After yesterday’s task, you now know how much you’re spending each month on food. Today, let’s look at some ways you can cut down those costs!

Here are a few tips to get you started:

• Pack your lunch. Sometimes the most obvious thing is the most effective.
• Raid your pantry. Before you hit the grocery store, challenge yourself to look through your kitchen to see what kinds of meals you can make with the ingredients you already have.
• Buy generic. Name brands cost more, usually for the exact same ingredients (just read the labels)!
• Always have a list. Never go grocery shopping hungry, and never go without a list. When you’re checking stuff off a list, you’ll spend much less than when you just wing it and walk through every aisle. Let your kids pitch in and look for the items—like a scavenger hunt!
 
• Meal plan. After a long day at work or with stir-crazy kids, it’s easier to go through the drive-thru and grab something. I get that. But planning your meals for the week in advance with realistic options (like easy Crock-Pot dinners) will keep you in control. Check out my free Meal Planner & Grocery Savings Guide for more help with this!
• Host a potluck. Cutting back on restaurants doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice your social life! When everyone brings something, you can still enjoy each other’s company without the extra spending.

So, now let’s plan ahead. How much do you want to spend next month on food? Compare those numbers to what you spent last month (totaled in yesterday’s task).

How much extra money did you find? To make the math easier, go ahead and make next month’s budget in EveryDollar by copying over your current budget (EveryDollar has a feature that makes this super easy). In next month’s budget, reduce your spending amount to reflect your newfound savings.