Household budgets are meant to be flexible, but rising inflation are breaking some wallets around the country. There are tons of tips out there, but they’re often better in theory than in practice due to the requirement of changing daily behaviors, which easier said than done.
It can take a few weeks or sometimes even a few months for your new money habits to become routine. But if you can stick with them, the end result can be a healthier financial situation by year’s end, and unfortunately, many of us can’t afford to not change.
Since December of last year CPI Inflation by the Numbers Food prices were up 0.5% month over month and 10.6% year over year.
So take these tips with a bit more than a grain of salt—hopefully they’ll help out in the long run.
Take a look at what you’re NOT eating
According to Feeding America, 119 billion pounds of food is wasted each year in the United States. That equates to 130 billion meals and more than $408 billion in food thrown away each year. Has your household contributed to this at all?
It can happen to the best of us–between buy food we don’t use or making too much dinner food and throwing away the spoiled leftovers. There are some instances where we could’ve forgotten we had some items in the first place.
To mitigate this, take inventory on what you already have. Peek in the pantry, freezer and the back of the refrigerator to gauge what can be used or note.
Meal Prep
I know you’ve probably heard this ad nauseam but planning your meal ahead can save so much time, and ultimately. Often, without realizing we wind up spending extra coin for the sake of convenience, and that totals up to extra cash that could’ve been saved.
As MoneyManagement.org suggests, using sites like My Fridge Food to organize meal ideas with food items you already have is a great way to refrain from over-spending.
Invest in better food storage methods
A big way to lose out on money is wasting the food you buy by letting it go bad. One way to stop this is checking to see that you’re storing your items properly, starting with the fridge.
One simple way to keep food fresher is to ensure that you refrigerate items that need to be kept cold as soon as possible. When food is stored at a proper temperature, it slows the growth of bacteria — helping to keep your food fresher for longer and reducing the risk of food poisoning.
According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends putting meat, seafood, eggs, milk, produce, and other perishable foods in the refrigerator or freezer within two hours of purchase, or within one hour is advised. Turning your refrigerators dial to mid-range coolness is suggested as well.
Also, investing a few dollars into airtight, quality storage containers are surefire to stretch the longevity of perishable items like fruits, vegetables and reheatable meals. Try this for example!
We hope these tips help appease your taste buds without breaking your budget!