5 ways to save on food spend
My monthly budgeting model is such that instead of planning for every single item I intend to buy, I set aside the following (in order of importance):
- Savings and Giving
- Rent
- Debts (if any)
- Other bills (fuel, electricity etc)
- House shopping
Whatever remains after that is my “Float” or spending money. When it runs out, I stop spending. For that reason, I rarely track the amount of money I spend eating out, I also don’t make an effort to carry food to work, or to wait and eat at home. However, two weeks ago something happened that forced me to study my eat-out receipts a little closer. Shoes happened.
Yes, I discovered a shoes retailer I absolutely loved (leather heels), and I got inspired to look for ways to save on my Float, so I can afford at least a pair of leather heels every month. To do this, I decided to track my Float spend for the last two weeks.
The results of my eating-out expenses were shocking to say the least. I actually spent more eating out in two weeks, than I spend on my house shopping in a month, the same as I spend on fuel in a month, and the equivalent of 2 pairs of leather heels! Not to mention I realised I’d acquired a french fries habit.
To buy shoes, I needed to eat out less (without eating less), and I therefore came up with a few ways to do this and save money, and ultimately, eat healthier. Here are my 5 ways to save on food costs:
1. Carry Lunch And Snacks: There are 3 certain things in life; death, taxes and hunger. Plan ahead by carrying snacks and lunch in your car/laptop backpack/ huge handbag. This doesn’t only apply to weekdays, we tend to get hungry over the weekends too. Always nibbling on something will keep you from ordering that Java Burger and Fries when you meet a friend there. Opt for a cheap drink (juice), or even order their free glass of filtered water. They won’t mind serving it to you if your friend has ordered a meal.
To do this effectively, you have to learn to plan ahead for your meals. Cook enough for the week over the weekend, freeze in daily lunch portions, then take a portion out the night before. It also helps to do your food shopping keeping in mind that you will need to carry lunches during the week, e.g buying several packets of nuts, yoghurt packs etc. Make sure that you never leave the house without food.
In addition, always carry a bottle of water. We tend to confuse thirst for hunger sometimes.
2. Eat Before Going Out: If you’re going out for the evening, have a heavy dinner at home, then opt for snacks and drinks while at the club. An average dinner will set you back at least Kshs 1,000, and if you’re like my 50,000 Bob friend, this could mean spending in excess of Kshs 10,000 on dinners every month.
If eating at home isn’t feasible, have a meal at a cheaper outlet before going out. Clubs typically overprice their meals.
Avoid the smiley burgers!
3. Use Own Recipes : If you have a craving a special drink, cocktail or food item, learn to make it at home, that way you won’t have to pay for it every time the craving strikes.My friend @coldtusker once taught me how to make yoghurt. If you have cheap Vanilla Ice Cream, milk and vanilla essence at home, you can make a milkshake better than most coffee houses sell, a sweet and sour chicken meal that costs over Kshs 1,000 in a Chinese restaurant will cost you half to make at home. In addition to saving costs, you dictate what ingredients you put in your food, resulting to healthier eating.
I’d recommend All Recipes, it has great, easy to make recipes for almost everything, and for Kenyan cuisine, Pika Chakula. Both sites have apps you can download to your phone for easy access (careful you don’t add you phone to the dough mixture though). 😀
4. Avoid Processed Snacks: Most snacks we buy are sugar, salt and empty carbs, and the “emptier” the snacks are, the more expensive they tend to be, e.g marshmallows. Instead of buying processed snacks, make your own at home, opt for cheaper options like fruit cuts and nuts. Avoiding processed foods is not only good for your health, it’s good for your pocket too.
5. Go To The Market: Or outsource groceries buying to your cleaning lady. Buying fresh fruits and vegetables in the fresh foods market is so much cheaper than buying it at the supermarket, and you end up with fresher food. To illustrate my point: I once had extra cucumber from my farm that I needed to sell at the open market (my clients couldn’t take it all). I sold the cucumber at Kshs 30 per kg (about 3 pieces of cucumber), then on my way home I remembered I had guests and needed to make them salad. I was too far gone to turn back so I opted to buy some at the supermarket. You can imagine my shock on realizing that it would cost me Kshs 80 a piece (Kshs 240 per kg), to buy the same cucumber, maybe harvested a day earlier than mine, at the store. 700% more! You save more by sending your cleaning lady to the market on your behalf, than shopping in the supermarket.
Whether you’re saving for an extra pair of shoes, to pay down on debt, for a gadget or you just need to spend you less, the above tips will save you a tonne on your food spend.
What other ways are you saving on food during these tough times?
Images Courtesy of Frugivore Mag, and Wikipedia
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