How to Save Money: Watch Your Eating Habits

31 :: Eat at home more
On average it cost at least $6 per person when eating out…and that is on the low end.  If you eat out three times a month that equals $24 per person which adds up over $280 a year per person!    Try cutting down to only once a week or every other week.  There are a ton of coupons for restaurants that you can use – don’t be afraid to take them and use them when going out to eat.  Also, check to make sure wherever you are eating if they are offering any specials. Some places have half off of their drinks at certain times, some buffets offer a free kids buffet with each adult buffet.  Be creative when eating out and it’ll save you hundreds of dollar in just one year!

32 :: Drop the Pop
I am a Dr. Pepper addict.  Wooh, I feel better now that I’ve gotten that out!  I love Dr. Pepper, but I rarely purchase it and bring it home.  Not only will this help with your health and keep a few extra pounds off, but it will help keep your budget low.  I do still enjoy a few glasses of Dr. Pepper whenever we go out to eat.  It makes going out to eat an even bigger treat!

33 :: Save those Leftovers!
Throwing away left over is one of the worst ways in which people waste money.  Save those left over – eat them for lunch the next day, use that left over chicken to make a casserole, eat it when you don’t have time to make dinner.  Throwing away left overs is like throwing away your money…

34 :: Menu Plan
This is one of the biggest ways in which I save a bundle!   At the beginning of every week I sit down and write out a menu plan.  I compose my menu plan based on what is on sale for that week and what I already have at home in my pantry.   Not only does it save me a lot of money, but time as well since I no longer have to stand in the kitchen, scouring the cabinets to find something to make for dinner.

35 :: Be prepared
We all have days were unexpected things show up at our door.  Another way to cut down on eating out and staying within your budget is to prepare food ahead of time for emergencies.  You may not be able to make what is on the menu plan tonight, but you could throw that frozen lasagna you prepared two weeks ago into the oven.   I always like to keep at least three dinners in the freezer for days where things happen and I either don’t feel like cooking or am unable to do so.  This is a great way to keep you from a spur of the moment run to a fast food joint!

{Photo Credit: moneysavingtips}