I’ve been living rather frugally for many years now.
As such, I feel like I’ve got things on cruise control.
However, it wasn’t always so easy for me.
One of the budget categories that I’ve personally found most difficult to control is food.
After all, we all like to eat.
Am I right?
Well, I’ve thoughtfully approached food using a three-pronged strategy that I’ve found helps not only my wallet but also my waistline.
It’s really just one aspect of a holistic lifestyle. And I can honestly say that I don’t feel like I’m holding back at all.
Even if I had unlimited wealth, I probably wouldn’t eat much differently than I do now.
Moreover, as someone who works out six days a week and is studying to become a personal trainer, I’m always fascinated by the interplay between saving money and losing weight. Fitness and finance follow similar patterns in many ways.
Saving money is just one way in which these two aspects of my life intersect.
While they used to intersect in a fairly disastrous manner for me, they are now in sync with one another in a wonderfully harmonious way.
There are three limitations I place on myself that has led to this harmonious relationship between my wallet and my waistline.
Limiting Portions
This is probably my biggest tip of all. It involves a very simple decision when it comes time to eat: just don’t eat so much! It’s just portion control, folks.
Food portions in in America’s restaurants have doubled or tripled over the last 20 years, according to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Naturally, it stands to reason that most of us are eating a lot more than our predecessors were.
Great. More food. Food isn’t just eaten for survival these days; I, like most anyone else, enjoy eating.
But that doesn’t mean that you have to eat every last crumb a restaurant serves you. And you don’t need to make huge meals at home, either.
I’ve actually been out to dinner with people, only to watch them struggle to eat everything on their plate. It’s nonsensical. And potentially harmful.
A restaurant doesn’t determine how much you eat; you do. You determine what’s appropriate.
Moreover, one should be watching their portions at home, too. Especially at home.
I remember I used to eat two sandwiches for lunch when I was in high school. Whether I was at school or at home, it was usually a couple sandwiches (PB&J, deli meat, tuna, etc.). These days, it’s one sandwich. I just don’t need that much food to enjoy the experience, receive my caloric intake for survival/fitness, and feel full.
And “feeling full” is something that one can manage.
When I first started dropping my portions way down, I felt a little hungry here and there. But if I always listened to that little internal voice, I’d be a very large man. Well, I don’t want to be. So I ignore it. I’m also cognizant of the fact that hunger pangs are a deadly part of life for millions of people around the world, rather than just a minor intermittent inconvenience for someone like me.
I’m not saying one should starve themselves. But portion control is absolutely my best secret weapon to keeping my wallet thick and my waistline thin.
I’ll often eat a small sandwich or drink a small protein shake after I get up. Then it’s a reasonable dinner. And I’ll oftentimes finish up the day with a very small snack. If I find myself at a restaurant for a dinner (say, on a Saturday night), I never feel pressured to eat everything in front of me. If I take something home, that’s just spreading the wealth and the love. Something to eat later.
Limiting Restaurant Visits
Speaking of eating out, we don’t do it that often. I’d say we go out a couple times per month, but we definitely do not find ourselves eating out of the house multiple times per week. Not even close.
Now, I used to eat out often. That was back in the days when I was still broke (or below broke, actually).
And you know what?
I actually didn’t enjoy it as much. I guess I took it for granted. It just became part of life. I never liked to cook, so I’d eat out of the house often. But it became commonplace.
I now enjoy it that much more because it’s a bit of a treat. It’s a luxury. And I’m more picky about when I go and where I go. It’s not just an off-hand decision. It’s something that’s treated with thoughtfulness, and I look forward to it so much more.
In addition, when we do go out, we’re reasonable about it.
I find it funny that so many people change their dietary habits so substantially when they go out to a restaurant. Appetizer? Bring it on. Entree? Make it big! Desert? Absolutely.
Nobody eats like that at home. I’ve never once made an appetizer, an entree, and a desert to eat in one sitting at home. Never. But for some reason it seems like a perfectly fine thing to do out of the house. I’m not sure why. Approaching eating out like this means you’re probably ingesting way too many calories in one sitting – and you’re probably spending way too much on food.
