Money Management

Frugal Food
Tips on Buying Food Frugally

Frugal Meals Frugal Food. There are many ways to buy food and for saving money on groceries. Food is a large part of any money management plan.

We are human beings and we need to eat! We can't get around it! So we have to plan how and what we will eat.

The benefit is, however, that we get to choose what we eat.

Many people say that to eat frugally you have to go without or eat junk food. That really isn't the case.

This page shows you how you can eat well and still save money on food shop for frugal groceries and frugal food.

What are your ideas for saving money on food? Share yours or see what others have to say!

Frugal Food Tip - Cook in Bulk

Make extra and take leftovers for lunch the next day. My step daughter LOVES Wednesday night as she knows she will have her favorite pasta for lunch the next day too!

You could also make your meals at the beginning of the week and reheat them later in the week (works great if you are short on time in the week).

When my mother-in-law travels to visit family, she leaves all of my father-in-law's meals in the freezer.

He just warms them up when he is ready to eat them. Again this is frugal food and healthier!

Look for recipes online to ensure that you have variety!

Frugal Food Tip - Have Items on Hand for Quick and Easy Meals

Picking up take out food on your way home sounds like it is easy but it can get expensive and be unhealthy too. Make sure you have sliced precooked chicken in the freezer (or now you can get it for the fridge too), some cut up vegetables (that you could do at the beginning of the week and store them in the fridge), and some instant rice (now you can get the "already cooked rice" that you warm up in the microwave).

Stir fry (or if you prefer sauté) up the vegetables, add in the chicken, your favorite spices and warm up the rice. This makes dinner in less than 15 minutes. Try some different spices or sauces. Keep leftovers from other meals and throw them into the stir fry. You could also take the stir fried mix and put in in a wrap for fajita night.

Eggs are also a quick alternative for frugal meals. Try omelets with leftovers, or even just cheese.

Frugal Food Tip - Fresh Produce

In "designer" supermarkets fresh produce is very expensive. Look for local markets, or if you live close to the "main" market in town (usually where the restaurants shop early in the morning) then shop for your fresh produce there - The early bird gets the worm!

Avoid small produce stores that offer "premium" fruits and vegetables. They are great at finding items that are rare or are out of season, but you will pay dearly for it.

Once I was in one of these fruit stores and saw that the strawberries were $5 a pint, and I went to my local store and the exact same strawberries were $2 a pint.

Look for the sales for fresh produce, and even take a look at the damaged food rack - if you are cutting up or cooking the vegetables you can always find something useful and quite inexpensive.

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