At The Gardens at Barry Road, residents enjoy anytime restaurant-style dining with daily from-scratch specials, which makes mealtime easy. If you live on your own, it takes a little more work to plan your meals and shop for groceries. When you're on a fixed income, spending carefully at the grocery store is important. Follow these grocery budgeting tips to eat well and avoid overspending.
Before you head to the grocery store, have an amount in mind that you want to spend. It helps to look at your overall budget to see how much you can allocate to food. Divide the amount you have for the month by the number of times you go grocery shopping. If you shop weekly, divide it by four to get a rough idea of how much you should spend each week to stay on track.
Going into grocery shopping without a plan can cause you to spend more. You'll also likely come home missing ingredients or realizing you need more meal options, which means you'll go back to the store and spend more.
Write a meal plan for a week or month at a time, depending on how far in advance you like to plan. Looking at the weekly grocery ads to see what's on sale helps you create an affordable meal plan. If chicken is on sale, for example, plan several chicken-based meals to cut costs.
It can also help to plan foods that can work for multiple meals, especially if you're just cooking for yourself. It's a good way to make sure larger packages of ingredients don't go to waste, and it saves you time on cooking. You might cook chicken, rice and veggies one night and use the leftover cooked chicken to make a chicken salad the next night. If you make chili one night, use it to top baked potatoes the next night, taco salad the night after and chili dogs another night.
If you're cooking for one, the bulk bins might not sound like a good idea. However, you can get as much or as little as you want, which makes them the perfect solution when you're making smaller portions. Buy just enough of those dry ingredients to cook for yourself to save money and prevent food waste.
Check with your favorite stores to see if they have a reward or loyalty program. The programs are usually free, but you'll need to sign up for an account. You might receive special discounts or earn points toward gift cards or other prizes. The rewards might not seem like much, but they can add up quickly and offer you a little extra on purchases you're already making.
You might also find local grocery stores that offer special discount days or times for seniors. These deals aren't always well-publicized. Ask at the customer service desk to find out if your favorite grocery stores offer senior discounts.
Grocery stores often mark down the price of items that are close to their expiration date. The meat aisle is a common spot to find these deals. Meat freezes well, so you can toss your discounted meats in the freezer if you don't have time to eat them before they expire. Some grocery stores also have clearance sections for other types of food. Check the expiration date to see how long you have to eat the items.
While discounted options and sales can be good money-saving strategies, they don't really save you anything if you buy items you won't use. Don't be tempted by a good deal. Consider your dietary needs and make sure you're buying healthy options that work within those restrictions. Think about what foods you like and what you'll most likely eat. Shopping with a list can also help you avoid splurge buys that don't fit the budget.
If your income is limited and you struggle to cover your grocery costs, look for local programs that can help with food. For instance, many states, including Missouri, offer a Senior Farmers Market Nutrition Program for eligible seniors. Created for residents 60 and older who meet low-income requirements, this program provides money that can be used toward produce at farmers' markets and roadside stands. Many communities offer low-cost meals for older adults at senior centers. These programs can supplement what you buy at the grocery store to stretch your food budget.
If you want to ditch grocery budgeting completely, assisted living is a good choice. You pay a set price each month and get access to many on-site amenities, including restaurant-style dining. At The Gardens at Barry Road, the monthly rate also includes your utilities, cable TV and internet. Plus, you don't have to worry about home maintenance or unexpected repairs. Instead of budgeting for several individual bills and potentially having unexpected expenses, you simply have to budget for the single monthly cost. Even better, you never have to cook a meal, and you can socialize with other residents while you eat.