So what we do is this: we’ll oftentimes stick to just entrees or just appetizers and desert.
Bang.
If we want to snack, have some variety, and have something sweet, too, we’ll go with the latter option. Since appetizers are often meals all by themselves, but usually quite a bit smaller than entrees, this allows us to sample a couple different things without feeling like we went too crazy on the calories or the cost. Plus, there’s something sweet to look forward to.
The former option is also great – and more often used. I try to go to places that provide great value anyway, so I often find myself leaving a restaurant feeling like both my wallet and my waistline came out pretty much intact.
One last thing I want to mention about restaurants is this strange trend among younger people where very expensive, independent restaurants are “trendy” and cheaper, chain restaurants are “passe”.
For me, I couldn’t care less about what’s “on-trend” in terms of where and what I’m eating. I actually purposely patronize chain restaurants (think Chili’s, etc.) when I go out because the food tends to taste good, the price points are reasonable, and the service is pretty solid. It’s a standardized experience that means my food, bill, and service are all going to be pretty similar from one visit to the next.
I’ve been to a few independent, “trendy” restaurants over the years. And I’ve found that, more often than not, I end up paying more money for less food, making the overall experience slightly less enjoyable. And it’s not like the food was somehow substantially better in terms of taste or quality, at least not to my tastes. Does paying 30% more mean you’re going to get 30% more food or food that tastes 30% better? Perhaps not. You’re probably just going to pay 30% more to see and be seen, in my opinion. That works for some people. But not for me.
A maxim I live by in life: more cash, less cachet.
Again, if I’m going to make restaurant visits a more occasional luxury than most people, I want to maximize my value, which in turn maximizes my experience.
Limiting Alcohol
My third prong is to limit alcohol. And I’m actually using the term “limit” liberally. Truthfully, I very rarely drink at all.
Alcohol is expensive. And I don’t particularly enjoy the taste. Most alcoholic drinks also have a good number of calories in them. Plus, there’s that whole carcinogen thing.
So I almost never order alcohol when I’m out and about. And I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve had alcohol at home.
This saves me a ton of money. And it’s great for the waistline, too, obviously.
Ordering a few drinks at a restaurant can add up quick. Drinks can quickly eclipse food costs. I mean, if you enjoy drinking and you budget for it, go for it. But it doesn’t really do anything for me. I guess I enjoy living pretty cleanly. And I’d rather eat my calories than drink them, although I do enjoy my soda. That’s just me.
I had a reader email me once to question me on my food budget. How could I spend a couple hundred dollars per month on food when this reader was spending almost that much just on alcohol? Well, I spend $0 on alcohol. Pretty simple.
But I realize that I’m in the vast minority of people. Most people enjoy beer, spirits, or wine. Or all of the above. To each their own. However, that doesn’t mean one needs to imbibe daily. And one doesn’t need to consume many servings per sitting. It’s all about balance in life. Portion control extends beyond just your food, too.
Conclusion
I don’t talk about saving money or frugality as much as I used to. I suppose that’s because I think saving money is something that comes naturally once one puts their mind to it. If you want to save money, you just have to start spending less. It’s not a hard concept to grasp.
However, implementing certain changes in real life can be more difficult. I’ve personally found that spending less on food has been more challenging than any other single budget category.
So I figured I’d share my approach here. It’s not for everyone, but I do hope that it helps a reader or two out there that is also struggling with food.
Once you realize that we’re eating way too much, we don’t need numerous courses in one sitting, and that alcohol can certainly be limited, spending less becomes pretty easy. And once you realize that your waistline can improve in line with your wallet, you see that it’s all part of a holistic lifestyle. Living a holistic lifestyle where all of these lifestyle elements fit together in a complementary manner is something of a mantra for me these days, which is why I write so much about that.
