What? Saving money on food costs money? It sure does! Consider these costs so that you can be prepared for them and control them.
Money-saving strategies like buying in bulk, couponing, stocking up during sales, comparison shopping, and more, are great . . . but they do come with hidden costs. Are those costs costing you too much?
The Hidden Costs of Saving Money on Food Include:
- The cost of acquiring the food
- The cost of storing the food
- The cost of preparing the food
The Hidden Costs of Acquiring Food
Fuel—if you go to more than one grocery store or visit stores farther away from home.
Shipping costs—if you mail order any of your food or cooking equipment.
Membership fees—if you belong to buying clubs and they charge fees.
Gardening costs—if you grow any of your own food. These include seeds, plants, tools, education, and more.
Stocking up–buying more food than you can use before it goes bad, so you end up wasting it.
Buying in bulk–beyond what you can use before it goes bad.
Coupons–using coupons but buying things you wouldn’t ordinarily buy, or spending more with the coupon than you would without a coupon if you bought a cheaper brand. Yes, sometimes, it makes sense to buy a specific brand even if it costs more (and coupons are great for that) but sometimes it doesn’t make sense, and the cheaper brand or store brand is just fine.
The Hidden Costs of Storing Food
Books and education—food preservation books and classes, food storage books.
Gas and electricity—to run your freezer, to regulate your cellar temperature, for canning or dehydrating.
Remodeling or building—cellar, pantry shelves, etc.
Food storage containers—a freezer, freezer bags, canning jars, bug-proof containers and buckets, etc.
Canning supplies—jars, lids, rings.
The Hidden Costs of Preparing Food
Cooking from scratch? If you’re doing it to save money, be sure to factor in these expenses:
Books and education—cookbooks, cooking classes.
Specialty appliances—pressure cooker, slow cooker, waffle iron, mixer, rice cooker, etc.
Specialty cookware and kitchen tools—the more cooking from scratch you do, the more stuff you need to do it with!
Gas and electricity—for more home cooking.
It’s not just a one-way deal, with everything you do saving you money! Make sure you figure in the cost of any money-saving method you’re thinking of implementing.
Don’t let the hidden costs take you by surprise!
