Food on a Budget: Want to Save your Money?

I made my first 3 cents on HubPages after only six days and let me tell you…I am ecstatic! Okay, I know it’s not much, but it’s my first time seeing earned money from other than a 9-5 job. (Don’t bust my bubble, okay? Just let me have this moment.) So, for you others out there that are not quite bringing in the income you had hoped for yet from your Hub because you’re new like me or just not reaching the right readers yet…here are some ways to save on food. Hey, you gotta eat, right?

I have five children (four live with me), so I have learned to be very resourceful over the years on making ends meet. But I am also disabled, so I don’t always feel like cooking. It’s important to me to make sure my family has quality, healthy food without shattering my wallet.

So, as the go-to person in my family, I thought it would be vitally important to share these tips with the world. Hey, we’re in a recession and there are a lot of people out there that are in financial situations that they’ve never been in before. I hope this helps someone who reads it. Be sure to pass it on to someone you think needs it…pay it forward.

Fast Food

Everyone loves fast food. And while it may not always be the healthiest choice, it is convenient. And the best part is, no dishes to clean! I keep all my receipts because some restaurants offer free food just for giving your opinion on your dining experience.

For instance, Church’s Chicken, if you look on the back of the receipt will give you 2 FREE PIECES OF CHICKEN (with the purchase of a side and a drink), just for calling the 800-number and telling them about your experience.

Burger King is another one. On the back of their receipt you will get free food for giving your opinions as well. You can choose between a Free WHOPPER or Originial CHICKEN SANDWICH (just buy a side and a drink).

Subway will give you a free cookie for you input. Red Lobster will give you free food on your birthday when you join their Seafood lovers club: http://www.redlobster.com/club/. So will Red Robin: http://www.redrobin.com/eclub/default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1 and so will Denny’s: http://assets.fbmta.com/clt/dnny/lp/join/join_ent.asp.

Check out your favorite restaurant online and see what kinds of clubs or free offers they have.

Digital Coupons

I absolutely love this! Sometimes even though I do clip coupons, I will forget to take them with me to the grocery store. These two sites offer digital coupons not only on food, but pet supplies, laundry, etc.

Procter & Gamble, or P&G, offer digital coupons on their many, many products that they sell. You simply sign up here: http://www.pgeverydaysolutions.com/pgeds/index.jsp and then add your local grocery store card and they will show you what’s available at that chain of stores (see below). Then you just click on the coupons that you want and add them to your card. It’s that simple. Sometimes I will go and buy something that I forgot I had a digital coupon for and I will get a nice surprise at the end of my order.

Another one is Shortcuts.com. It’s the same concept, except that it doesn’t just focus on one manufacturer’s products. Apply here: http://shortcuts.com/ and get started saving!

Utilize the dollar store

Yes, the dollar store sells food also. Many chains also except Food Stamps too. Now, I wouldn’t buy everything from the dollar store, but there are some VERY good deals there. Jarred gravies, toilet paper, canned vegetables, crackers, cookies, and so on. At Dollar Tree (in my city-you will have to check yours), they even sell milk, bread and frozen food like chicken and hamburger. Who’d of thought you would be grocery shopping at the dollar store?!?

You can go online to Dollar Tree – yes, you can even order online – most items are in bulk, but there are items that do not require you to order so much. They have over 600 items that you don’t need to order large quantities of so if you’re a scrapbooker, teacher, mom with a large family…this is the greatest deal ever! Check out their website here and see what they have this week in their ad: DollarTree

Okay, that’s it for now. Please let me know if you have further questions about anything I have posted here or suggestions.