Your food bill is probably one of your bigger expenses. It’s also one of the easiest areas in your budget to cut down quickly.
Like any budget adjustment, cutting down on food expenses requires intentionality.
Food not only gives us sustenance but it can also be a relational aspect of our lives. If you need to cut down on your food budget, you may need to find creative ways to spend time with friends if it tends to center around food.
According to the 2022 report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average household spent $5,703 on groceries and $3,639 on food away from home for the year.
Perspective on food
Food as Sustenance
We need food to live (obviously) but there is a huge range of what we can buy for one meal.
For example, a Chipotle burrito is food – but expensive for just 1 dinner!
Temptation to get Fast Food
Life gets busy. Getting take out or going through the drive through is an easy solution. But it can be really expensive.
My guess is that this is one of the biggest food budget killers. While it may be unavoidable sometimes, a pattern of grabbing a quick meal adds up.
Food as a focal point for Socializing
With my friends, we tend to go out for birthdays, or just to catch up. I think there is something special about sharing a meal together.
I personally love trying new food and enjoying a meal with friends or family. If you are trying to cut down on your food expenses, I encourage you to get creative with social gatherings.
Be transparent with friends and get creative!
For example, instead of going out for a big dinner, consider meeting up for a coffee instead.
Sometimes, it can be cheaper to host a dinner than to go out for one – even if you are feeding more people!
Sharing a meal together is a form of hospitality
The Bible gives many examples of the value to relationships from sharing a meal.
One example that I love comes from Acts 2, about believers gathering in the early church
2:42 All the believers devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching, and to fellowship, and to sharing in meals (including the Lord’s Supper), and to prayer.
2:46-47 – They worshiped together at the Temple each day, met in homes for the Lord’s Supper, and shared their meals with great joy and generosity—all the while praising God and enjoying the goodwill of all the people. And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.
Even if you are on a tight budget, showing hospitality through sharing a meal can be done!
Saving money on food means you will have to be intentional
This is a good thing!
We all need to say ”no” – sometimes
How much you need to save on food will be dependent on your financial season
If you are in a season of getting out of debt, cutting down on food costs is vital. This takes planning for the week and food prep ahead of time.
Practical tips for Saving on Food
Meal Plan
I spend about 30-60 minutes a week planning out what I am going to make. Personally, I get bored with the same dishes pretty quickly so I like to mix things up. I meal-plan on Saturday or Sunday.
When I sit down to meal plan, I look at the week ahead to see if there are any plans with friends or if I have offered to deliver dinner to someone in need.
This not only helps with meal planning but it is also a time to think about the week ahead.
If you don’t mind eating the same thing regularly, create a weekly rotation of meals! This is a great way to cut down meal planning time if it is something you don’t enjoy.
Some great websites that offer budget friendly and tasty recipes are Budget Bytes and Pinch of Yum. I LOVE these blogs. I get almost all of my recipes from them.
Go to the grocery with a LIST
Once I determine what recipes to make (usually all open tabs on my computer), I go to my kitchen and read through the ingredients in each recipe. This helps me to keep in mind what ingredients I already have and what I need to get.
This keeps me focused on what I actually need when I get to the grocery. I love trying new food, so it’s always tempting for me to start grabbing random things.
While I will occasionally get a new ingredient or prepared food, I try to stick with my list.
I have noticed that when I go to the grocery without a list, I end up with a lot of random food items.
Be intentional about eating out
Depending on what financial season you’re in, you may need to drastically decrease eating out, or cut it out all together.
If you are in a season of paying off debt, not eating out is a great way to create margin in your budget. If it is something you really enjoy, then this time is a good opportunity to be motivated to get to a place financially where you can partake in it.
As I’ve mentioned multiple times, I love food. I love trying new food and I love going to new restaurants.
To me, I would much rather go to a nice restaurant once every couple of months and meal plan/eat cheap the rest of the time. This is built into my budget and my husband and I are debt-free besides our mortgage.
Shop discount stores
These are great for pantry items. It makes for another stop in grocery shopping, but I love what deals discount stores have.
Once you’re familiar with the stock at a local discount store, it’s easier to plan out shopping trips between stores.
What is your favorite way to save money on food?
