We spend a lot of money on food, and while it is necessary to eat, sometimes we imagine what we could be doing with all the money we spend on food if we didn’t need to. Now we can’t stop eating altogether, and nor would we want to since healthy eating is very important, but we can cut down on some food bills which becomes money that we can then put towards travel and other fun adventures. Here are some ways to save money on food.

One thing that will help you only buy what you need at the grocery store is to do an inventory of what you have and to make a list of what you actually need. We tend to forget some details even though we look into our refrigerator everyday, and once we get to the store we can’t remember if we have any mushrooms left or not. We might buy them just in case, realize that we did already have some, let some go to waste, and end up losing a few bucks. Do this multiple times over multiple shopping trips and it’s easy to see that wasted money can add up fast.

Always stick to your shopping list once you are in the store as well to avoid making impulse buys that are not actually something necessary. Grocery stores are set up very purposefully and they know that we can be tricked into buying things that we don’t need, especially if we are hungry. For that reason, never do your grocery shopping on an empty stomach either.

If you look at your grocery receipts you might be able to notice some items that you tend to spend a lot more money on than other items. If you can think of any substitutes to be made then do that. If for example a certain store you go to does not have a cheaper alternative to an items you need, you might want to consider just ordering it every once in awhile if it could save you money in the long run.

For items that change in price such as chicken breast, get to know what the cheaper version of the cost is and then when it drops to that price you can do a bit of stocking up on them. Sometimes these items can double in price, and it’s a real shame to run out one week and head back the next week and notice an extreme price change when you really need the item.

Using coupons is still possible and it doesn’t require clipping them out of the newspaper. Coupons can be found online, and also through the rewards programs at different grocery stores. This is one reason why staying loyal to a certain grocery store can help you save money in the long run if you are doing enough shopping there. (And it’s reasonably priced to begin with.) If youa re hopping all over town going to different grocery stores you might miss out on a lot of the deals.