There comes a point in every teenager’s life when they become professional eats to support their growth spurts. Girls and boys need surprising amounts of calories to see them through this stage. The only thing is their newfound voracious appetites makes it hard to keep the fridge fully stocked. You’re shopping for groceries more often than ever before. Though your cupboards may be bare, you have the receipts to prove they once held food. Eventually, this kind of eating can start to hurt your finances. If you’re worried about how you’ll provide the best foods for your kids, check in with this quick guide.
Know your budget
Often the only reason why you’re overspending on your groceries is that you don’t know how much you can realistically afford to spend on them. Draft a budget to see where your money is going. Once you set aside the funds for necessities like rent or mortgage payments, insurance, and utilities, you’ll see how much you have to use on your remaining expenses. Some experts suggest you use an 80-20 guide to direct your budget. It means 80 percent of your net income goes towards necessities and fun purchases (like the family trip to see Black Panther). The remaining 20 percent of your net income goes towards savings, like a nest egg and retirement fund. With these numbers in mind, see what you can afford on your weekly shop.
Have a backup plan
When you’re first starting out, it’s easy to spend more than the allotted amount on your groceries. If you eat into other areas of your budget, you leave these areas weak. You may not be prepared when unexpected bills or household repairs put pressure on this fault line in your budget. When it threatens to crack, turn to an online direct lender like MoneyKey for help. They can help shoulder the weight of these bills by offering short term online loans. They’re quick and easy to apply for, and if you’re approved they work perfectly as a stopgap during emergencies.
Shop carefully
Though a perfect alternative to savings when you encounter a minor cash shortage, a cash loan is not a permanent way to pay for your groceries. For those moms on a tight budget, there are alternatives ways to keep your costs low, so you can pay for your groceries all on your own. Try:
- Buying in season. Buying in season means you’re purchasing produce when farmers’ yields are at their highest and therefore cheapest. Here’s a guide to when certain vegetables will be at their cheapest.
- Buying canned or frozen. There’s very little nutrition lost in canned or frozen vegetables, but you will manage to lose some dollars from your total at the cash register when you choose these over fresh, out of season produce.
Use rebates and coupon apps.
Don’t pay full price on groceries when you don’t have to. You can find amazing deals and rebates on produce, ready-made meals, meats, and even processed packages with the right app. Take a look at this list of apps designed to save you some money at the grocery store. Though not on the list, Checkout 51 is an easy app to download that promises huge savings. Just select the offers you want to use, then send a pic of your receipt to prove you purchased them. Within 48 hours you’ll receive a credit to your account, which you can cash in for checks at $20 intervals.
It will take some time getting used to, as you’ll need to design your shopping list around the items on offer, but these mobile tools promise a ton of savings.
Like the budget, use of your apps will take time, but often the best things in life do. If you’re serious about eating well without busting your budget, give your family’s groceries the attention it deserves. Sit down and re-organize the way you think about food. You’ll see how you can save money in the process.
