Eat Well and Spend Less

by Ashley Bender


During these tough economic times, many people are looking for ways to make their food budgets go further. While cutting back on certain splurges is a solution many consider, I’ve found implementing a combination of cost-cutting tactics really works (and still allows for the occasional splurge)!

Money Saving Tips:

• Buy in bulk – this is great for items that have long shelf lives and that will eventually be used. Pasta, rice and canned vegetables are perfect to store in your pantry and can be used in a wide variety of cuisines.
• Load up on “sale” items – purchasing weekly specials or discounted items in larger quantities allows you to save money instead of purchasing full price items every week.
• Use coupons – clip from newspapers and magazines on a regular basis. You will save more than you think!
• Freeze foods – preparing a large pot of vegetable beef soup or homemade marinara sauce usually involves a good amount of leftovers. Freezing the leftovers is not only economical, but also convenient for future meal preparation.

If taking the frugal route is not your cup of tea, there are always great restaurant deals in Chicago. Start a new weekly tradition with friends and check out these local deals…

Cheap Eats in Chicago:

• Joy Yee Noodle Shop – this pan-Asian chain offers just about any Asian dish you could imagine and is my personal favorite! Most dishes are around $10 with portions large enough to share with a date or take home for later. www.joyyee.com
• Houndstooth Saloon – if you are hungry and thirsty, check out this bar on the north side. Mondays feature 20¢ wings, Tuesdays feature $1 burgers and Wednesdays feature $3 appetizers. Amazing! www.houndstoothsaloon.com

I hope these tips have provided some valuable ideas for saving money during these tough economic times. The economy will recover, as it always does, but making smart choices about food and dining out is sure to make your life a bit easier. As Dwight Eisenhower once said, “Our economy is the result of millions of decisions we all make every day about producing, earning, saving, investing and spending.” Cheers!