Now, one can get really intricate with this. And there are a lot of concepts to explore. Some prefer eating a lot less (or no) meat, for instance, which can limit one’s costs and calories. I personally like meat a lot, so I don’t do that. And this is really an article designed to take a look at things from a high level rather broadly. I’m not intending to tackle every possible minutiae of food budgeting; rather, I’m just discussing my real-life, practical approach to saving money on food and improving my health in the process.
Everyone has to figure out what works for them. That goes for food, but it also goes for everything else. I’m not saying that these tips will work for everyone. There’s never a one-size-fits-all solution. But I can say that I’m enjoying food (especially eating out) much more these days. I savor it. I look forward to it. And it’s no longer an enemy to my wallet and waistline – both are instead in the best shape they’ve ever been in!
What do you think? Do you use a similar three-pronged approach to limiting food costs and improving your wallet and waistline? Any tips you want to share?
Thanks for reading.
Image courtesy of: samuiblue at FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
This my down fall. I spend a lot on food. This will be taken care of. Thanks for the tips!!
FV,
Hope the tips help. 🙂
Best regards.
Curiously, I’m kind of the opposite here–I drink no soda but drink alcohol regularly, though inexpensively and always at home (a gin and tonic or bourbon, usually). My drinks cost between $0.60 and $1.00 per serving, so between my wife and I we usually end up spending about $75.00 a month on alcohol.
However, we practically never eat out–we have a $15.00 a month budget for eating out which gets used pretty much solely for “emergency” hunger when we’re on road trips of 4+ hours.
The lack of eating out and my wife’s home cooking mean we’re able to get by with about a $275/mo grocery budget for a family of 3, making our total ‘consumption’ costs about $350/mo when we include alcohol. Before we had our child we were able to get down to about $240 when we were really careful and not drinking, but I’ve found that I am able to get by on the 350 level with absolutely no stress or need to worry about ‘saving’, so I think the extra few bucks are worth it.
If our standard buy-whatever-we-wanted was closer to $500 than $350, though, I’d certainly be watching our budget more closely. I wish I had records of what we spent on consumption costs before we starting working toward FIRE a few years ago. I think it changed so much of my spending habits that it’s possible we were at $500 and didn’t know it. Now I can’t imagine spending that much and don’t even know what I’d buy to hit that level.
Brent,
That’s a great level of food spending for three people, especially considering that you’re practically not eating out of the house at all. You’re talking something like $9 per day for three people. If you’re eating three times per day, that’s basically one dollar per person, per meal. Mighty impressive!
At that level, the alcohol isn’t really a big deal. Although it’s a big percentage of your overall grocery spending (over 20%), the end result is still pretty low in absolute terms. I think I’d actually have a hard time going that low with three people, even factoring out the alcohol spending.
Great job! 🙂
Cheers.
It sort of veers off the path of finances, but do you adjust your eating habits based on physical goals? Do you eat at maintenance? Cut/bulk, etc? Do you make any nutrition decisions based on finances? I have been utilizing a ketogenic diet for over a year, and while the foods I buy cost a little more, I find that I eat a lot less. I think eating out and alcohol are probably some of the biggest budget leaks for a lot of people.
DJ,
As I stated, I think, if done correctly, a diet can actually benefit both one’s financial situation and their physical self. That’s kind of where I’m at now. I don’t eat with a particular emphasis on bulking or cutting, but I find that eating appropriately (not eating junk food, watching portions, getting a good balance of macros, etc.) benefits both one’s waistline and wallet. And I think I’m a good real-life example of the benefits, as my physical and financial shape is on full display for the world to see. 🙂
ETA: Nobody outworks me in the gym. I posted a video a while back on Twitter and Facebook of me working out. Me being in the gym six days a week is a big part of the holistic lifestyle, which works in tandem with the eating.
I do agree, though, that eating out and alcohol are big budget busters for most people. I’m fortunate in that I don’t like to drink alcohol at all. And eating out is really more thoroughly enjoyed when it’s an occasional luxury (rather than an everyday thing).
Best wishes!
