You might not know you can be saving money by simply changing up your routine that can add up to weekly savings. Many people work on a weekly routine dedicating certain days for things like going to the gym, grocery shopping, house chores, and more.
Using weekly routines can help you save money without having to focus on intentionally saving money and you develop to push for saving more in the future. Some people use spending as an outlet for things they don’t have control over in life such as emergencies or work-related stress, so they turn to spending as something to regain their sense of self-control.
Cooking or ordering food takes a ton of time and money from your weekly routine. You can easily save by making a food budget that will help you save with the easy option of prepping food or meal prepping.
The most cost-efficient food source will often come from prepping or making food at home and avoiding spending extra money that costs more to eat out. Make sure you plan for all your meals that will help you form your grocery list to ensure you won’t have to worry about breakfast, lunch, or dinner.
If there is a certain food product that might be too expensive, you can try to buy a more cost-effective generic brand or make it yourself at home. If you’re unable to make what you need at home or within your budget, you can try to find a less expensive alternative.
For example, I’m a massive fan of chips that can be pricy, but I started finding alternative salty snacks like pickles or crackers. Another way to save on food costs is finding cost-efficient recipes that can feed more people for less and often require fewer ingredients.
It’s also recommended to plan for some “fallback meals” that can be used when you haven’t had the chance to take a trip to the grocery store, so you won’t be tempted to spend extra from a take-out or drive-thru order. If you have leftovers and are planning on your next grocery list, check to see what you have left that you can incorporate in other meals.
You might have some vegetables leftover from making a meal that can be combined with things on your grocery list with one of the easiest solutions of making soup. There are tons of different types of soup that are healthy and can be utilized to make a meal with some leftovers that will also help reduce food waste.
One important money-saving tool is budgeting for essential services or upcoming appointments to ensure being a part of your weekly budget. There are some appointments that don’t require a co-pay, but some appointments can come with higher co-pays. It’s best to double-check your planner or calendar for upcoming appointments and estimate how much you’ll possibly need for a co-pay.
Bulk prepping and cooking can come in handy when you have appointments so you can prepare your meal around the time of your appointment to come home and simply cook to enjoy. If you search bulk food prepping recipes, this will help you form a better weekly shopping trip.
If you must run to a store or go to an appointment, try to combine your weekly errands in one run depending on the area you’re visiting. For example, if you have an appointment try to plan other things you know you need to do that week within a close area that will help you save gas money and time for your weekly routine.