Stretching your food

dollar!BUDGETING

How can you make your money go

further? Stretching your food dollar can mean using

GOOD STRATEGIES at home and at the

grocery store.

In a group of 2 or 3, come up with a list of THREE strategies that

you can use at…

Group 1: homeGroup 2: the grocery

store

GROUP WORK

IDEAS – AT HOME

①Know your inventory②Plan a food budget ③Check the ads for sales④Plan meals ahead for the week⑤Make a list

Inventory – Food in your cupboards, your freezer, and your fridge.

Keep plenty of staples on hand -- they store well, and stretch meals.pasta, rice, canned tomatoes, tomato

sauce, canned green beans and corn, jarred spaghetti sauce, raisins, canned fruit, canned tuna and clams, canned and dry beans, peanut butter, canned soups

KNOW YOUR FOOD INVENTORY

① How much does it cost to feed your family each week?② List the staples you need each week.

Non-perishables - food you have on hand that are not going to go bad. Examples: peanut butter, flour, canned foods, rice,

macaroni.③ Subtract out costs for your staples.④ Your remainder is the amount of money you have left

each week for perishables.Perishables - things you buy weekly since they will expire.

Examples: vegetables, fruit, meat, eggs, and milk.

PLAN A FOOD BUDGET

Think about how much you can spend, what you have on hand, what is on sale, and what sounds good. Find a balance that you can afford.

Leftovers: Make enough food so you have extra for lunches or a quick dinner!

PLAN MEALS AHEAD

IDEAS – AT THE GROCERY STORE

①Stick to your list!②Buy generic brands③Check the unit price④Watch for

hidden persuaders

Definition/Equation

Tells you the cost per liter, per kilogram, per pound of what you want to buy. Divide the cost by

the quantity.

Example

Four litres of milk costs $5.80. What is the unit price?

5.80/4 = 1.45

The unit price is $1.45 per litre

WHAT IS UNIT PRICING?

Example: What is the bett er deal for milk?

Let’s calculate the unit prices of each:$3.80 / 2 litres = $1.90 per litre$2.70 / 1.5 litres = $1.80 per litre

Therefore, the lowest unit price (the best deal) is 1.5 litres at $2.70 .

COMPARING PRICES

2 litres for $3.80 OR 1.5 litres for $2.70

Complete the handout using your calculator. You may use your

phone calculator if you do not have another one.

We will take up the worksheet in 10 minutes.

CHOOSING THE BEST PRICE

EXTREME COUPONING – VIDEO CLIP

htt ps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Y3fbDajHRc