Great article! I would add eating more whole food, plant-based meals to this list. (I did see that you touched on meat in the conclusion.) Like alcohol, red meat and processed meats are carcinogenic http://who.int/features/qa/cancer-red-meat/en/
Great article! I would add eating more whole food, plant-based meals to this list. (I saw you touched on meat in the conclusion). Like alcohol, red meat and processed meats are carcinogenic. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17518696
Chelsea,
Absolutely. There are a lot of different ways one can tackle a food budget. As noted in the article, I wasn’t attempting to tackle every minutiae of food budgeting; I was rather just taking a look at things from a high level, with these concepts being those that can apply to most, or all, people.
I personally like meat. If one’s going to eat less meat, then one’s probably going to eat more vegetables. So it’s really more of a preference at that point. I mention alcohol in the article because it’s typically in addition to one’s food; one’s not living off of alcohol (at least I hope not).
Thanks for dropping by!
Cheers.
Great post. I haven’t focused much on food so far but you’re right: the health benefits go hand in hand with the savings!
sendaiben,
Absolutely. It’s all complementary when approached holistically.
After all, can’t enjoy wealth without health. 🙂
Best regards.
Great Post. I use a similar approach plus some other strategies tailored to our personal needs 🙂
Limiting portions works very well for us though I like to have one big meal and then smaller meals/snacks.
We go out occasionally and I only do it at places where I find value 🙂 I totally dislike the trendy over priced small portion type of place. I tend to like the low key cheap restaurants with big portions that offer something I can’t do really well at home. I love over sized portions as thanks to the “limiting portions” approach I have lunch and dinner and pay for one meal. I grow up in a poor family and I think because of that I can’t handle food waste so I’ll always eat it or take with me to eat later. It’s more difficult to that since I moved to Australia as the portions are miniature size here. Therefore, I eat out even less often.
We are vegan and because I stick to a healthy diet and exercise I don’t really ever worry about weight, etc. I tend to eat more than most of my female friends but I’m fit and healthy. I’m very mindful of all my food purchases, track expenses, etc so food expenses are quite low and easy to control for us.
We don’t drink alcohol nor soft drinks so we wouldn’t do that if we go out. At home we make smoothies, juice, tea and coffee but mainly drink water.
I’m considering getting a pressure cooker to cook faster and reduce electricity costs. Do you use one?
Ali,
That sounds great. I can totally see the one big meal thing. I’ve met a lot of people who are really into fitness that eat just one big meal. Flies in the face of conventional wisdom of eating 4-6 small meals per day, but it works for them. In the end, it’s about your macros and calories in/calories out. So whatever works.
I’ve never used a pressure cooker. We have a slow cooker/crock pot that’s awesome, but that’s pretty much the opposite of what you’re talking about. The slow cooker is great, though, because it allows one to make bulk meals (that can last all week with small portions) for pretty cheap. Although you’re vegan, slow cookers can also make even cheap cuts of meat taste tender/good.
With you all the way on avoiding the trendy places. If I were to want to frequent the trendy spots, what I’d do is just avoid the expensive food. I’d go, hang out, grab something super small, and get my experience that way. Maybe get full on a meal at home, then just go to those spots to hang out with friends and all that. I think that’s the way I’d approach that. Kind of how some people prefer to drink at home before going out to bars so that they don’t spend so much on drinks.
Thanks for adding that!
Best wishes.
Thanks for your reply. I’ve considered the slow cooker too but think that the pressure cooker will better suit my needs. I’m having a look at the instapot that seems to have multiple purposes.
LOL I do the same if I even end up at a trendy place with friends…I make sure I have a good meal before I leave the house then order something cheap 🙂
Is a bit more difficult in OZ though because people are really into the “sharing plates” culture when they go out. There is even a separate section for that in all the menus. Some people seem quite disturbed when you don’t want to share. In general, the sharing deal provides even less value than the individual portions but is the trend here. People love splitting the bill too. I manage to avoid does inconveniences most of the time without appearing rude/cheap. I find that the concept of “value” is even more diffused in the Australian culture compare to the US. People are used to getting very low quality and quantity for their money.
