Well a certain amount of food is a
necessity, but one of the biggest mistakes one can make is to put the entire food budget in the
necessity column. An adult can survive just fine on rice, some frozen vegetables, corn and beans. This is what is
necessary. Anything other than that is not
necessary. I am not saying don't buy it. But I am saying put it into a
category of items that is measured according to the funds
available.
For children you will want to be more careful about protein. Unless you really know what you are doing you may want add eggs and/or chicken. But remember I am not saying having a whole chicken every night. Price of chicken meat varies considerably from piece to piece. If you have someone in the household who has time, buying the cheapest pieces and then cutting the chicken meat off to be added in relatively small amounts to rice can save a large amount of money.
If you use food for social purposes or as a pick me up, then recognize it for what it is. Enjoying a Mocha Latte from an Italian coffee bar, or eating out at a restaurant should always come from the entertainment budget not the food budget.
And, remember more people die from using food as drug than from any other drug use. When you try stabilize your mood by stuffing yourself full of a fat you would actually do better to smoke a joint or even snorting cocaine. Comfort food isn't just a waste of money, it will kill you.
Rice is one of the cheapest foods out there. But it is at its cheapest when bought in bulk. For example at my store right now a ten pound bag of rice costs $9.99 while a twenty pound bag costs $12.99. Thus a rice dispenser is an investment that can drastically reduce your food bills. This stylish model dispenses one cup for every pull of the lever. Two cups of rice is more than sufficient for two adults. Three cups of rice will feed a family of four. If buy some frozen vegetables and fry them in a little oil or margarine then you have a complete meal. For protein you can add corn and beans which add a nice flavour or small bits of chicken and or eggs.
