Feature Articles: Food, Fitness and Your Budget
Living on less: Tips for stretching pennies
Karma Metzgar, Regional Director, Northwest Region, University of Missouri Extension
Weekly headlines in rural Missouri tell of layoffs, business
closings and the financial state of the region. It’s
not a pretty picture. To make ends meet, the "flexible" spending
account of food is tapped because that may be the only budget item
that has some give and take.
What can you do? This is the perfect time to plant a garden or
have patio or sidewalk containers of vegetables. Read on to find
out that gardening does more than put food on the table! We also
can learn to live with less. Living on less can relate to money,
food, transportation, clothing, entertainment and extras. Living
on less doesn't always mean doing without, but it takes some management.
There are many ways to stretch what you have. An MU Extension
guide,
Money Management: Living on Less (GH 3600), includes
more than 80 ideas to help you cut back in the areas of food, clothing, transportation, personal habits,
housing, and managing
money. Most of the ideas are practical, everyday things you can
do to cut expenses. If you'd like the guide, it is free through
your local University of Missouri Extension center. You can also view it on the
Web at the link above or at
http://missourifamilies.org/features/financearticles/cfe7.htm.
Here are a few of the suggestions to help you live on less
food. This doesn't necessarily mean going on a weight-reduction
diet. It means examining your food-buying habits and making
your dollars stretch farther by purchasing the most
nutrient-dense foods.
- Shop with a grocery list organized by the store layout...and buy only what is on the list. This is called planned, controlled shopping and it will help you cut down on impulse buying.
- Keep your food shopping trips to no more than once a week. This will save gas, time and money.
- Plan how to use the leftovers. Millions of dollars worth of food are wasted each year. Use leftovers at another mealtime, for snacking, or create a new meal from the leftovers that you have on hand.
- Break the vending machine habit. Vending machines can be expensive. Take nutritious snacks like fruit or oatmeal cookies with you to work.
- Eat a variety of nutritious foods. If your family stays healthy, you will save on medical bills. Use the USDA’s MyPyramid as your food guide. Go online to mypyramid.gov and make your own food pyramid based on your size, age, gender and activity level. This is a free service.
- Control the number of meals you eat away from home. Meals eaten away from home usually cost two to three times the cost of preparing them at home.
- Plant a garden. Even a small one adds variety to
the table. In addition to saving you money, gardening also
provides excellent exercise as it involves:
- Squatting - Exercises leg muscles and firms the thighs
- Bending - Stretches the back and slims the waist
- Spading - Strengthens the biceps, triceps and legs
- Raking - Works the upper back, biceps and triceps
- Loaded Wheelbarrow - Takes almost every muscle one has
- Fresh Air - Good for the lungs
- Sunshine - Good for the complexion, hair and smile, but wear a hat and sunscreen
- Garden Beauty - Good for the eye and the soul
You may already be using some of these ideas, and not every idea will work for you. Choose the ones that will be the most helpful and be in control of living on less.
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Last update: Friday, February 26, 2010
