So, I don’t know if you have heard, but it’s a bad economy.  Of course, this leads to many people looking for ways to cut costs.  And while you can’t cut OUT your food and beverage budget line, it is certainly worth looking at some ways to cut DOWN in that area.  After all, meals are consumed and then gone.  So there is no sense spending loads of money on something that it is going to provide only limited and fleeting satisfaction.  The other side of that is that you don’t want to just throw any garbage into your body because that will lead to many long-term health care and quality of life costs.

The first rule of thumb to eating quickly is…GO TO THE GROCERY STORE!!  And attention to all you dollar menuaires out there, you are not eating more cheaply than your friends who go to the grocery.  And don’t tell me that the fruits and vegetables and fish and steak they buy average out to more per meal than your double cheeseburger.  Go to the grocery and get your double cheeseburger supplies there and make your own.  Restaurants are in business to make money.  They want YOUR money.  If you are feeling the squeeze and need to keep some more of your money, take the time to buy and cook your own food.  You will probably find that you eat healthier this way too.  But that’s another issue for another post.  Don’t let yourself make excuses for why you can’t go to the grocery.  Getting in this habit can be the toughest thing to do, but it is ESSENTIAL.

After you locate your local marekt, BECOME A SMART SHOPPER.  It takes a little bit of time to compare prices of different brands, but it saves money.  The good news is that supermarkets have even done the math for you in most cases and broken items down into cost/oz. so you don’t have to bring your calculator!  This step is the easiest.  Just take the time!

While at the supermarket, this is also the time to MAKE SACRIFICES.  This may involve choosing your cheaper grocer’s brand of shredded cheese over a national brand cheese.  I’m not suggesting you make every sacrifice.  You have to decide what sacrifices you can handle and make them.  You can try to play around with different sacrifices and see which is the lesser of two evils.  Or you may find that there is not that big of a difference at all so it’s not really that much of a sacrifice.

Finally, the last step to trimming down that food and beverage budget line is to CUT THE EXCESS.  You may find this will help you eat healthier too.  Do you really need that pint of ice cream?  Could you maybe cut out a chips and salsa snack every once in awhile?  Again, you don’t have to go into monk mode and start periodic fasting.  Find out what you can handle, but be disciplined.  Discipline is often the ‘x’ factor in deciding whether or not your personal budget lines are met or exceeded.