Cut restaurant meals and delivery to save
Cutting out restaurant meals and delivery, for example Uber Eats deliveries at home, take-out lunches during the workday, etc., will make a huge difference in your monthly food bill. It’s one of the quickest ways to stretch your food budget.
On average, ordering delivery from a restaurant is approximately five times more expensive than cooking at home. If you use a meal kit service, it will be a bit less expensive but still three times more expensive than cooking from scratch, some Estimates suggests. Additionally, the Canadian Food Price Report predicted that restaurants will face increases in their costs, and therefore their prices as well.
Last year, A Ipsos survey It found that more than half of Canadians (53%) planned to cut back on eating out in 2024. This was the top saving method that consumers reported sticking with in the face of inflation. As a family, they tested the waters by agreeing to cook at home six days a week, and eat out on the weekends. Eating out should be a pleasure, not an everyday occurrence. You’ll notice that you’ll save more without having to make daily discount purchases from cafes, restaurants and fast food chains that drain your account.
Incorporate meal planning to save time and money
If you usually go out for meals or order in to save time, incorporate it Meal planning to save time and money instead of. Figure out your meal schedule first — that is, calculate how many breakfasts, lunches, and dinners your family will need for the coming week, then browse grocery store fliers or check online deals and coupons to help you create an affordable meal plan.
Be flexible and open about your meals; You can choose eggs and toast for breakfast, chicken salads for lunch, and lasagna for dinner because the ingredients for these dishes are on sale. Building a meal plan and creating meals around what’s special will help you avoid impulse buying and will reduce food waste, too.
Another strategy you can try is batch cooking, which will save you time in the kitchen and money in your bank account! Some dishes are great options to prepare in bulk to freeze later in the month, including soups, stews, casseroles, chili, shepherd’s pie, lasagna and curries. Group cooking is a great way to create a 6-week menu cycle if weekly meal planning isn’t for you. And with the meal cycle, you’ll also know what your leftovers will turn into!
Source link
