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Can a foodie still save money?

With rising food cost, is it possible to still save some money.

By Talara NolanPublished 2 years ago 4 min read
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Can a foodie still save money?
Photo by Megan Thomas on Unsplash

I have always loved to cook. I find a lot of joy in it, and it calms me down. I love trying new things, and so I am always trying new recipes. For a while, I rarely made the same recipe more than once. Mainly because I have so many new recipes that I want to try, and every time that I cook I like to try a new thing. I can not draw, and so cooking is my creative outlet in many ways that helps calm my mind down.

Because I am always trying new things, you can imagine that trying to cut food cost has always been hard to do. I don't like to just make boring things. And that cost can add up quickly. It always has. However, with the rising food cost, it is getting harder and harder to cut cost and stick to a budget. But there are still ways that you can cut food cost, even if you are a foodie. You don't have to sacrifice flavor, or give up anything that brings you joy. Here are a few tips on how you can still cut cost.

Open your mind to trying new brands.

Don't have it stuck in your head that you only like a certain brand of something. Try new things. Just because something is cheaper, doesn't mean that it isn't just as good. You might surprise yourself. So if you find something on sale, and it is cheaper than what you normally would get, try it. You might find something that not only you love, but that saves you some money.

Make a list using like ingredients

Find recipes that use the same thing. If you want to make something where you need to get pizza sauce, then find other recipes that also use that ingredient. Then you won't have a lot of waste, and you get to try more than one thing.

Always make a list and a meal plan

Never go into the store without a plan. If you try to wing it, you will spend so much and you might not get enough to last you through the week. You always want to make a plan, so your money is spent wisely. Even if you only make a meal plan for dinner. I usually make eggs or a wrap for a quick breakfast. Lunch is usually leftovers, as I know that I will have some. So I really only meal plan my dinners.

Make a plan around what's in season and what's on sale

When you are making your plan, make sure that you look at the flyers. Make your meal plan around whatever is on sale, and whatever is in season. Usually what is in season will be cheap or on sale. That alone will save you money.

Shop around

Don't just be stuck that you get all your food at one store, and that is it. Open your mind to try to shop at different places. Maybe even places that you haven't thought about before. Did you know that you can get packets of rice for 1.25 at Dollarama here in Canada? Most likely not. It is name brand, just like what you get at the grocery store. It's just cheaper. So look around at different stores around you to get the cheapest price.

No name is just as good as name brand

I know that a lot of people think that no name isn't very good. However, that just isn't true for the most part. Most of the time, the no name brand is made at the same place that the brand name is. So just try it sometime. There might be some things, where you taste the difference and the savings isn't worth it. However, you might be surprised that there will be some things where you don't even taste the difference.

Try to make things from scratch

Instead of buying some things, try to make it yourself. It might be something like instead of take out. Instead of ordering pizza, try to make it yourself. It could save you some money. At times, you might think that it cost you more. However, you could get a lot more food for what it would cost you to buy it made for you.

Open up to not eating meat a day or two a week

As food cost gets higher, there are some areas that will be hit first. Such as meat and dairy products. I'm not saying you need to cut out all meat. But try to cut out meat at least once a week. It will help lower cost a lot.

Shop farmers markets

If you have a local farmer's market, make sure you hit it up regularly while you can. It is one of the great things about summer, is that you can support local and save money. You can get great quality for a cheaper price than the grocery store at times.

It is possible to save money. Even though it is harder than it used to be. You don't need to sacrifice flavor or joy just because you are trying to save some money. Start out small, just trying to save a little each week, and see how you do. You might be surprised how well that you do.

- T

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About the Creator

Talara Nolan

I am a single parent to a 4 year old girl and live with her in Canada. I love working out and have lost over 45 lbs over time. I would love to share what I have learned and all the things that have worked for me over time.

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