How to Eat for Less: Saving Money on Food

Let's face it: eating has become a lot more expensive. Between rising grocery prices and most places' delivery option being outsourced to an UberEats or DoorDash with their never-ending fees, a meal doesn't cost what it used to. But that doesn't mean that you can't be resourceful and find ways to make it as affordable as possible — and still delicious. Here are our top hacks for feeding yourself or your family for less.

1. Meal plan — it works

You've probably heard the term "meal plan" more times than you can count anytime you've looked for advice on how to save on food. There's a reason for that – meal planning works. But more specifically, here is how meal planning works:

• Meal plan around sales. Check out weekly flyers (can use an app like Flipp to check out all the local grocery stores' current deals), pick the ingredients that are on sale, and build your meals around those ingredients.
• Shop with a list. No, you don't have to write it all down on paper and remember to take that with you. The notes app on your phone is another way to keep a running list. The important part: Shop with intention, stick to the list, and don't shop when you're hungry.
• Mix and match ingredients. Eating only rice and chicken every day, while economical, can get real boring and sad real fast. To avoid caving in to expensive take out, find cheap ingredients and mix and match strategically. Vary your protein and side dish choices to keep yourself motivated.

• Find inspiration from others. You don't have to do it all alone. Look for a community of other money-savers online, such as Reddit and Instagram, to get shopping tips and recipe inspiration.

2. Buy in bulk

It may seem counterintuitive, as you're going to end up with a higher grocery bill by buying larger quantities of things, but in the long run, you can save significantly by buying in bulk if you do it strategically.

• Coupons: We all remember those extreme couponing shows. Well, you don't have to go that hard, but the general idea stands: If you see a large discount or sale or come across a coupon for items you use every day – cans of beans, bag of rice, cereal, etc. – buy up and keep in storage.
• Calculate the cost per unit: Even without a sale, a lot of the times, the larger (bulk) version of an item is the cheaper one. For example, if you're buying a bag of rice and it costs $4 for a 1 pound bag but $10 for a 10 pound bag (hypothetical numbers – don't come for me!) , that larger bag is the cheaper choice when you compare the per-pound price. Buy the larger bag and get the lower per-unit cost — provided you know you'll be able to used the larger amount before it goes bad.
• Freeze! Most bulk shopping refers to non-perishable items, but if you have the freezer space, it can also account for the more expensive perishable items. You just have to know how to optimize space, like cutting up bananas into slices and storing them in freezer bags for smoothies or baking, or cutting up veggies that you would usually prep for stir-frys or other easy meals and keeping those stored in portioned-out freezer bags for easy meal prep.

3. Make smart swaps

All right, here are the real hacks: What you can swap for a potentially cheaper ingredient, or one you have on hand so you don't have to go to the store (and risk impulse buys!).

• If a recipe calls for sour cream, you can swap it with plain yogurt.
• If a recipe calls for eggs, a lot of the time you can get away with applesauce or even smashed bananas (for baking purposes only).
• If a recipe calls for vegetables, there is nothing stopping you from using frozen ones (that you bought in bulk!)
• If a recipe calls for a mixed spice blend (chicken seasoning, tex mex, etc.) make your own using no-name brand bulk-purchased spices.

4. Time your orders

If you do resort to ordering out (hey, we all deserve a pizza night), you can still make a few choices to save yourself some money in the process.

• "Happy hour" menus: Get to know your favorite restaurants' happy hours and order during those times (even if you're technically ordering for lunch tomorrow or dinner later).
• Weekday/night promos: We all know "Taco Tuesday" or "Wing Wednesday," and you should absolutely take advantage of deals on those days, even if that isn't your first choice for dinner that night – tastes better than budget regret at the end of the week.
• Follow your favorite spots on social media: No, really. Your local joint may post a special or discount on its Instagram or Facebook account last minute, and you don't want to miss out on those deals.