How to Stretch a Dollar Series: Food on a Budget
Source: Pixabay
Hi friends,
Welcome to our new How to Stretch a Dollar* series!
Here you will learn all about being financially astute while in your mobility
program abroad. Who knows, maybe these tips will be life-changing for some of
you! So, let’s dive right in.
For many of you, you’re now a few weeks into your mobility program.
You’ve managed to find a place to live. ✅
You’ve made new friends. ✅
But one area you may find yourself struggling a bit is:
having enough food to eat!
We know that something as essential as food isn’t always
easy to attain particularly on a limited budget, so read below for tips and
ideas that will help you enjoy eating well while living abroad.
PLAN YOUR MEALS
Spend time planning what you’re going to cook for the week.
By
doing so, you’ll have a clear idea of what you will eat during the week. You’ll
avoid spending too much money and buying items you don’t actually need. Knowing
your meal plan, you are less likely to waste food. The added bonus is you’ll
save time by not having to think every day about what you will make. :D
Source: Pixabay
CHECK THE PRICE BEFORE YOU BUY!
Compare prices before you drop that can of tomato sauce in
your shopping trolley! Often, there are several selections of the same item but
sold by different brands. Choosing the less expensive option often means you
are still getting the same flavor and quality, but just at a lower price.
Source: Pixabay
BE DISCOUNT SAVVY!
Keep an eye out for discounts and store deals. More and more
stores are becoming ecologically conscious and are striving to find ways not to
waste food. Look for the discounted items that are often close to their sell-by
date. If you get items like these, be sure to eat them soon or freeze them until
you’re ready.
Source: Pixabay
DON’T SHOP HUNGRY
Gaaaah! Many of us have been there before. You’re starving
and you’re in the shop and EVERYthing looks so good, so you buy items you don’t
need or you buy more than you actually need. By shopping while hungry,
you may start snacking on items that aren’t good for your health. I’ve been
there many, many times! Those crisps may take the edge off your hunger,
but in the long run, you will have filled up on “food” that actually has no
nutritional value.
If you’re hungry and need to go shopping; simply take the
time to sit, have a healthy snack, and use that time to think about what you
ought to purchase.
Source: Pixabay
BUY SEASONAL – AND LOCAL
Out-of-season fruits and vegetables often travel thousands
of air miles to get to the store shelves which ends up driving up both the
price of your food and has a negative environmental impact. So instead of
eating mangoes in winter, opt for something grown in your region.
Source: Pixabay
COOK IN BATCHES
Batch cooking is simply choosing one day every week to make
large quantities of food so that you can eat the already prepared foods throughout
the week. As pictured above, you then separate the food into smaller serving
sizes so that you have ready-made meals all set to grab and go. You can store the
meals in your fridge or freezer and take out the amount you need when you’re
ready to eat.
Source: Pixabay: Creative Commons
COOK WITH FRIENDS
Why should eating be a solo affair? It doesn’t have to
be!
If you’re sharing a flat, why not also share meals together
sometimes? By doing so, you not only share the cost of ingredients, but you
also share in food prep and cooking. One of the bonuses of living abroad in
shared housing is you can discover cuisines from different cultures. What are
some of the other benefits of sharing meals?
Source: Pixabay
ALRIGHT, OVER TO YOU, FRIENDS!
Go to the Living Abroad forum to share your tips with us. Here
are some questions to help you get started:
How do you eat well on a budget? Which of the tips from
the blog do you already do or would like to try?
Show us how you plan your meals.
What are your favorite seasonal local foods?
Do you do ‘batch cooking’? What are some examples of batched
meals you’ve made?
What do you like about sharing meals with your
friends? What are some meals you discovered thanks to sharing with friends
and flatmates?
Iya, OLS Community Manager - English
*Stretch a Dollar is an American idiom that means
that one is frugal or thrifty with money. One ‘stretches’ a dollar by making it
go further to cover more goods.
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