Save Money: 12 Tips on Eating at Home

Everywhere I go, people are constantly complaining and expressing frustration over "being poor" or "not having enough money" or making excuses about their lifestyle habits using the "current state of the economy" as a crutch. Even more amusing is when you ask people how they can afford to eat out all the time, they get real serious about how the $1 menu at fast-food restaurants is the only food their budget allows for. I even watched a documentary recently in which an obese family of four ate from the McDonald's $1 menu every night for dinner, arguing that eating healthy was too expensive for their family. So you're telling me $12 per night at Mickey D's is a better option than making $8 worth (at a max) of chicken and pasta for everyone? Get real.

If people took the time to sit down and do the math, they will learn that not only is visiting the grocery store and eating at home a healthier option, but will help them save money week over week, month over month.

And no, we're not referring to cheap, sodium-filled Ramen noodles here either and no, we're not saying you just live off fruit, because that's ridiculous.

Below are a few smart and basic tips to begin eating healthier AND save hundreds of dollars per month at the same time.

1.     Buy fruits and veggies in season; not only are they inexpensive, but fruits
        and vegetables eaten at their peak are healthier for you versus when you
        eat them out of season.

2.     Visit local farms or visit farmer's markets because transportation and
        processing costs are practically non-existent.

3.     Buy fruits and veggies in bulk.

4.     Buy 16-32oz bags of beans versus beans in a can. The directions are always
        on the bag but all you have to do is either soak them in water overnight or
        cook them for a few hours and ouila -- you've got enough meals for at
        least a week!

5.     Buy meats on sale and freeze for later use.

6.     Buy whole chickens, cook at home, and freeze to eat later. Stores charge
        more for pre-cut meats, so just do it yourself instead. If your lazy ass has
        time for watching TV, then you have time to cook the meat and cut it up.

7.     Purchase bread on sale and freeze for later use.

8.     Don't forget; alternatives to bread are tortillas, bagels, and english muffins.
        Be creative.

9.     Buy bags of rice and use as “filler” food. Use rice in soups, combine it with
        beans in your burritos, or add tuna or chicken to rice with stir-fry sauce or
        gravy.

10.   Buy a pound of coffee at the store and brew at home! Worried about not
        being equipped? Just treat yourself already and invest in a timed coffee-
        maker and even a bean grinder because it will save you money in the long
        run.

11.   Bean Grinder = $10-30, Timed Coffee Pot = $20-100, LB Coffee = $4-15,
        Starbucks Coffee = $3. Do the math: if you bought coffee on the go every
        day for a year, you would spend around $1095. If you did everything at
        home for a year, buying a $10 grinder, a $40 coffee pot, and an $8 pound
        of coffee which lasts about 2 weeks, you would spend around $242, give
        or take depending on your preferences. That's still over $800 in savings per
        year and you won't even have to buy a bean grinder or coffee pot the next
        year. You could almost go on a cruise with those savings if you quit being
        lazy and stopped visiting Starbucks daily. It takes more time to endure the
        drive-thru at Starbucks or even parking your car, waiting in line, then
        waiting for them to make your drink. Duh -- think about it.

12.   Gravy mix, taco seasoning, fajita seasoning packets, etc., run anywhere
        from $0.79 to $1.79 and can last for several meals as long as you ignore
        the cooking directions (the manufacturers want you to use the entire
        packet for one meal -- greedy bastards). Sprinkle enough on for flavor
        and it spices up any meal!

In Conclusion

Of course there's much more you can do to save money if you're smart enough to slow down, take a look around the grocery store, and do the math. Use common sense. Drink water instead of soda. Buy healthier items low in cost like rice and beans. Stop visiting the fast-food hamburger place and stop spending $6 on one "value meal". You can seriously spend $6 and feed yourself for nearly a week eating better. There are no more excuses, America. Stop being pathetic and lazy!

When you calculate the amount of money you spend on buying fast-food and going out to eat, you'll discover you can truly save hundreds of dollars per month when you prepare your food from home instead. Begin by bringing your own lunch to work and skipping the luncheon outings. Buying a fast-food value meal five days a week will cost around $30 or more; multiply $30 by four weeks and you now have an extra $120 saved in one month; and this is just taking one daily meal into consideration.

Lastly, don't forget to stop at the clearance section usually located in the back of the grocery store. For some reason, organic products still manage to scare off the uneducated consumer and is usually discounted, so you can definitely keep your cupboard at home stocked with the healthiest and best-tasting options.

Visit http://athleticx.com for more tips on eating healthy.