51 Smart Ways to Slash Your Out-of-Control Food Budget

Food, whether it's groceries or dining out, is a pretty big part of any household budget. There's a lot of opportunities to save money in that category, but you have to know the tips and tricks to do it, especially in recent years with rampant inflation. Whether you're cooking, grocery shopping, or going out to eat, here are dozens of ways that you can save money on your family's food.

Don't just head to the grocery store and wander around until something catches your eye. Plan your meals for the next few days (or even a week!) and write your grocery list based on that plan.

Most grocery stores have a new sale ad that comes out weekly. Check the ad at each grocery store near you to see what's on sale and where. That'll help you meal plan and stock up on sale items more effectively. 

A dinner at a fancy restaurant is a great treat, but it'll add up if you do it often. Try re-creating your favorite date night menus at home, and planning a special night in instead of that $30 plate of pasta.

Have a soft spot for Chinese takeout? Your favorite beef and broccoli and lo mein will be cheaper (and probably healthier) if you learn to make them at home. Make-your-own pizza night is an especially great family-friendly meal.

Tear yourself away from the familiar brand name products and try some of the store brand varieties instead. For things like frozen vegetables and canned goods, you probably won't notice a difference.

Whatever food you serve at parties counts toward your food budget, sorry to say. Take some of that burden off your family by throwing a potluck. Plan to make a main dish like hamburgers, then let family and friends fill in with sides and desserts.

No, young people aren't going to be able to magically afford a home if they stop drinking Starbucks. But it would give you a little more wiggle room in your food budget if you bought flavored syrups and started making your favorites at home yourself. 

You should only be buying food at the grocery store, because you'll be able to find other items cheaper at big box stores like Walmart and Target. Things like vitamins, toilet paper, and batteries should never be on your grocery list.

Coupons come in all forms now. There are still mailers and paper coupons at the store, of course, and those are all great to watch. But there are also manufacturer's coupons you can print online, and store-specific coupons you can download, like Target's Circle offers.

We know it's hard to do, but snack foods like potato chips and cookies should be considered luxury items. They can rack the grocery bill up very quickly, with little nutrition and even less value.

It might not be realistic to cut out all fast food, so when you do indulge in a drive-thru meal, make sure you always check for the best fast-food deals. Most of the big chains like McDonald's and Wendy's have free or very cheap fries all the time, for instance.

Sure, it's a deal that only comes once a year, but free food from chain restaurants on your birthday is amazing. Some even offer freebies during your birthday week or month, so you can stretch out your free food window.

It may seem obvious, but one of the biggest ways to slash your food budget is to make one in the first place. Keep track of what you spend on food in a month, then decide on how much you'd like to cut it down going forward. Give yourself a weekly budget and stick to it.

Almost every big grocery store chain has a loyalty program now, and you need them to get the store's best deals and sale prices. Make sure you check on the store's website for digital coupons you can add to your account for extra savings.

T-bone steaks every week may sound fantastic, but your budget is going to burst if you get in the habit. Instead, opt for cheaper cuts of meat, like beef chuck, chicken thighs, and pork shoulders. 

Take time on the weekend to prepare and pack your lunches for the week. It'll help keep you from feeling tempted to go out for lunch all the time.

A garden full of vegetables and fruit trees can dramatically cut your grocery bills in the summer. But even if you don't have a yard, you can still do simple things like growing herbs in pots on a windowsill. Fresh herbs like basil and rosemary are very expensive at the grocery store.

Whether you're eating out or staying in, sticking to water for your beverage is not only healthier but also way cheaper. It's a relatively easy way to save some money, even if all you order is soda.

Don't throw away stale bread, which can be repurposed into all kinds of delicious and useful things. French toast, bread pudding, croutons, and breadcrumbs are all easy to make. Bread also freezes really well, so if you find yourself throwing out bread a lot, plan to freeze some of it right away.

Beans are an economical way to get plant-based protein and fiber in your diet. Though canned beans aren't exactly expensive, they do cost more than dried beans, which are dirt cheap. Plan ahead a little bit by cooking them from dried.

We know leftovers aren't always exciting, but it's wasteful to throw them out if there's nothing wrong with them. Take one for the team — and wallet — and grab doggie bags at restaurants and throw that leftover meatloaf in the fridge.

Farmers markets can be great places to score inexpensive produce, eggs, and bakery. Make sure you find a market that has actual growers and producers selling at it, though, or you might just end up looking at candle booths and food trucks. Keep your eyes open for "seconds" from farmers, too. Those are tomatoes, peppers, or other produce that has small blemishes, but are still great for eating and are priced even cheaper.

Local restaurants and bars may have happy hour specials to take advantage of. So while you may need to go to dinner a little earlier than usual, you may be able to score half-price appetizers or drink specials that make it worth it. Check the restaurant's website and social media pages to see if they do happy hour.

Taking your kids grocery shopping can mean that they throw all kinds of stuff in the cart without you knowing. You'll be more likely to stick to your list and avoid impulse purchases if you leave them at home, if you can.

Jarred pasta sauce is way more expensive than a comparable amount of canned tomatoes and seasonings, especially if you like Rao's or Carbone like we do. Make your own and spend the savings on some sausage to throw in the pot. Similarly, canned broth and stock adds up, so make it yourself from a $5 rotisserie chicken or leftover bones and vegetables. Keep a big Ziploc bag in the freezer for stock ingredients, then make a big pot when it's full.

