How to eat for less than a pound a day

I feel a little bit more qualified to write this article than I would have been a couple of years ago because I've had to tighten my belt significantly and whilst everyone else's salary has gone up, mine has been in permanent free-fall. I've moaned enough about that in the past so it's onto the business of eating for less money! By the way, I set up a site called Savings Stuff for my partner a few years ago as saving money is really her thing. Some of the information found here can also be found there along with a whole host of other money saving ideas.

First of all, save money where you can but don't forget to eat healthily at the same time. Putting yourself or your family in hospital to save a few pennies isn't really worth it in the long run.

Eat from the land

This is how people used to do it in the old days. They'd grow their own food where possible and forage in the hedgerows for free food from mother nature. You don't need to have acres of land to supplement your food supplies. Even a few grow bags with potatoes or a herb garden on the windowsill will help in some way. Foraging for free food in woods, fields and hedgerows is also becoming increasingly popular. From wild mushrooms, various fruits such as raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries and even stinging nettles, if you look hard enough you'll find something to eat out there. Just be careful with those mushrooms though or you'll be eating hospital food or worse, never be able to eat again!

Buy reduced price items

This one is quite easy because supermarkets and shops regularly reduce food items when they reach their sell-by date. One thing to watch out for is that you don't buy things just because they have been reduced because you could end up making purchases that you wouldn't normally and it may end up getting thrown out when it's not used. That isn't going to save you money.

Multi-buy and buy one get one free (BOGOF)

You need to be careful with these offers because although they can save you quite a bit of money, you can be left out of pocket if you are tricked into buying something that isn't actually cheaper when you buy more than one. The supermarkets are sometimes quite crafty in this respect. Do the maths first and make sure you're saving money and that it's something you need and that you'll use.

Shop around and find the cheapest

It's basically common sense to do this but quite a lot of people forget to or just can't be bothered to look to see how much a food item costs in various stores that they use. Well that's fine if you've got plenty of money, but if you're on a tight budget then shopping around is essential.

Discount or own brand products

There's no shame in choosing a discount or own brand product over some heavily marketed (and marked up) grocery item. Value, basic or smart-price tomatoes may well taste just as good in your spaghetti bolognese sauce as premium can, and will be a fraction of the price. This is something you need to experiment with. Not all the cheaper foodstuffs are acceptable and sometimes it can work out dearer. You'll need to try them first and only buy the discount stuff when it's good and works out cheaper.

Coupons and vouchers

It can be a bit of a minefield figuring out what you can buy, what you'll save and what shops will take coupons and vouchers from magazines, till receipts etc. My partner is much better at this than me and there are some significant savings to be had for those who are dedicated to the cause.

Make your own

This is one of my favourite areas for saving money. There are quite a lot of ingredients or every day foods that people buy when they could save a bit of money by making it themselves. Yorkshire puddings for example, are extremely easy to make and cost only a few pence each. Why buy frozen ones that don't taste as nice and cost so much more? Bread is another example of something you can make at home. A bit of time and preparation is required here, but home made bread tastes so much better and these days definitely works out cheaper than shop bought bread. Other examples of things you can make at home are coleslaw, potato salad, humous, pastry, pizza dough and pasta. These foods can all be bought, but with a little time (and time is money) you can easily make them yourself.

Get cooking and save

It's common sense but quite often overlooked that if you cook a meal at home rather than buy a ready meal or a takeaway you'll save money. Why buy a can of bolognese sauce or a tray of lasagne when you can cook it yourself for a fraction of the cost. Homemade soups are also another winner when it comes to saving money and they can also be a very healthy option. A home-cooked roast chicken dinner (don't forget the Yorkshire puddings) is surprisingly straight forward and costs a lot less than visiting a carvery. Even something a bit more exotic such as crispy aromatic duck with plum sauce, vegetables and pancakes can be made from scratch by someone with only rudimentary cooking skills. I can vouch for this because it was a dish I made recently. You'll sometimes find duck legs or even a whole duck on special offer. Go ahead and give it a go and don't be scared to give it a try. Cooking food at home does take time, planning and a very small amount of skill. These are some of the consequences that you may have to accept in order to save money, but once you're cooking regularly (and saving cash), you'll probably find that it is rewarding in it's own right.

I hope these tips have inspired you to get cooking, searching for bargains and saving money!