If you are currently struggling when it comes to looking for a job, you might not have the most money to spend right now. Your money will likely be going to necessities. One thing that everyone needs is food. Food can be one of your biggest monthly expenses. If you’re not careful, that cost could easily balloon to several hundreds of dollars each month. If you’re working, that wouldn’t be as big of a problem as it would if you’re not working. With a little bit of planning and sacrifice, you can cut this expense down to under $200 a month.
Buy cheap food
If you are unemployed, you shouldn’t be splurging on groceries at Publix or Kroger’s. You should have a strategy and start off with cheap food that will fill you up. Ramen noodles are one of those types of foods. A lot of people used to eat ramen noodles during their college years. I’ve eaten them a few times. They were not my favorite, but they did save money. You can get a box of ramen noodles pretty cheap. They will fill you up pretty fast. Also, you can spice up your noodles by adding different ingredients to them. Spices, meat, and mushrooms are just a few things that you can add to your noodles.
Other staple foods are bagels and sandwiches like peanut butter & jelly and tuna.
Stop eating out
The next tip to save money is to stop eating out. For many people that is easier said than done. Eating out is a guilty pleasure for some, but if you are unemployed, you have to stop doing that. There are a few reasons why you should do this.
The first reason is that the food is expensive. You can prepare a meal at home for $5 to $7. AT a restaurant, many meals will cost you $10 – $20.
Another thing that you must consider is tipping. Most people tip between 15 – 20% when they go to restaurants. That money can add up, especially if you go out multiple times each week. If you’re unemployed, you simply don’t have the money to do that. Practice some discipline and eat at home. This doesn’t have to be permanent. You are only doing this until you get another job.
Save money on groceries
The best way to save money on groceries is to start saving and using coupons. Coupons can drastically reduce your grocery bill. You can get coupons by searching for them online, by signing up for your favorite grocery store rewards program and also by getting the Sunday newspaper. Your Sunday paper will have a section full of coupons. The sooner that you start saving, the better. You can expect to save as much as 10% to 30% on your groceries by collecting those coupons.
Snacks
The next tip is to purchase some cheap snacks. Popcorns, crackers, and chips are great candidates. Those items will help you avoid the late night trips to the fast food spots. In the past, I made several trips to fast food restaurants. I spent a lot of cash. I could have avoided that by having snacks.
As you can see, there are several ways to save money on food while you’re unemployed. They may take a little bit of planning and discipline, but anyone can do them.
Join our newsletter
Subscribe to get the latest "Engineer Your Finances" content via email.