FEATURED ARTICLES

If you’ve started this year with a renewed motivation to reach your savings goals, that’s great! The key to success is having a plan and taking action.

One way to stay on budget is to rethink your relationship with going out to eat or ordering delivery. We’ve talked about ways to save money when dining out. Now, we’ll talk about things you can do at home that may help reduce spending on fast food.

You can steadily cut back on spending money on coffee breaks or going out for lunch by tweaking your routine. Here’s how.

Try Brewing at Home Instead of Going to the Café

If going to a coffee shop is part of your morning commute, you may notice that those seemingly tiny purchases add up by the end of the month. Cafes and gas stations sell more than just coffee, which means these visits leave your wallet vulnerable to impulse buys.

Tamp down on the temptation by brewing coffee at home. This advice might sound like old (and tacky) news, but it remains a great way to keep dollars in your wallet daily.

A cup of hot coffee in the morning can get your day going. But what if you want to have something ready in the middle of your day? We recommend having a bottle of cold brew ready for this situation.

Cold brew is a lot like making tea. The process involves steeping the grounds in water in the refrigerator overnight, resulting in a strong brew that is less bitter than its hot counterpart.

A quick Internet search can provide many ways to prepare this at home. Here's what you need to get started:

• Pitcher
• Fine Filter Basket
• Water and Ground Coffee
  

Typical cold brew recipes recommend steeping for at least 8 hours in the refrigerator. Then, pour the brew into an insulated mug with ice and cold water. It will be ready to drink throughout the day.

Depending on the size of your pitcher, one batch of cold brew produces several cups of coffee. This means you can have coffee ready and waiting in your fridge throughout the week. Ultimately, adding cold brew to your rotation will save you time and money.

Practice Meal Prep and Save Time

One of the leading reasons fast food is so tempting is its convenience. Preparing meals takes time, which always seems to be at a premium.

If cooking every night feels like a chore, why not try practicing meal prep? Cook batches of a meal on one day, and space out the portions to use throughout the week.

Refrigerating or freezing unused portions allows you to save time over the week. When you know there’s already something you can heat up at home, the prospect of ordering delivery becomes less appealing.

There are boundless recipes that are great candidates for meal prep, including:

• Stir-fries
• Breakfast burritos
• Pasta and sauce or soup
  

A quick tip: If you enjoy pasta in your soup, cook it separately and combine it only when reheating. This prevents the pasta from losing its texture while in storage.

For additional money-saving advice on keeping your refrigerator and freezer stocked, try these grocery shopping tips.

Ultimately, you can cut back on fast food and delivery spending with a bit of planning. By taking a little time out of your day to prepare food and beverages, you may find reducing visits to the café or restaurants more natural. Doing so will make going out to eat all the more valuable when you finally treat yourself.

First Florida makes it easier to manage your budget. Explore our Featured Articles section for more advice on reducing spending in your daily life. We also host webinars covering a wide range of topics. Check out our calendar for upcoming presentations.