If all you had to feed a family of four each month was a small $300, do you think you could make it happen ? What types of food items would make the list and what would stay tauntingly on the store’s shelves ?

Do you think it’s possible to save on food ? How about $50 or $100? potentially you could slash your bill by virtually 50% if you take to heart some of the following approaches :

First you must split the budget you have into three sections ; weekly, bi-weekly and monthly. Once you have the totals figured out , try to come up with a way to make it work . If you budgeted too tight, only then consider how much more you really need to spend .

Second, decide which foods you use on a weekly schedule most likely items like bread, milk and fruit will fall into this category . These will be your saving graces when the troops are hungry . Load up on these foods on a weekly basis in order to make sure that you always have a healthy snack ready . You should be able to get by with this for roughly $15/week.

Thirdly, identify your BI-WEEKLY needs ; food items such as eggs, lunch meats, vegetables, meats and cheeses etc . Try maybe $20 or $30 every two weeks. Go for leaner cuts of meat like chicken and prok as they are generally cheaper than beef.

Fourth, get the remainder of your groceries in one place . Only bring enough cash to pay fot items listed (to prevent temptation of over spending) and plan you grocery list before you go . You only need to do this once as many of the items (Cereal, meat etc.) are going to be purchased at regular recurring intervals . Other items (sugar, flour etc.) may be added every other month. In this example you have $200 left.

Fifth, create a list of dinner recipes that you can alternate between . Cheap, healthy meals like stir fry can be cheap as they use less meat than full pieces of chicken or beef for dinner . Plan to have a meat meal one night and then perhaps a simpler one like pasta or stir fry every other night. By doing this you will accomplish two things. first you’ll have a better meal variety and secondly, you won’t use up all the good dinner ideas the first week leaving you family complaining the second week as you feed them hamburger helper every night .

Another obvious thing that will help you lower your grocery costs but in worth mentioning is to always be on the hunt for kroger coupons .

Clearly the $300 suggestion will depend on your family , the age of your kids and how much your budget actually allows. Whatever your financial situation , taking the time to think up a plan of attack and considering your options will assure that you have more money in the bank for other important things.

If your interested I recently found a website that is offering $250 in kroger coupons . I recommend you have a look .

Enjoy!

The average article on how to save money on food might mention coupon shopping and stocking up during sales. This article, however, is about some of the lesser known tricks for spending less. Here are three to try.

Eat Less

Okay, I am not suggesting that you actually go hungry as a way to save money on food. But the things that the average person eats vary tremendously in price, so why not eat less of those things that cost the most and maybe aren’t so healthy? You don’t have to eat less over-all to save money if you eat fewer expensive dishes. This is true at home or when you go out to eat.

In fact, this tip could just as well have been titled “Eat More,” because one of the easiest ways to cut your consumption of expensive foods is to eat more of the foods that are cheap. In other words, if you get in the habit of filling up on a delicious and healthy cheap dish like seasoned rice and beans, you might not even have room for that expensive and unhealthy desert. In a Mexican restaurant you could fill up on the free chips and salsa and then just order a delicious appetizer in place of a regular meal.

Be a Gastronomic Opportunist

There is a way to eat all the same things you currently do throughout the year and even add more variety, while spending less money. How? By learning to enjoy whatever is on sale at the moment instead of insisting on always catering to the fleeting demands of your taste buds.

For example, you might enjoy oranges, strawberries, and apples. Perhaps you normally buy whichever sounds good at the moment you are in the grocery store. But these each go on sale when they are in season, sometimes for as much as 70% less than off-season prices. So if you were to eat oranges when they are cheap, then buy strawberries when they go on sale, and do the same with apples, you would still get all the variety you normally do, right?

But you would pay an average of maybe 50% less for your fruit. In fact, add kiwi fruit or other fruits and vegetables as they become plentiful and so drop in price, and you get even more variety. What’s more is that by doing it this way you get the best products, because these foods most often go on sale when they are at the peak of the season and fully ripe.