Ali,
Yeah, I hear you. Definitely tough. You want to have the social life/friends without letting the frugality take away too much from that. But I don’t think anyone can hold it against you if you’re a “light eater” (even if it is by design). And if they do hold it against you, maybe those aren’t real friends anyway. Always things to ponder, but life can be so complicated and funny. 🙂
Cheers!
These are great! My husband and I are currently working on eating out less often and when we do, we try and share an entree or just order appetizers.
Lisa,
Glad you enjoyed these idea. They’re practical and tactical. And I use them in my everyday life. 🙂
Cheers!
Nice list, enjoyed.
My biggest money saver has been to prepare 5 lunches on Sunday night for the whole week. I live in Washington DC and lunch can easily be $10 a day. Times five is $50 per week, $200 a month, $2400 a year!
Plus making my own lunch ensures I eat clean (and vegan in my case).
A couple of years ago I made the decision to only drink alcohol on weekends – unless it’s a work function which can benefit my career and thus my earning potential 🙂
Cheers,
Tall Investing
TI,
Absolutely. Lunches out can absolutely murder a budget. I realized that once I started tracking every penny. Once I looked at it, I knew I had to make some big changes to that, which I did soon thereafter with ramen noodle lunches. Not the healthiest choice, but neither are the 12-foot subs I saw my co-workers slam down.
I like eating out of the house as much as the next person, but you just really have to think about how that fits in with your holistic lifestyle (even more of a consideration when you’re vegan, such as yourself).
Thanks for dropping by!
Best wishes.
I agree with Tall Investing. It is amazing the amount of money people spend on lunches. I bring my lunch everyday and most of the time it is leftovers or a sandwich. I did a write up that compares the cost buying lunch verse bring lunch to work and the savings are $200,000+ over the course of a career. I can find plenty of ways to use an extra $200K by paper bagging it.
commonguy,
Yeah, absolutely. Lunches are a great example. It’s really eating out in general that will kill you. A couple can easily spend $500/mo on food out of the house before even thinking about it. It’s not that hard. What is hard, however, is making a conscious effort to reduce that spending (by brown bagging it, eating at home, etc.). But the good news is that little steps add up. If you cut down on the alcohol, don’t go crazy with the meals at restaurants, avoid the trendy spots in town, and portion control, your wallet and waistline are probably going to be in pretty good shape. 🙂
Cheers!
Nice post. We have been shopping at Market Basket which is way cheaper than most grocery chains in our area. They offer a bunch of organics which is a huge plus. We tried Whole Food but did not get much for for our weekly budget so that didn’t last long.
DM,
Definitely. Getting the best bang for your buck when it comes time to shop for groceries should go without saying. However, if you’re eating way too much, your wallet and waistline are both going to suffer… regardless of where you shop.
Whole Foods is out. It’s not known as “whole paycheck” for nothing. 🙂
Cheers!
I can relate to this article. I rarely eat out, but when I do it is something that I can not make at home. I indulge on things that i can not make cheaply myself. I am willing to pay for professional cooked meals that include ingredients that i could not cook myself.
Kris,
Absolutely. Same here. Sushi is a great example. It’s expensive, but I don’t feel bad partaking once in a while.
My situation is complicated by the fact that I hate cooking. On the pro side of that, it means that I’m rarely cooking big, lavish meals, instead sticking to smaller, cheaper meals. On the con side, that opens up a whole world of options outside the house. Always trade-offs. 🙂
Thanks for adding that!
Best wishes.
All fantastic tips and I adhere to most of them myself. I honestly think I’ve ordered maybe a dozen glasses of wine with dinner in my life. I honestly rarely eat out, but I do have the guilty pleasure of grabbing a McMuffin in the morning on occasion. Obviously not the healthiest, but it’s part of a fondness from my childhood. I don’t feel guilty since I work out seven days a week and have for almost two decades now so I enjoy them on occasion guilt free. Keep up the great work!
