Opening a bank account isn't enough to keep your money safe. You have to make sure you're spending it in a way that is both effective and responsible, or else your financial wellness could be at stake. There are a number of things you can do to ensure you keep the bill down and your nutrition up.
•Use online banking or mobile banking. These applications allow you to look at your bank account balance, plan an effective amount you can spend on food and keep you mindful of a budget.
•Avoid the sweets. These are expensive and don't add a lot to your diet or lifestyle, News-Star wrote. You want to make sure the things you're putting in the cart are going to be enough to get you from one trip to the next, and buying fruit instead gives you more flexibility with how to use your purchases.
•Go to farmer's markets for fresh items. Blog Critics wrote that drought and other economic conditions are making some staples more expensive, but going to the source removes the cost of shipping and stocking.
•Use what you have before it goes bad. Throwing spoiled food away is a big money drain, The State wrote, but more importantly you should be using what's already in the fridge in order to avoid making extra trips to the store. Keeping track of expiration dates is important for dry goods as well as fridge items, so be sure you're doing a full inventory check.
•Look for sale items even if they aren't on your list. As long as they're practical, The State said, it makes sense to stock up on dry goods and things that can be frozen. Meat especially is usually expensive, so keep track of which meats are on sale and buy extra to store for the future.
•Use coupons as often as possible. Blog Critics mentioned that almost every item has a coupon available online or in the local newspaper, and clipping these really pays off when coupled with cereals and other boxed goods that don't go bad and are on sale. This can cut down significantly on your final total at the register when you don't have to buy full-priced items.