Cut Out Restaurant and Delivery Meals to Save
Cutting out restaurant and delivery meals, e.g. Uber Eats deliveries at home, fast food lunches during the workday, etc., will make the biggest difference to your monthly food bill. It’s one of the quickest ways to boost your food budget.
On average, it’s almost five times more expensive to order delivery from a restaurant than it is to cook at home. If you’re using a meal kit service, it’s a bit more affordable but still three times as expensive as cooking from scratch, some estimates suggest. In addition to this, the Canadian Food Price Report predicted that restaurants will be facing increases to their own costs and, subsequently, their prices as well.
Last year, an Ipsos poll found that over half of Canadians (53%) planned to cut back on dining out in 2024. It was the top method of saving that consumers reported committing to in the face of inflation. As a family, test the waters by agreeing to cook at home six days of the week, and treating yourself to a dinner out on the weekend. Eating out should be a treat not the order of the day. You’ll notice you’ll save more without everyday debit purchases from coffee shops, restaurants and fast-food chains draining your account.
Incorporate Meal Planning to Save Time and Money
If you typically go out for meals or order in as a time-saver, incorporate meal planning to save time and money instead. Figure out your meal schedule first – i.e. calculate how many breakfasts, lunches and dinners your family will need for the upcoming week, then flip through grocery store flyers or check for deals and coupons online to help you create an affordable meal plan.
Stay flexible and open-minded about your meals; you may decide on eggs and toast for breakfast, chicken salads for lunch and lasagna for dinner because these dishes’ ingredients are on sale. Building a meal plan and creating meals around what’s on special will help you avoid impulse buying and it’ll decrease food waste, too.
Another strategy to try is batch cooking, which will save you time in the kitchen and money from your bank account! Some dishes are great options to make in large batches to freeze for later in the month, including soups, stews, casseroles, chili, shepherd’s pie, lasagna and curries. Batch cooking is a great way to create a 6-week menu cycle if weekly meal planning isn’t for you. With a meal cycle you’ll even know what the leftovers will turn into!
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