Budgets And Eating - Can They Co-Exist?

Whatever your reason for having a tight budget, the truth is that going to the grocery store without a plan is a BIG budget breaker. And sadly all that cash ends up vanishing into our stomachs and then...well, you know what comes next.

But if you only had $300 a month to spend on groceries for a family of four, could you do it? What sort of food would make the list and what would stay tauntingly on the store's shelves?

Could you save $25 a month on groceries? How about $50 or $100? Possibly you could cut your bill by almost 50% if you consider some of the following suggestions:

First you must divide the budget you have into three categories; weekly, bi-weekly and monthly. Once you have the totals fixed, try to find a way to make it work. If you budgeted too tight, only then consider how much more you really need to spend.

Second, identify your WEEKLY needs; milk, bread, fruits. These will be your saving graces when the troops are hungry. You can load up every week and always have a healthy snack available. Think about $15/week.

Third, identify your BI-WEEKLY needs; eggs, cheese, vegetables, meat and cheese for sandwiches etc. These items have a slightly longer shelf life but you will watch how much you use when you know there's still four days until your next purchase. Try $20 every two weeks.

Fourth, get the remainder of your groceries in one place. Use cash to pay (to avoid temptation of over spending) and work out your shopping list ahead of time. You only need to do this once as many of the items (Cereal, meat etc.) will need to be repurchased each time. Other items (sugar, flour etc.) may be substituted every other month. In this example you have $200 left.

Fifth, have a schedule of meals that you can rotate. Cheap, healthy meals like stir fry can be inexpensive as they use less meat than full pieces of chicken or beef for dinner. Plan to have a meat meal offset by a simpler dish like pasta every other night. This way your family will not go through 'feast-and-famine' when they eat like kings the first week and are eating canned chili every night for the last week.

Always determine your meals based on what you really plan to cook. If you have easy weeknight staples, try to find the cheapest method of preparing them, or make do with less pre- packaged affair on other nights when you have more time. Using items like frozen vegetables can make eating cheap also healthy and convenient.

Clearly the $300 suggestion will depend on your family, the age of your children and how much your budget really allows. Whatever your budget, taking the time to draw up a plan and think about your choices will guarantee that you keep more cash in your wallet for other important things.

Shirley Bullington, the operator of http://www.femeat.com has extensive nutritional knowledge and is an expert on advising families on their financial matters.

Please visit her site at http://www.femeat.com for more information on meat and other nutritional subjects.

---

Accessing Funds You Never Knew You Had- Household Utilities and Mortgage Expense Reduction Plan

For most of us the process of getting out of... Read More

Bank On It: Places to Hide and Invest Money

Today I passed a thermometer at a bank that read... Read More

First Checking Account ? When is it Time?

We all know that money doesn't grow on trees, but... Read More

Save Money Off Your Home Utility Bills

Many don't realize that our basic utility bills provide the... Read More

Understanding Your Finances Can Give You Power And Choice

What is finance and what do you need to know?... Read More

Is There A Retirement Crisis?

When people speak about the increasing age expectancies, they generally... Read More

Top 10 Ways Managing Your Money Is Just Like Riding a Bike

An avid cyclist and bike racing fan, I sit transfixed... Read More

How You Feel Affects How You Shop & How Much You Spend

Have you ever stopped to think about how your "mood"... Read More

5 Steps to Healthy Spending Habits

Next to our physical health most of us are primarily... Read More

10 Steps To Improve Your Financial Situation

Here are ten steps you can follow to help improve... Read More

How to Save for A Down Payment

Saving for a Down Payment is hard work, so it's... Read More

Developing a budget? Watch out for Those Budget-Bursting Gremlins

If you've developed a household budget to get your spending... Read More

Single Mother Resources Directs You Towards Success

As a parent you are bound to face a few... Read More

Budgeting the Key to being Financially Stable

Single Mother's in need of Financial GuidanceBudgeting is key to... Read More

How to Balance Your Checkbook ? Get a Calculator and Pencil and You are Ready To Go!

Despite how easy it is to balance a checkbook, very... Read More

Budgets And Eating - Can They Co-Exist?

Whatever your reason for having a tight budget, the truth... Read More

Single Mother and Learning how to Save

Saving may seem easier if you were saving for a... Read More

How To Place an Online Order for Checks ? It is Easy as 1-2-3

If You Have an Existing Account and 5 Minutes, You... Read More

Honor Those Who Serve with Checking Account Supplies

Our global society has had a wake up call in... Read More

Stretching Your Grocery Dollars

Shopping for groceries is an inevitable fact of our ever... Read More

Check Facts and Figures

Are you a check fanatic? Don't worry, you aren't alone.... Read More

The Good and the Bad of Money Management

Good money management needn't be difficult. In fact, there a... Read More

Live Green; Save Green!

Have you seen the recent article on a new "green"... Read More

What is ChexSystems?

Commonly referred to as the first of the three major... Read More

Debt Management ? Watch Out for Bank Fees!

During the last twenty years, banks have offered a number... Read More