You can apply this strategy in restaurants as well. Just always look at the specials which are offered. You’ll always get variety in this way, and save money on the food you eat as well. You don’t have to see this as denying your desires, since you’ll get to eat everything you like and also get more variety than ever. Just see each meal or grocery purchase as a surprise gift.

Eat Before Shopping

This is perhaps one of the most important tips on how to save money on food. My personal “research” into this shows that we buy as much as 30% more at the grocery store if we are hungry while shopping. Furthermore, it seems clear that if we have more food in the house we eat more – this is especially true of the snacks we load up on when hungry. That makes this a tip for healthier eating as well as a way to save money. Eat before you go. It also helps to have a list and stick to it, except when you find great sales to take advantage of.

Water conservation is a must these days because even if it is abundant, this is something we have to pay for as reflected in the water bill. Just like electricity and gas, this may go up or down on a monthly basis so you should know the different Methods to Spend Less for this utility. 

The first way to Save will be to check for leaks. You can do this by inspecting the pipes under your kitchen sink or the pipes in your basement. Another test to check for leaks will be to turn off your water and inspect the rest of the house. 

Another place that leaks frequently is the bathroom. The best way to check if there is a leak here is to use some food coloring and if the color should spread, it means one of the pipes has a problem and this should either be repaired or replaced. 

While you are still in the bathroom, check your toilet . By placing a water bottle in the tank, you get to consume half the volume of water that you used to consume whenever you have to flush it. 

People who have a water heater know that it takes time before warm water comes out of the shower. You can speed up the time it takes for the water to get warmer by insulating the pipes so hot water comes out once you turn on the knob. 

Another way to Save will be to replace the old shower head with one of the water saving models and your faucet with a low flow faucet aerator. These things are not new and if you visit the hardware store, you will see the different models to choose from so just pick from the selection which one is the best value for your money.

Whenever you wash the dishes or take a shower, turn off the faucet first until it is time to rinse. The same goes when you are shaving or brushing your teeth because this can save 10 to 20 gallons of water which is a huge savings again on your water bill. 

If you have to use the dishwasher or the washing machine, make sure to do it only when you have  a full load. We all know that this is sometimes not possible so when this happens, adjust the water level so you will only use the correct volume rather than wasting it. 

As for water from  the washing machine, don’t just throw it away and instead use it to water the plants, clean the car or wash the driveway. 

Unlike other things that you spend on, you can’t expect to switch from one water provider to another since there is only one in a given area. This means that you have to practice the different Methods to Save  so you don’t have to pay that much the next time you get your water bill. 

If you review the different Ways to Spend Less as mentioned, these are things that anyone can do so you shouldn’t have any problems. In fact, leaks are normal due to wear are tear and this can be avoided if you inspect your pipes on a regular basis or have a local plumber do it.

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With the global financial crisis that the world faces today, it is only natural for people to think of Methods how to Be Frugal. Some do it by cutting down their expenses on their basic needs while other Be Frugal by making wise decisions about their investments. 

If you are one of those who are thinking of Ways to Be Frugal, the best place to start is at home. For people who spend most of their time at home, they have all the opportunities to Spend Less through simple acts of conservation. For those who are barely at home, they can Spend Less by having time to stay at home and do the things that they are used to do outside inside the confines of their abode. Here are some of the Methods on how one can Save Money at home: 

1. Cook and dine at home. People who are barely at home don’t realize it but eating out is one of the biggest chunks in their budget. This is because eating out would mean that you would be paying not only for your food but also for its preparation, the venue where you are eating it, the people who serve it to you and other additional taxes that the establishment charge you. If you cook and dine at home, you will save more money since you won’t be paying for these charges and you can even choose the ingredients for your food. Also, eating at home can also pave the way for healthier food choices not only for yourself but 

2. Watch movies at home. Although watching is cinemas is not considered as a luxury, it can be if you do it too often. In these times of financial crisis, one of the best Ways to Spend Less is to stay at home to watch a movie. You can rent video cds of your favorite movies and watch it anytime of the day. The best thing about this is that you can do everything you want while watching the movie and nobody will make a fuss over it. And, unlike in the cinema where you are forced to finish a movie even if you don’t like it, at home, you can turn it off without regrets since you have not paid much for it. 