DD,
Hey, I hear you on the McDonald’s stuff. When I eat outside of the house, it’s far more often fast food than it is a sit-down restaurant. I enjoy the time and value. Plus, I take just a little more pleasure in enjoying McDonald’s once in a while as a shareholder. The only difference for me is that it’s more of a lunch thing (rather than breakfast), as I’ll even sometimes bring my laptop along and do some writing. My gym routine more than offsets that, so I don’t feel guilty at all. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by!
Best wishes.
I grabbed a footling from Subway the other day. I decided to save half of it for my work lunch on Monday. How frugal of me.
I think food will always be the most difficult thing to cut down on because your body literally tells you to eat more. Compare that to cutting back on other budget killers; your body doesn’t tell you to buy a Ferrari or an expensive cable package.
Learning to cook and bringing packaged lunch to work can mean a huge difference for both your financial and nutritional health. I buy cold cuts and bring sandwiches to work almost everyday. I used to eat out for lunch each day, but not anymore. That can be $50-60 a week! It always amazes me how the tellers in my bank are always ordering food from expensive restaurants everyday. I can’t afford to do that! How can they?
One day, I’m going to try making those dishes that you see on Facebook all the time from Delish and other sites. Beef and broccoli stir fry over rice, here I come! Cheeseburger pizza tater tots, maybe not.
Sincerely,
ARB–Angry Retail Banker
ARB,
Definitely. Not only is food necessary for survival, we generally enjoy it. It’s both a need and a want. These days, however, it’s far more of a want than a need, as we tend to eat far more than we have to for survival. Plus, we’re not hunter-gatherers any longer, which means you’re not expending all of those calories just to get your food. Pulling into a McDonald’s drive-thru is not the same as hunting for a week.
But I think once you’re cognizant of it all and make very conscious choices, you should do well. It’s really about maximizing value in your life and living holistically. Sometimes we’ll go out to eat. But when we do, I make sure that the meal is probably going to be enjoyable. And I make sure the price point is reasonable. And then I don’t gorge myself. It’s just these little decisions that cascade into a mountain over time. A mountain of more cash, more health, and more you.
BTW, I saw your post on looking for a new job/career. I think that’s a great idea. Wish you nothing but the best of luck with whatever may come next. 🙂
Thanks for dropping by!
Best regards.
Jason,
Great article man. I’m really enjoying the last 10 or so (I enjoy them all). I can really tell a shift, may be my imagination, but the recent articles seem deeply reflective. Anyway, I’m rambling, point is keep it up man there are still lots of us out here that really enjoy these articles. You’ve been a game changer to a lot of us.
J,
Thanks so much. Really appreciate that!
Yeah, I think they’re definitely reflective. That was my original intent with the blog. DM was more “in the moment” – a climb in real-time. I wanted this to be more reflective and introspective, which simply reflects personal growth. Plus, I think it’s neat to take a look at what works and what doesn’t, once it’s all said and done. Finally, the old adage that money doesn’t buy happiness rings true over and over again, which is something I like exploring regularly.
Best wishes!
Hi Jason,
Spot on! We don’t eat out or even go out as much as we used to, and it does make it feel a lot more special. I love to cook as well which really helps on the home food – it seems we spend far less than most people for our monthly shopping – and we don’t stint!
I do spend a lot on alcohol, far more than I should, but I love the different tastes of beer and wine and I couldn’t give it up. It is empty calories, and it can ruin your next day if you over do it, but I accept that by drinking I am adding on years to my retirement date, but I get a lot of pleasure from it!
Cheers,
FiL
fireinlondon,
Based on how much industrialized nations spend on alcohol, you’re not alone with the spending there. But if it’s something you enjoy and you keep it reasonable, go for it. There’s no sense in being flexible and free if you’re not happy.
For me, alcohol takes away control, meaning I feel less in charge of what I’m doing. But a lot of people like that freeing feeling they get, where they’re able to just let go. Of course, one wonders if everyone spent less and were more flexible and free (thus not having the stressful life they need to escape from), would alcohol be quite as enticing? The great questions of life! 🙂
Thanks for dropping by.
Best wishes.