While this tip does involve a little bit of cooking, it really is just a little bit. According to Shinobu Hindert, a certified financial planner (CFP), the prepared foods section of your local grocery store can be your best friend.
“You can buy a pre-made chicken salad and add it to a pre-made salad mix that you toss together,” Hindert told HuffPost. “You can have that for two nights, depending on the size of the chicken salad you get. Trader Joe’s has great pre-made options, too. For example, you can buy a pre-made salad mix or burrito. This is more expensive than buying it all together, but you save money by not wasting any food you’re not eating and it’s less expensive than going out.”
2. Make a list of budget-friendly takeout restaurants near you.
While takeout is more expensive than eating at home, every takeout order doesn’t have to make a huge dent in your credit card. “Make a list of local places you like to have takeout from that are under your budget,” Hindert said. “Tier them into two categories: Budget-friendly and splurge. If you know cooking a typical meal at home costs you about $10 per person then grabbing takeout from Chipotle, for example, won’t break the bank.”
But, she said, if you have a favorite takeout place where dishes run $15-plus, this becomes an expensive habit. “If you have restaurants pre-picked and budget out what you can comfortably spend, it minimizes any hangry splurges,” Hindert noted. “Maybe you skip the appetizers and use the leftovers for lunch the next day to make this budget-friendly. Get creative!”
Source link
