Do you have some extra pounds to shed? Do you also need to make cuts in your budget? Why not do both at once?
Groceries and eating out are two of the biggest controllable bills in our lives. It’s no surprise that when I survey people about their spending, these are usually the first two points to be brought up. But wait, isn’t it common knowledge that unhealthy food is cheaper? There was a great article in the NY Times rebutting this argument.
While it’s often cheaper on a calorie per calorie basis, given the low cost of sugar, we can look at some examples of behavior where you can lose weight and save money.
Get a Doggy Bag
If you do choose to eat out or order delivery Chinese food, a great way to save money is to amortize the cost of the meal over at least two meals. $10 for a single Chinese dinner is a budget breaker, but $5 for a meal is better, and if you are really judicious $3.33 per meal (if you can split it over three meals) gets more reasonable. Many of us were raised to eat everything on our plate, but the serving sizes are arbitrary, so try just eating a third or a half, and save the rest for later.
Ditch the Snacks
Look at your last grocery receipt. Add up all the cookies, donuts, chips, and frozen treats, and it wouldn’t surprise me if it added up to 40% or more of your total bill. Simply not snacking is a guaranteed way to lose weight. If you are hungry, eat a carrot or two. A bag of carrots is going to cost you less then a bag of Chips A Hoy and last twice as long.
Drink Only Water
Between the vending machine and the cases of soda or beer in the fridge, you not only have probably $100 a month of spending, you also have 500 empty calories per day. While water is “boring” compared to sugary drinks, once you get in the habit of drinking it, you won’t get the same refreshment from soda again. If you really need some flavor in your life, make some ice tea at home (don’t buy the super sugary pre-mixed stuff). A case of Lipton’s tea costs almost nothing, and making iced tea is super easy.
What About Fast Food?
It’s hard to argue with the fact that corporations have been able to produce a food product that tastes great and supplies hundreds of calories for a dollar. If we could export fast food to the third world, we may solve the hunger crisis. That said, the price of fast food has been creeping up. Their menus usually incentivize you to order more than you need (value meals, like bulk goods, cost less the more you get). While it may be cheaper to get a meal off of the dollar menu, do you feel satisfied long after eating it? Instead try a quick meal at home that is high in protein and lower in fat, salt and carbs.
