Happy wallet

It’s resolution time, and mine has to do with bridging the gap between loving food and spending way too much money on it. I’ve been considering how to remain unencumbered by rules while also reigning in a balance sheet that’s long been out of whack.

The problem is that most conventional recommendations for saving money on food are lost on me. Coupons turn into tattered bits of paper at the bottom of my purse, and when I do manage to remember them, I end up buying three boxes of cereal when I really only wanted one in the first place. I saved a dollar, but spent $12 to do it. I’m also an inconsistent planner. Plotting meals for seven days is daunting, and it lacks appeal to the four other people in my house, who like to change their minds about dinner and breakfast options.

But it’s time to integrate a better approach, so here’s what I’ve done. I’ve ID’d a dollar figure I’ll not offend each week and I’ve compiled five manageable strategies that could actually work.

1. Waste less. Sounds simple, but this is the number one budget killer in my house. If I converted leftovers into something new (a reasonable task for any foodie), or simply stashed them immediately in the freezer, I could make a big difference in the bottom line. So far, momentum is high. I converted my Christmas beef tenderloin ‘overs into vegetable soup and beef stew and popped them into the freezer before leaving town for New Years. This week, it’s been a welcome relief to find them and kept me from turning to expensive takeout.

2. New recipes can be more expensive than spontaneous cooking, so plan out no more than three new recipes a week. Fill in with affordable restaurants, known quantities or leftovers. And make sure any new recipe is comprised of less expensive ingredients or things have on hand. Example, Vichyssoise, black bean tostadas and shirred eggs are incredibly cheap to prepare. Fresh tuna salad with wasabi and avocado is not.

3. Boring as it sounds for the food obsessed—for whom browsing olive oils is more exciting than trying on designer jeans—there is a lot of truth to simply limiting trips to the grocery store.

4. Work in trips to Asian markets. You’d be surprised at how much you can save on things like sesame oil, lemongrass and wild mushrooms, which can be budget busters at the supermarket.

5. Post a menu. I blogged about this earlier this year and I maintain it’s a winning strategy, especially for families. My children love the perception of a fancy restaurant menu posted on our ordinary bulletin board. The cheesier I get with dish descriptions and fonts, the more they enjoy it, and the more they tend to embrace what’s on the plate.

Maggie Heyn Richardson’s work has appeared in Eating Well, Taste of the South, WRKF and on the national public radio program, On Point. She writes about food and wine for 225, and is currently working on a book about Louisiana foodways. Follow her on Twitter, @mhrwriter, and email your comments to [email protected]