Food expenses can bloat a budget too

The last of the big expenses in modern life is food. 

I know you're busy. I'm busy too, but to save as much as possible you should reduce this too.  Here are some ideas.

Eat less meat

Vegetables especially in season are cheaper than meat probably by half. If you don't like vegetarian dishes, go for smaller portions of meat.  Instead of eating a steak with a baked potato, cook slices of steak with vegetables as a stir-fry.

That steak could be eaten in 2 or 3 meals instead of one. It will also be more delicious. 

Forget the coupons and cook staple foods

Basic ingredients don't have coupons because they already are cheap. Processed foods are high in fat, salt, or sugar, often with added soy or other fillers. Processed food is much more expensive than simple foods so they have coupons so you'll feed good about them when you waste money on them. If you have a craving for something premade, sure go for it, but you aren't really saving money if you compare it to real homemade cooking.

Pack a lunch

If you have a few minutes in the morning before work, prepare a sandwich and add a piece of fruit or some carrots and celery sticks. 

Batch Cook

Cook something that can be frozen on Sunday and put it in portion sized containers in your freezer. Grab one container and a piece of fruit when you leave home.

Pack your water

How much money do you spend on coffee and soft-drinks every day? Why not refill your water-bottle every night before bed and have it ready in the fridge to take with you.

Following these tips could easily cut food expenses by half for most people. That money could be saved or invested!  In a few years, your investment income could pay for your food. 

Reduce Housing Expenses to save money

Since your goal should be to save as much as possible every month so you can get financial independence, early retirement, or buy your own home, perhaps you could start with those pesky large fixed expenses.

The three largest expenses for most people are food, transportation, and housing.

Your housing expenses could be mortgage payments, property taxes, maintenance, and home owner association fees. It could also be rent payments or perhaps you live with your parents for free!

Assuming you can't or don't want to live with your parents consider one of the following:

Move to a smaller apartment. Go from three bedrooms to two bedrooms or two bedrooms to one. If you are in a one bedroom apartment consider an efficiency apartment. from there perhaps rent a bedroom with kitchen access near where you work.

Do you have a two bedroom apartment? Instead of downsizing you could rent the room to a friend or post an advertisement. Increase what you want by a little to cover utilities and don't forget to ask for half of the deposit.  If you rent to a stranger ask for references and be sure your bedroom has a lock on its door.

Many people don't move to a smaller and cheaper apartment or share because they have too much stuff. The extra room is full of boxes of stuff. You may not even remember what's in the boxes, but they're there taking up space and costing you money.

If that's your situation, then you need to urgently go one box at a time and make piles of things to sell, things to toss, and things to donate. Whatever doesn't sell gets donated.

An excellent rule is to get rid of whatever you haven't used for one year.