Being strapped for cash can make enjoying anything feel like a tall order, especially in a world where everyone is trying to sell you something.  Constant bombardment with images of all the beautifully photographed items you can’t afford doesn’t exactly inspire celebration.

However, do not let your spirits be downcast, there is help to be had.  You don’t have to be in possession of a fortune to eat well and enjoy yourself.  The following six tips will get you started on saving money on food while doing just that. 

1| Minimize Eating Out

Going out to eat is a quick way to hemorrhage money.  Not only is it expensive, but it’s also typically not the greatest for you.  If it does happen to have a low price tag, the actual costs are even higher when you consider the detriments to your physical health and the future medical bills you’ll be paying as a result.

2| Buy In Bulk

Anything you eat regularly, especially in the dried goods category, can usually be bought in bulk.  You can find bulk items in most grocery stores, and countless places online.   The benefits of doing this will be clear right away.  It saves you time, and money (fewer shopping trips, lower price per pound), and creates less waste by reducing the number of packages you buy. 

3| Stick With Unprocessed Food

Not only is real food better for you, but it also costs less.  Processed foods are often heavy-laden with salt, sugar, and low-quality fats and tend to come with a high price tag.  If you steer to the edges of the store, minimizing your time in the middle aisles, you will mostly be encountering the real stuff.  The more you consume these fresh, vibrant, living foods, the better you will feel, which makes everything more enjoyable.

4| Reduce Your Meat Portions

The most expensive food is typically meat, so if you can reduce your portion sizes and be more creative with your protein sources, you’ll save money.  Incorporating mushrooms, beans, nuts, and seeds in your meals helps to bring more diversity into your diet and makes it easier to shrink down the amount of meat on your plate without leaving you feeling hungry or deprived.

5| Make Your Own

Wherever possible making your own dressings, condiments, sauces, etc. will greatly reduce your grocery costs.  Many of the premade versions are low in nutritional value and high in price.  Also, when you make things yourself, you can adjust flavors to satisfy your personal tastes, a total win-win situation.  

It may feel intimidating at first, but as soon as you see how simple many things are to make, you’ll be shaking your head at how long it took you to liberate yourself and your pocketbook from unnecessary drains. There are endless recipes available online and videos too, use these resources, grab a friend or family member and have fun creating deliciousness!

6| Invest In Your Future Self

A major way to save both time and money is to prepare ahead.  Pick a day or two a week to put in some time to make dressings, sauces, pre-chop vegetables, cook beans, etc. For example, on a Sunday you could salt and season four to six chicken breasts, quickly sear them on both sides, and then braise them in water or broth until they’re pull-apart tender.  Then, voila! You have shreddable chicken for salads, tacos, spring rolls, soups, or any other chickeny thing your heart desires.  

The point is, that investing a little time in advance can lay the framework for several easier days of food preparation, freeing you up for the other important things in your life.  The key thing is to befriend the cooking process, recognizing the value it holds and the joy it can bring.  This approach makes saving money on food easier to implement and more enjoyable to carry out.