In these challenging economic times, it's important to save as much money as you can. One of the biggest expenditures for a family is food, and food prices are set to go up even more over the next year before leveling off. These are tips on feed a family of four on a budget.
Instructions
1. Pick a day to look through the weekly circulars for discounted food prices. Usually Sundays are the favorite days to do so because this is when most circulars are released (through the Sunday newspaper). You may also be able to preview circulars online before Sunday. In order to do that, just type the name of the store and the week (for example, "CVS ad 5/23").
2. Write down all foods that appeal to you which are on sale. Include the prices of the items.
3. Using the list of on sale foods, create a weekly menu. Write down menus for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Include sides and drinks. Details are very important to a budget.
4. Using the weekly menu as a guide, write a grocery list of all the ingredients you will need for the recipes. Even if you think you have the item, write it down anyway.
5. Search your pantry and refrigerator for any ingredients that you already have. Scratch these items off of the list.
6. Now, estimate a price for each item on the grocery list. It's good to have a working knowledge of the normal food prices. If you don't, then write in a price that you will not go over for the item. For example, a loaf of bread $2.50. If the loaf of bread costs $3.00, do not purchase it, because it will put you over budget. If the bread costs $1.50, only buy one, and resist the urge to buy two, because you can use that overage in case there is a must-have item that is over your budget by a few cents.
7. Total your grocery list. If it comes to over $50, go back and alter your weekly menu, or cut out unnecessary items. If you want brownies, for example, it may be cheaper to buy cocoa than to buy the pre-made brownies. It's crucial to be ruthless with your budget, because inevitably, you may go over. Minimize the amount of money you spend.
8. You can also consider coupons, but do not go out of your way to plan your menu around it. Coupons are inconsistent, and often for brands that are more expensive than you would normally purchase on a limited budget.
Tags: food prices, grocery list, weekly menu, bread costs, loaf bread, will over