How to save Food Dollars on food without even noticing

1. Eat vegetarian a few nights a week.


Try to include a couple of vegetarian meals in your menu for the week. Skipping meat, even once or twice a week, can help save money, since meat is usually the most expensive part of a meal. Savings: $210 per year. (Replace 1 pound of sirloin [$5.99] with a 14-ounce block of tofu [$1.96] once a week for a year.)
 
2. Minimize waste.


One of the easiest ways to save money is to make sure you’re not wasting food. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans throw out more than 25 percent of the food we prepare. And a study at the University of Arizona that tracked food use and waste from production to the table to the landfill estimated that the average American family of four throws out $590 worth of food each year. So we need to do a better job of using leftovers and learn what to do with food before it’s past its peak. Savings: $590 per year. (Estimated value of the food an average American household of four wastes in a year.)
 
3. Plug in the slow cooker.


If you don’t have hours to spend at home tending a braise, then try a slow cooker. It will give you the same effect (i.e., it makes inexpensive cuts of meat meltingly tender), but you can plug it in, leave for the day and come home to a dinner like a Rich Chicken Stew or one of our other easy, healthy slow-cooker recipes. Inexpensive cuts of meat that work wonderfully in the slow cooker include chicken thighs, pork shoulder, beef chuck etc....Savings: $78 per year. (Replace 1 pound of boneless, skinless chicken breast [$4.99] with 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs [$3.49] once a week for a year.)
 
4. Discover great ways to use canned fish.


Just like their fresh counterparts, canned salmon and tuna provide omega-3 fats, which help keep your heart healthy by lowering triglycerides and blood pressure. The difference: canned fish is significantly cheaper. Savings: $224 per year. (Replace 1 pound of fresh tuna [$7.99] with 1 pound of canned tuna [$3.68] once a week for a year.)
 
5. Don’t order a pizza. Make one at home.


Ordering pizza seems like a cheap and quick solution for dinner. But a typical pie costs more than $15. You can make your own at home, using leaner meats & veggies for a lot less and in about the same amount of time delivery takes. Savings: $520 per year. (Make pizza once a week instead of ordering.)

6. Pack a lunch.


When you’re busy at work, the easiest choice is to grab a bite to eat someplace nearby. The problem is that the cost of buying lunch takes a toll on your food budget. (The average lunch at the national chain Panera Bread, which specializes in sandwiches, soups and salads, is $8.50.) Try bringing a lunch from home. When you make dinner, think about what you’re going to eat for lunch tomorrow. If you’re making a salad, make a little extra and put it in a container, undressed. And what about your leftovers? If you have a little extra chicken or half a can of beans, toss that in with your lunch salad. Make more than you’ll need for dinner, and reheat it for lunch the next day. Savings: $1,375 per year. (Replace an $8.50 lunch with a $3 lunch from home 5 days a week, 50 weeks a year.)
 
Its easy to see that with just a little planning you can save a ton of money on your food budget!