11 Best Food Articles of 2021 to Help You Save Money

Whether you’re a skilled home chef or love to eat out, food is something we all need to budget for.

This year, we welcomed all the advice for saving money on food as rising inflation made everything more expensive.

Here are some of our best articles for saving on food in 2021.

11 Top Tips to Save Money on Food

Stress less about food costs with these nuggets of helpful advice.

1. Get Someone to Do Your Grocery Shopping for Free

You don’t always have to pay a premium to enjoy the benefits of a personal shopper. Grocery chains across the country offer free grocery pickup.

Not only do you save time by not having to do the shopping yourself, but you can avoid impulse purchases, like buying that candy bar at the register when it wasn’t on your shopping list.

2. Shop Wisely for Grocery Delivery Services

Choosing grocery delivery is another way to stick to your shopping list and stay within budget. Just be aware of the additional delivery or membership fees.

This article on the best grocery delivery services outlines how each service operates and the associated costs.

3. Enjoy a Meal Delivery Service

Signing up for a meal delivery service takes the pressure off having to figure out what to cook each day.

This article reviews six of the cheapest meal delivery service brands so you understand what each company offers and the costs you’ll pay.

4. Dine Where the Kids Eat Free

If you’ve got a family to feed, eating out at a restaurant can get pretty expensive.

Save money by going to one of these 57 restaurants where the kids eat for free.

5. Celebrate With Birthday Freebies

You should never have to pay for food on your birthday. Don’t spend a thing on your next big day by signing up for birthday freebies from one of these places.

Our list includes special offers from dozens of national chains. You can get a free drink from Starbucks, free wings from Buffalo Wild Wings, a free burger from Ruby Tuesday and much more.

6. Cheap Recipes to Make on a Vegan Diet

There’s a misconception that it’s expensive to maintain a vegan diet. In reality, there are plenty of low-budget options for those who only eat plant-based meals.

This article highlights 10 cheap vegan recipes that are filling, healthy and easy to make.

7. Spend Less on Spices

The right spices bring out the best flavors in a dish, but they can be a pricey addition to a recipe. This post shares 10 ways to save money on spices.

8. Have Eggs for Dinner

Eggs are a pretty cheap source of protein, but they’re often reserved for breakfast or baked goods.

But don’t limit yourself! Eggs can be the star in plenty of dinner dishes too. This post details 24 ways to use eggs to make an affordable dinner.

9. Cut Food Costs When Traveling

As COVID travel restrictions lifted, plenty of us were itching to get out of town in 2021. While most people focus on airfare and lodging when budgeting for an upcoming trip, the cost of eating away from home also adds up.

Before jetting off on your next vacation, consider these 10 tips to save money on food while traveling.

10. Outsmart Starbucks

Chances are your Starbucks habit isn’t what’s stopping you from becoming the next self-made millionaire. If you want to enjoy a nice cup of coffee every now and then, we’re not going to stop you.

However, we’ve got several hacks for you to spend less at Starbucks if that’s your coffeehouse of choice. Your wallet and your tastebuds will thank you.

11. Score a Nice Bottle of Wine for Less Than $10

Good wine doesn’t have to be expensive.

We’ve rounded up a list of 13 bottles of white wine that cost less than $10 but still taste great. (Prefer red? Here are 13 inexpensive but delicious ones.) Your pals at your next dinner party never have to know.

Nicole Dow is a senior writer at The Penny Hoarder.

This was originally published on The Penny Hoarder, which helps millions of readers worldwide earn and save money by sharing unique job opportunities, personal stories, freebies and more. The Inc. 5000 ranked The Penny Hoarder as the fastest-growing private media company in the U.S. in 2017.