Shopping cheap doesn’t mean eating low quality, unhealthy foods; It just means spending less, and spending smart. Fast foods are famously known to have more calories from trans fats, saturated fats, sodium and sugar. Consuming large quantities of unhealthy foods is widely known to increase the risk of obesity, heart disease, high cholesterol and high blood pressure among countless other negative side effects. When it comes to diet, the price of convenience is not only damaging financially but physically as well. Instead, spend less, eat right, and feel good.
Try cooking at home more.
The average cost of groceries per week per adult from a decently priced store is almost on par with the cost of one fancy dinner out. What’s worse is that food cooked outside of the home usually has additives, sugars, oils and ingredients that deceive your body into feeling full in the moment, only to feel hungry again an hour later. If you eat right, you don’t need to eat a lot to feel satisfied. Why waste the money on something that doesn’t satisfy your stomach or your wallet?
Make your own coffee
Its no secret Canadians love coffee. In fact, Canadians drink more coffee than any other country, but is coffee convenience giving us the most bang for our buck? A 12-ounce bag of ground coffee (Tim Hortons variety, $6.69) will produce 25 eight-ounce servings at a cost of 26 cents, while a Starbucks 12-ounce bag ($12.99) will produce 25 eight-ounce servings for 50 cents. If you drink coffee every day that adds up to around $94.90- $182 a year. If part of your morning routine leads you to the nearest drive through everyday your looking at $1.37 for an eight ounce coffee at Tim Hortons, and $1.75 for an eight ounce coffee at Starbucks (both before tax). The total of which will add up to $500- $638.75 annually, or just over FIVE TIMES THE COST of home brewing. Even with the added costs of a coffee pot, Kuerig, K-cups, filters etc, you’ll save a few hundred bucks a year.
Don’t order a drink at the restaurant
Alcohol is where restaurants make the most profit. When a drink costs roughly the equivalent -or more- of a bottle of wine at the LCBO, It’s easy to see why. Using an alcohol spend calculator, If you are ordering two drinks a week at a restaurant/bar for an entire year ($10 each), you’ll spend $1040 a year. For the same cost you could buy the equivalent of 1040 ounces of the spirit of your choice; enough to indulge in two drinks a week at home for the next 10 years. Whether you’re a big drinker or not, the cost doesn’t make sense economically.
Buy the right kind of snacks.
We all love to snack when we’re bored, or anxious, hungry or in a hurry. The types of snacks you choose will drastically alter the times your body is hungry, the types of foods you crave, and the amount of food you’ll be likely to eat. Sugary, high- carb, fatty foods increase blood sugar levels which stimulate appetite. Have you ever noticed that the more junk you eat the hungrier you become? That’s because the ingredients in man made sugary treats are designed to increase your appetite, and your craving for the same brain chemical release which causes addiction Instead choose snacks rich in vitamins, healthy fats, protein and fiber which help stimulate the bodies natural digestion and metabolism. You will feel fuller, which means less groceries., and less money spent.
At Fast Access Financial, we know the importance of making decisions that will satisfy your needs now, and keep you in line with your future goals. We are NOT a payday loan, company which simply Band-Aids your financial stress, only to have it come back ten-fold. We review your financial state and make sure that the money you borrow will help alleviate bill related stress now, repair your credit and have you requalify at your bank of choice with a lower rate. Make the right choice for your future.