Family Finances: 7 Ways to Save Time and Money on the Food Budget
Time and cash are a trade off. When we have plenty of income, we turn that resource into time by purchasing convenience foods and eating out. When we don’t have as much income, we spend time cooking at home more often and using more staple items as well. I look at it this way. When I’m working, I’m adding to the budget and I can afford more conveniences. When I’m not employed, my job becomes saving. Both ways, I’m helping the quality of life for my family. But in the real world, how do we manage the time drain while we try to save? Here are seven ways:
Think of your family as a team. Every member of the team should participate in the process of providing food for the family, whether it’s hauling in groceries from the car, helping with meal preparation, or stacking the dishwasher.
Consider co-op cooking with another family of similar size. Once or twice a week, one family will cook a larger meal and share half of it with the co-op family. This will give one or two kitchen-free days to each participant. Sharing can work well when people live in close proximity and are very good friends. I would not try this with strangers or with people whose taste in food is quite different from yours. Planning the shared meals together would be a big help.