Guest Post: Quick Tips for Saving Money on Groceries and Eating Out

I chose to take a few years off after earning my undergraduate degree before I returned to graduate school. I needed time away from school and to decide exactly which field I wanted to pursue. During my time away from school, I grew used to a higher standard of living. As a graduate student, my income is about 50% of what I made a year ago. In order to accommodate this drastic reduction of income I had to made serious changes to spending habits. I have really cut back on the amount of money that I spend eating out and at the grocery store.

In order to save money on eating out, I
• Eat out less often.
• Don’t order a drink.
• Order an appetizer or side.
• Split an entrée with a friend.
• Use coupons from the back of grocery receipts, the Entertainment book, or the internet.

In order to save money at the grocery store, I
• Check out the sale flyer before I go to the store.
• Create a list and stick to it.
• Avoid buying processed foods.
• Buy in season produce.
• Eat a lot of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch.

I’m still trying to reduce my food budget, but these are a few things that have helped me decrease my monthly grocery spending to about $200. I’m trying to get it down to $150 in the next few months.


Thanks to Saving Diva @ Saving to Pay Down My Home for this guest post. I'll be back soon. MDT and I just arrived in St. Louis Friday, and we're still unpacking and reorganizing like mad. We just got internet this evening. Whew!