While the country scrambles to find some way out of this economic nosedive, we may also see dramatic changes in dietary habits.
As your wallet gets slimmer, your body may get bulgier as millions seem to think they can't afford healthy foods, opting for foods high in sugar and saturated fats. Fast food may seem to be the way out when you consider you can buy an entire meal to fill you up for under $5. But a trip to your local grocer, although it seems more expensive, can have a huge impact on not only your wallet but your overall health and well-being.
Consider this: Eating a $5 (estimated) meal at a fast-food restaurant every day throughout the work week will cost you in the area of $25. Times that by four weeks and you're looking at $100 a month. Over the course of the year, that's $1200 on fast food alone. And this doesn't take into account the weekends.
Ponder this: You can spend under $25* on fruits, veggies, fish, and lean meats to last you for a week (sometimes more if there are sales) at some grocery stores. So, right off the bat, you're saving money. Load up on the vegetables. They are high in fiber and other good stuff to flush your body of toxins and other free radicals. Plus, they keep you fuller longer.
*Based on a personal independent study conducted over the course of a month by a single male living alone.
It is so easy to resort to a drive-thru when they advertise "SuperSize Now For Only $0.99" and "Free Chicken Fries W/ Purchase of Any Double Quarter-Pounder!!"
However, fruits and vegetables are all readily available from the grocery store, sometimes well under $1.00/pound. They can be cooked and eaten hundreds of ways, and best of all, they can be stored if you can't finish what you've made in one sitting. Economical.
And with the Internet being the endless supply of resources that it is, a simple Google search can turn out to save you money! Check out GrocerySavingTips.com for a plethora of tips to saving you money in the aisles as well as an abundance of printable coupons for stores in your area!