coupons and promo codes

Am I the only one who hates those? We've had "bonus cards" for years, and once in a while coupons to use or stickers to collect. Now more and more supermarkets are switching to apps to give you discounts spy on you and give you notifications. I really hate the fact that they overprice items, unless you join their marketing scheme that's designed to tie you to their shop.

Exactly. There are also other things you can cut costs like the unessential to your living. So why would you save so much money on food? I mean, you work hard to make money and have something on your table yet someone is being so frugal on their food. Instead cut costs from your shopping lists, on your branded shoes or clothes. Then put more money on foods that enter your stomach and make a better well-being.

[Asuspawer09]

Most of the methods would depend on what country place etc, you are in but in my situation, most of this would not work in my opinion. There was no choice in this you can't really cut food costs I guess since it's food also you can't really sacrifice your health in the first place so you should either do something to earn a higher salary, or cut the cost of other things on the budget, food should be the last resort if you don't really earn enough.

I mean there are alternatives without sacrificing your health you could find healthy but cheaper food options instead of eating at a restaurant you could just prepare your own food or something like that.

Coupons and promo codes were really rare in my country I didn't even experience having one, student discount was great if you are a student I just realize that its really helpful because now I have work and this small discount is really useful, Amazon shipping will make the cost higher and probably not great for international, Food delivery here in my country cost a lot more compared when your going to buy it on the store, you cant hunt anything on urban places, working on food industry is not an option I cant sacrifice my not so good job just for a little bit of food.

[Gozie51]

It cannot be denied anymore that the price of food will continue to increase due to many factors, apart from the decreasing land for agriculture, another thing is the weather which is difficult to predict, in my country, which used to be the rainy season, but news of drought has occurred in many places, making it even more difficult for farmers.

Climate change is really affecting the way we use to know the weather and that is actually affecting planting season. The environment has changed and we are having late planting because you have to wait for the rain for quite a long time down to mid may and June before you begin to see more rain in July but in the past sometimes you begin to see the rain towards march ending gradually and April to May will be more severe rain fall. This change is having adverse effects on agriculture except those who do irrigation but that is still not sufficient for the country because more hands are needed to be involved in planting but because the rain is not sufficient, some people stay away from farming.