Sunday, December 11, 2011

Cooking Budget Benefits


It is not a difficult thing. It is simply knowing where to buy the cheapest meats, vegetables, and fruits among others.
Know where to buy cheap food
When shopping for food items, buy only what you need according to what is on your menu. Never buy in excess; always buy the exact quantity listed on the menu. The prices vary from place to place depending on the type of food item you are looking for. Milk, sugar, and bread for example are cheaper when you buy them at supermarkets. They're considered as staple foods and are usually sold at a losing price to attract customers into buying other products.
Avoid cooking by impulse
Do not give in to cooking impulse. Cooking food by impulse in contrast to weekly scheduling will end up making you spend more. And what are you going to do with the extra ingredients? They'll end up being stocked in the fridge or cabinet for a long time ending up money in the inventory. And the worse of it all is when they get spoiled they're considered as lost money.
How much money is enough for food? Can a person eat less than a dollar a meal? If not, how much? One source gave it $100 a week with two adults, one kid and a toddler. This is without coupons, food stamps and no shopping from farmers' stores. All foods were brought from supermarkets. It is up to you to determine your own budget depending on what you can and can't afford.
Stick with your list
When you shop for your grocery, stick to your lists. If you want to buy something else, return some food of equivalent amount back to the shelf. It's easy to be swayed into buying other items which are not on the list. Discounted items can often attract you making you think that you can save by buying it but if you really think about it, it's usually things that we don't actually need.