5 Caregivers' Tips to Save on Food Costs

Five tips that will help those who are on limited budgets to survive these times of high food prices are listed below. Lifestyle changes to adapt to the situation are necessary, but there are ways to make this easier.

1. BUY FRESH PRODUCE because it costs less, instead of canned, frozen or packaged vegetables or fruit. Then wash and prepare it, and store it in a freezer in ziplock bags. Carrots, broccoli, cauliflower and so on can be eaten raw, microwaved, baked in foil, boiled or cooked as desired later.
2. PREPARE COMPLETE MEALS AND FREEZE them yourself instead of buying frozen packaged meals, boxed. or canned meals.
3. ONE DAY PER WEEK PREPARE MEALS AHEAD. Prepare a variety of meals for freezing in single serving containers or ziplock bags.
4. AVOID SPOILAGE. Storing fresh vegetables or more fruit than can be eaten in the lower fridge often leads to spoiled food. Freezing the food or using a dehydrator to dry it will help save it longer.
5. TRY ALTERNATE PROTEIN RESOURCES. Experiment with protein from alternate sources instead of always buying expensive meats. For instance, try tofu, beans, soy, nuts and protein drinks and other meatless protein sources.