Get savvy about comparing prices. When you're looking at multiple stores and product sizes, it's best to compare price per ounce or other unit of weight. That way you can tell whether the smaller size that's on sale is actually less expensive per ounce than the bulk size that you just assume is a better bargain. 

Warehouse clubs like Costco and Sam's Club are great places to shop and score good deals. They're great for everything from snacks to meat, but don't make the mistake of buying everything there, especially if you have a small family.

Meat is a more expensive protein source than plants like beans, soy, and nuts. Explore vegetarian or vegan meal options to save some cash, even if it's just one or two nights a week. 

If you're going to go out to eat, it can be cheaper to do it at lunchtime than at dinner. Restaurants are more likely to have lunch specials and smaller portions for less money during the afternoon hours. 

Fast-food and chain restaurants tend to offer their best deals to their mobile app customers. For some, it's the only way you can take advantage of things like buy-one-get-one-free burger coupons or free fries. Without it, eating at chain restaurants can be very overpriced.

Cash-back credit cards are a great way to save on groceries and eating out — so long as you pay off your balance every month. Points work too, though they're generally less immediate than cash-back cards. Either way, this tip only works if you are consistent in paying them off immediately.

Food delivery is more common since the pandemic, but it really should be a luxury if you're trying to save money. The fees can balloon very quickly, and that's especially true if you use a third-party delivery company like DoorDash. Those services all raise the prices for the food along with the fees and tips.

When something you use regularly is on sale for a really cheap price, stock up on it. That's especially true for canned goods and other things that don't go bad quickly. Once you've been paying attention to prices for a while, you'll know whether a sale price is good enough to stock pile a year's supply.

Every once in a while, there'll be an over-enthusiastic fast-food worker who puts many handfuls of Taco Bell sauce or ketchup in your bag. Instead of throwing them out, keep them for when they short you or you just want some Fire Sauce on your homemade tacos.

Leftovers don't have to be boring if you plan ahead to repurpose them. Cook a whole ham on the weekend, then plan to make scalloped potatoes and ham, split pea soup, and ham and cheese quiche to use it all up during the week, for instance. It won't feel like a chore to eat them if they're in different types of meals.

Improperly stored food can lead to spoilage quickly, which leads to food waste. Condiments should go in the fridge for the best shelf life, and potatoes and onions should be kept in a cool, dark, and ventilated place. 

Every month or so, make a plan to clear out that freezer. See what's hiding in the back that you need to use up, because you probably don't even remember putting those couple extra chicken breasts back there three months ago.

Some grocery stores also have bulk bins where you dole out the amount of dry goods (rice, cereal, nuts, etc.) you want into bags or other containers. Because there's little packaging, they're usually a cheap option. Plus, if you only need a small amount of an ingredient you don't normally use, you only have to buy the amount you need.

Variety is the spice of life, and if you're trying to stick to home-cooked meals to save money, then you need to make it exciting. Cooking the same things every week gets boring fast, and you'll be more tempted to order out. Break out those cookbooks that have been collecting dust on your shelf for inspiration.

If you have meals ready to go on busy nights, you'll resist the temptation to go out to eat. You can cook for the entire week on weekends, for example, or plan to cook double of some meals and freeze them for the future.

When it comes to fresh produce, whatever happens to be in season is going to be the least expensive. That's why berries are so expensive in winter, but citrus is cheap. Asparagus is by far the least expensive during the spring, for example. Pay attention to what's in season for the best deals.

It may sound exhausting, but to get the best prices, you're going to have to shop around. Check the websites and weekly ads for prices, and decide where to shop based on which has the cheapest options that week.

Yes, kids-eat-free restaurants still exist, but they're few and far between compared to the 1980s and '90s. Nowadays, it might be a deal that's only available on certain days of the week, or it might be a buffet restaurant. But either way, it's worth seeking out if you have kids to feed.

When you have a well-stocked pantry, it's important to keep it organized as well. Otherwise, things will get hidden and lost, and you won't even know what you have. That leads to you buying things that you didn't need.

This is an old adage, but it's true: Don't shop hungry! If your stomach is growling in the grocery store, everything is going to look good to you, regardless of price or whether you need it or not. That leads to lots of impulse buys.

Another way to avoid impulse buys and overspending is to use a grocery list. It's pretty much essential when you're meal planning, since it's impossible to remember what you need for multiple meals. But if you make a list, you're more likely to stick to it.

Grocers put the recognizable brands that they want you to buy most — a.k.a the most expensive stuff — at eye level. So when you're grocery shopping, look down at the bottom shelves where the less expensive alternatives are usually hiding.

Check to see if there's a discount food store in your area. Many of those stores get overstock in from other stores, so the products are usually very inexpensive. They might be close to their expiration dates, but for canned goods that doesn't matter much, and you may be able to freeze things like meat and baked goods.

If you pay with cash or a debit card, you're more likely to be cautious and aware of the amount you're spending. Plus, if you use a credit card, you may end up paying interest on your groceries, which is a very avoidable expense.

There's all sorts of fantastic free resources on the internet for budget-friendly recipes. Many of them, like Budget Bytes, for example, breaks down the cost of each ingredient so you have a better sense of exactly how much you might be spending if you make it.

If you don't know what's in your pantry, your kitchen, and your fridge, you're more likely to buy duplicate things you don't need, or end up throwing things out when they go bad. There are apps that can help you track your inventory, but if that's a little too over-the-top for you, make it a point to look through what you have before you head to the grocery store.

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