3. Turn off appliances when not in use. Many people still don’t realize it but leaving appliances plugged to their outlets add up to the electricity bill since the appliance still consumes electricity. To save on electric bill, develop habit of unplugging appliance when not in use. Aside from saving up on electricity, you are also veering yourself as well as your family members out of the harm’s way when an accident happens that is caused by the appliance. 

4. Invite friends at home. This is one of the best Methods to Save especially to younger people who are used to go out with their friends at night. Instead of meeting up your friends in some place, say a restaurant or a bar, why don’t you invite them at home and prepare something for them? in this way, you will save some money since you won’t have to pay for an entrance fee and for a drink in a bar or you won’t have to pay so much for the food that you won’t actually eat.

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We all want to live comfortably but these days, that comes at a price. It will be challenging since money is a big issue but there are Ways to Spend Less even on utilities. 

When we think of utilities, we are referring to things like electricity, water, cable and the phone. Will switching or canceling be the only answer? The answer is no because you can’t switch sometimes and there are Ways to lower that. 

First, conserve energy by making sure appliances and lights are turned off when there is no one in the room. You might think putting the television on sleep mode is good enough but it isn’t so turn off the power switch or better yet, unplug it. 

Next, replace your light bulbs with those fluorescent. It does not consume that much power and when you go out shopping for them, make sure that they maintain a Kelvin temperature of 2,600 to 3,000. These may be more expensive than incandescent but they will last ten times longer so it will be quite awhile before you change this with a new one. 

Do you use a water heater at home? If you do, then you know quite well that it takes time before hot water comes out of the faucet. Until that happens, you waste water so if you want to speed up the heating process, better reinsulated the pipes that are connected to the heater. 

If you have a heater at home, better have it turned every couple of years. This could save you 10% on your electricity bills. 

According to the Alliance to Save Energy, you save about 5% of your electricity bill if you lower your heat down one notch. You can do this manually or install a machine that is designed to do that so choose which one you want to do.

Should you feel cold, perhaps something is coming inside the house like a draft. To take care of that, you need to buy and install weather strips around the frames of your windows and doors. 

Did you know you can Be Frugal when you wash your clothes using cold water instead of hot water? Yes you can save up to 50% of energy and the same goes for your dryer when you decide to use the moisture sensor and not the timer.

Since we are talking about laundry, make sure you do your laundry on a full load. This also applies if you have a dishwasher. 

Do you sometimes forget to turn the lights off when you leave the house in the morning? Well that should not be a problem anymore if this is wired to a timer.

When you brush your teeth or take a shower, turn off the water when you are not washing up yet. When you take a bath, maybe you should replace the shower head with one that does not consume that much gallons per minute. 

Lastly, get rid of those leaks. If you live in an old home, chances are the pipes are old so have this replaced by the plumber. 

There are many Methods to Save on utilities so you should consider those that were mentioned and get to work. If you are able to do so, you will see a significant drop in the amount you pay for all your bills.

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According to the CITA or the Cellular Telephone and Internet Association, there are over 100 companies providing different forms of phone service all across the country. This means you are using one of them at home and in a recession, you have to figure out different Methods to  Save on your phone bill. 

But how do we do that? Well we first have to understand that the different providers offer us land based phones, wireless communication and broadband internet. Some of these companies offer two or three of these services and since the competition is intense, you are sure to find someone who could be offering you a better deal compared to the one you are getting right now. 

You will never know when is the best time to switch providers unless you check your phone bills the past few months and see if there has been a significant increase in usage. This increase depends on who you called and the location of the person you contacted. 

