By Evan Vitale

One of the biggest expenses we face every day is the cost of eating.

Whether we are avid grocery store shoppers or enjoy eating out for meals every week, our consumption of food is one area that you should definitely watch what you spend and look for ways on how to save on your weekly eating expenses.

Of course, we’re not talking about cutting way back to the point of eating saltines and drinking water every day. Instead, let’s look at some reasonable ways in which you can save money, but still enjoy the kinds of foods you like to eat.

Here are some helpful tips:

– Take your lunch to work. We’ve probably heard of this one our entire lives, but it’s true. Taking your lunch to work saves money from eating lunch at local restaurants and fast food joints. It also saves time during your lunch hour of standing in line or waiting for a table during the busy lunch time.

– Use coupons whenever you can. If you like to shop and purchase name brand products, using coupons is the only way to go. Here, you can still enjoy the brands you like to purchase, but save a few dollars at the same time.

– Join the grocery store’s shopper club. Yes, they are going to track your purchases, but they also give you discounts each week on certain products when you use your shopper card. Some grocery store chains even offer fuel points which give you up to $1 per gallon of gasoline based on the fuel points you have earned with your shopper’s card.

– Consider buying the store brand instead of the name brand. You might not notice the difference in taste or quality, but you will notice the savings.

– Keep a grocery list at home; take it with you and follow it. By doing this, you’ll avoid impulse purchases and keep your grocery budget in line.

– Cut the number of times you eat out each week. If you’re eating two or three meals at a restaurant each week, consider cutting it to one or two at the most. Cutting out one meal at a restaurant can save you up to $75 a month (per person) depending on what and where you eat.

These simple tips will indeed help you save on your grocery shopping and food consumption bill. Eat well, but save, too!