Life for Cheap: Eating

Let's face it, life can be expensive. You think you're doing well by budgeting all of your bills, but then you realize your money is going faster than you thought. Sometimes we forget to budget in life. Well, I hope this series of blogs will help you keep the regular expenses of life down to a minimum. Our first topic is, eating.

Eating should be something everyone does everyday, if not, then please consult your nearest psychiatrist. However, it can get expensive. I am sure that almost every bit of my extra cash is spent on food. It's the black hole in my budget.

So, here are ten rules that are easier to preach than to practice:

1. Go grocery shopping. Is that really a rule? Well it is for me! How many times have you been on your way home and thought "I don't have anything to eat at home, so I better stop by and grab something." Hence, GO GROCERY SHOPPING. Right then! Which leads me to my next point:
2. Don't go shopping when your hungry. However rule number one always trump this rule, so go if you need to.
3. Shop smart, shop S-Mart (a movie tagline, don't be confused). Shop at the cheap places; my favorite place to save is Aldi. I use Wal-Mart for my more detailed shopping and Dollar General for my simple shopping.
4. Buy the cheap brands. Honestly, unless the generic brands make you hurl, buy it. Well, at least give it a try.
5. Make a grocery list. This keeps you on track in the store, and can also make you contemplate on if you really need what you're buying. But when making a list, go ahead and write out what you are expecting to spend before you get there, that way it is not a surprise at the counter.
6. Eat at home. Well, of course, right? I wish! There are several times that I stop by fast food when I have groceries at home. It's usually because I'm lazy or "craving" something - no excuse.
7. Plan your dining expenses, and give yourself a limit. How many time will you dine per month? How many times are you allowing fast food?
8. When dining, share a meal. 60% of the time it works everytime. Portions are always huge.
9. Invite friends over and cook. Tell them to bring a side, or start the grill and tell them to bring their favorite meat. Try a pot-luck party. You'll always save when your friends provide you with food. If you need friends, try Facebook. People are always "Looking for: Friendship", put it to the test!
10. Count your calories. What does this have to do with saving? 3000 calories cost more than 2000 calories. Eat what you need and stop. (Way easier to preach.)

These ten commandments aren't written in stoney tablets, so what are some more food and money saving tips?

Chris