If you don’t make calls often and still the phone bill is quite high, review the miscellaneous charges.  Most of the time, this is subject to tax but if you find this to be too high, perhaps now will be a good time to call your service provider and ask them to explain this further. For those who can’t accept it, now is the time you should consider switching to another provider. 

To do that, you have to get a quote from the different service providers and then compare each one. You can get this information by logging on to their company website or calling someone from their office and asking them to send you a quote. 

While you are talking to a potential service provider on the phone, ask if there are special rates to new subscribers. They may even have a tie up with a credit card company which will save you money and at the same time earn points. 

If you think you have found a better phone provider,  one last thing to ask is if there are other charges that will be reflected in the phone bill. Unfortunately, a lot of people forget to ask that before they sign up and then are shocked to see other charges when they get bill. 

We mentioned earlier that the frequency of your calls determines how much you pay for month especially when the rates for local and international calls vary. 

To save on money for international calls, let the other party call you instead of the other way around. So you don’t spend hours talking on the phone, buy prepaid cards so this will limit the time you spend on the line. 

If you have a computer, talk to the other person using the free call service provided by such services such as Skype or Yahoo Messenger. As for those using their mobile phones to place calls, make them during off peak hours because you are charged a lower rate compared to peak hours. 

There are Methods to Save Money on your phone bill and it does not always mean having to cancel your current subscription and then switching to another provider. You just have to play it smart by  so the money you save can be used for other things like paying for other necessities like electricity, food, gas and clothing.

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It can be hard to think of ways to Spend Less Money especially for students since they don’t have their own money yet. This is because at times, for all the expenses while on campus, there is barely left to save. Although it is hard, it doesn’t mean that it is impossible for students to Be Frugal while studying. All they need is to develop good time management skills, strict budgeting, and practicality. If you are one of those who are thinking of ways to Save Money while on campus or even before you enter one, here are some of the things that can help you get by. 

1. Look for school that has low tuition fee rates. Since tuition fees – especially in private universities and colleges can change over a semester – it is best to enroll in a local state school. This is because local state schools usually offer relatively low tuition fee rates since these are supported by the local and national government.  You can also apply for a scholarship before hand or get a job within the university so you will get full or partial tuition fee discount. To save on tuition fee, you can also apply for grants that are related to your major since these will be financial need and merit based. 

2. Be wise in getting boarding. The best way to go about this is to file an application to be a resident assistant before hand. Being a resident assistant can offer you lots of reward because aside from slashing a great amount from your college expenses, it also allows you to develop your leadership skills since you will be held responsible for the whole floor. If you can’t get a slot for resident assistantship, the next best thing is to share a room with a friend. If you have high tolerance level for living with other people, you can get as many roommates as possible. This will be beneficial for all of you because you will be sharing the payment for the room. But, if there’s no more room available inside the campus or you can’t get a reliable or trustworthy roommate, it is best to get an apartment off-campus since some of these offer lower rates. Aside from that, you will have more freedom compared to living inside the campus. 

3. Maximize the available modes of transportation. If you are a student, it is not good to have your own car yet or bring your own car because chances are you might not be using it too often. Most universities have a transportation system – the on campus shuttles–that can transfer you from one building to another or even and local buses to take you out of the campus. If you don’t bring a car, you can save lots of money on gas. 

4. Manage your resources well. Money is the primary resource you have while on campus. To maximize it, it is ideal that you open a bank account so you can veer away from the temptation in using the cash you have at hand. Also, veer away from accepting credit card offers because these will only give you more financial lag. To make some money to be saved, try to get a part time job that will not affect your studies. 

5. Live a simple lifestyle. This is one of the most effective ways to Be Frugal for students because this will cut down their major expenses while on campus. A simple lifestyle would mean that you won’t be eating in fancy diners, lesser or no shopping sprees at all, and no late night gimmicks in expensive bars.

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