Saving can be difficult, but it is sometimes a necessity (like saving for your house deposit).
Every time you sit down for a meal there are savings to be had. This post aims to show you how you can saving money with each and every meal.
Breakfast
As they say, breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And they are right.
Have it at Home
Make time to include a solid breakfast before you leave the house. Not only will this directly save you money by eating breakfast at home, it will make you less hungry when you are out later that morning.
Coffee at Home
If you need a morning coffee to get you started (an apple is actually better at starting your day than coffee, but I am sure your caffeine addiction won’t stand for that!) then have it at home.
Buy a nice coffee maker for home if you are fussy (just make sure it is bought at a good price), but don’t waste $4-5 a day on a coffee on your way to work.
Wake Up a Little Earlier
I know I could be talking to an empty house here, but getting up a little earlier – say 15 minutes – will stop you rushing and give you time to have breakfast and a coffee at home.
Watch What You Eat
Ditch the breakfast cereals and look at more wholesome options like porridge (add dried fruits to make it tasty), or eggs and milk (the former is high in protein and the latter is a good substitute for sugary orange juice).
And change from white breads to wholemeal – it’s a simple but very healthy change you can make.
You could also try smoothies, just make sure they are healthy. Or you could make breakfast ahead of time by making muffins, pancakes or waffles and freezing them for the week.
Best idea is to mix it up each day so you don’t get bored with the same thing and end up skipping breakfast.
Lunch
No surprises on how to save money here: bring lunch from home. Assuming you buy your lunch even 3 times per week (at $8 each time), you could save over $1000 per year.
Left-Overs
I have spoken before on this blog about how left-overs can save you a great deal of money. By just making a little extra for dinner the night before you can get two meals for the price of one.
Eat Healthy
Be mindful of what you are eating as this could help with your long-term health and thus save you money on health costs and doctor visits.
Dinner
Forget take-away, and have yourself a cheap, delicious and healthy home-cooked meal.
Start Simple
If you are not used to cooking then start with the basics.
A Chicken or beef stir fry is a simple and healthy meal you can whip up in about 15 minutes with very little effort. Spaghetti is another easy meal – just use a jar of spaghetti sauce and add mince and pasta. Easy!
And both these meals can be easily used for left-overs for lunch the next day as well.
Don’t Over Eat
There is a temptation when you cook a big dinner that you need to eat it all up. Remember your portion sizes, and eat slower (it takes a little while for your brain to register you are full).
The Freezer is your Friend
Save left-overs for later in the week and freeze it in a ready-to-take plastic container for lunches or even a repeat dinner.
Save Money
It is very easy to save money on each meal, and the great thing is you have 3 chances every day to save money! That works out to be 1,095 times per year. Even if you saved an average of $2 per meal, that’s well over $2,000 per year you could save.
Do you think about what you are eating enough?
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Good article some pretty good tips there , you can get away with eating 2 meals a day to save time . I used to eat 4 or 5 meals a day and was always hungry ,i was also trying to put on weight and couldn’t increase more than 2 kilos im a body builder now i only eat 2 big meals a day beef eggs veges potatoes one about 3pm and one 8pm ( its a massive meal ) – it doesnt matter what you eat vegetarian , meat etc makes sure its organic. ive saved over $50 a week on food just by eating better nourishing food and making it at home i agree with 80% of the above article some fairly good info.
Thanks, Cez. Eating just 2 meals a day could save you a bit of money. Depends on how much you spend on those meals though. Thanks for the comment!
^Russ