How to Create a Grocery Budget that Works

Benefits

From page 1 What are the benefits to reducing the amount of meat you consume? 1. It saves money! Meatless meals are usually based around beans, lentils, vegetables and whole grains, which tend to be much more affordable than meat products. 2. It’s good for your health! A plantbased diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, grains, beans, legumes, and nuts can help improve fiber and vitamin intake. Reducing meat intake and not completely eliminating it has a protective effect and may reduce risk of heart disease, stroke, cancer, and diabetes.

3. It’s good for the environment! The livestock sector generates as much greenhouse gas emissions as all automobiles combined. Shifting to more plant-based foods is essential to combatting climate change, soil, air, and water pollution, ocean dead zones, and myriad other problems caused by industrial livestock production. If we decide to eat fewer meals with meat or dairy each week, we can have a huge impact on our collective health and the health of the planet.

How do I reduce my meat intake? • Remove a specific product from your diet. (e.g., switch from dairy milk to almond or oat milk.) • Try meatless meals once or twice a week. If you have meat for lunch, go veggie for dinner or vice versa. • Opt for smaller portions of meat—stick to ¼ of the plate and replace with vegetables to feel satisfied. Clare Decker is the administrator of community programs at SourcePoint.

Have you noticed the growing availability of vegetarian options offered on the menu at SourcePoint’s Cafe 55? We invite you to try something new—ask for a sample! Also, check out our chef’s healthy recipes on page 22.

FINANCE

How to Create a Grocery Budget that Works for You

If you’ve ever tallied up your supermarket receipts, you might be surprised at how much you’re spending on groceries every week. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the cost of groceries rose by nearly 5% in 2020. In that same year, the average annual cost of food for a household was just shy of $5,000. Even if you think you’re frugal, food costs can add up fast. It’s easy to overspend, especially when you shop on an empty stomach or don’t take advantage of deals and sales. If you’re an older adult wondering about the best way to save money grocery shopping, the first step is to create a grocery budget.

How to create a monthly food budget

Each month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) publishes a food budget that provides an estimate for monthly and weekly grocery spending. Adjusted each month for inflation, these budgets are based on the average cost of nutritious, homeprepared meals and snacks and are tailored for gender and age. They’re broken up into four categories: a Thrifty Food Plan, LowCost Food Plan, Moderate-Cost Food Plan, and Liberal Food Plan. What is a reasonable budget for groceries? The answer is not so cut-and-dried. Grocery costs may vary widely based on what region of the country you live in, where you shop for food, and whether you shop online or in-person. However, the USDA food budget can provide a helpful benchmark when determining what you should be spending on groceries. For example, in February 2022, the Low-Cost weekly food budget for older adults age 5170 was $59.70 for a man and $53.40 for a woman.

What are some other tips for older adults on creating a grocery budget?

If you’re wondering how to create a monthly food budget, another tool to use is the 50/30/20 rule. This simple and intuitive grocery budget formula suggests that you spend your net (aftertax) monthly income this way: • 50% for living essentials (e.g., groceries, housing, transportation, health care) • 30% for wants (e.g., restaurant meals, entertainment, travel)

• 20% for savings and debt repayment (e.g., credit cards, mortgage) Budgets are meant to be flexible to a point, and you may need to tweak the formula above to fit your unique circumstances. For example, if you have high medical expenses that don’t leave enough left over to buy groceries, you can use additional money from your “wants” budget. 5. Create a meal routine: Meal planning can help you save money on groceries, since you know in advance exactly what you need. One way to do this is to create a predictable meal routine. For example, Tuesday night is taco night,

Sunday night is pasta night, Friday night is homemade pizza night, and so on. Focusing on healthy, whole foods-based meals is even better. If you’re worried about getting stuck in a rut, change up your meal routines every month.

How to grocery shop efficiently on a budget

Creating a grocery budget plan is easy. The hard part? Sticking to it! Here are some money saving tips for grocery shopping that can help you stay within your budget.

1. Make a list: If you want to know, “How can I spend less at the grocery store?,” start with making a weekly list either in a notebook or on your phone. Having a list can help eliminate the temptation to buy things you don’t need (hello, bakery cupcakes). Bring your grocery list with you when you shop and buy only what’s on it.

2. Don’t overbuy: Check your pantry and fridge before you make your grocery list. That way, you’re not buying things you already have. You want to buy only what you can use within the week.

3. Prepare meals from

scratch: As much as possible, try to avoid convenience foods (e.g., pre-chopped vegetables) and processed foods.

These tend to be budgetbusters and are less healthy than buying whole foods. To make this easier, stick to the aisles on the store’s perimeters.

4. Buy produce in season:

Plan meals around inseason produce, since it generally costs less and tastes better in season. For example, buy strawberries only in the spring and summer, and stick to the summertime for buying corn. The USDA offers a guide to help you enjoy the freshest, most affordable produce year round. 6. Keep an eye out for coupons: Sunday newspaper inserts, store promotional mailers, and store apps are all good sources for money-saving grocery coupons. Walmart, for example, lets you find and print out coupons directly from its website. However, be sure to use coupons only for products you regularly use. Resist the temptation to buy something you don’t need just because you have a coupon—especially if it’s a product you’ve never tried before.

7. Find out if you’re eligible for SNAP: If you don’t receive benefits already, it’s worth seeing if you qualify for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. SNAP is a government safety-net program that helps older adults stretch their grocery budget further. The average SNAP Do your part to the illegal benefit for a one-person senior household is $104 per sale of drugs in Delaware County! month, which can be used to buy everything from fruits, Prescription opioids were involved in vegetables, meat, and poultry to nearly 15,000 U.S deaths in 2018, snacks and soft drinks. averaging 41 deaths per day?

You can help by safely & securely disposing of your prescription drugs at one of these conveniently located medicine dropbox locations throughout the county. Delaware County Jail (Located in FRONT ENTRYWAY) 844 US 42 North Delaware, Ohio 43015 Genoa Township Police Department (Located in LOBBY) 7049 Big Walnut Road Galena, Ohio 43021 Source: National Council on Aging. Read more at ncoa.org.

Delaware City Police Department (Located in LOBBY) 70 North Union Street Delaware, Ohio 43015 Shawnee Hills Police Department (Located in LOBBY) 40 West Reindeer Drive Shawnee Hills, Ohio 43065

Sunbury Police Department (Located in LOBBY) 9 East Granville Street Sunbury, Ohio 43074

*It is not required, but for space and ease of incineration, please remove pills from their Rx bottle and placed them in a bag/baggie prior to dropping into the disposal box.

740-833-2690 delcoprosecutor@co.delaware.oh.us