Five ways to save cash on your food and drink and still eat well

The reality is that we need to cut back on personal spending in these harder financial times. Many people have overspent in the past and are now feeling the squeeze. However, worry not. There is a variety of fast and easy loans on the market that can help those facing financial hardship get by for a period of time.

The 'smart money' says that we may be experiencing these tough financial climes for a while yet, with the head of the European Central Bank recently confirming that the Eurozone faces a double-dip recession. So if ever there was a time to start being thrifty, this is it. Day-to-day life is full of countless little expenses. Yet many of these smaller expenses are quite easy to cut back on, such as your entertainment or holiday budget. However, one of the things that it's not wise to cut back on is the quality of your food. After all, it's your health at stake, and enjoying a good meal is one of life's finest pleasures.

It's quite easy to eat very well and still do it cheaply, if you're willing to learn a few penny-saving tricks and challenge some of your previous assumptions. So, without further ado, here's five ways to save cash on your food and drink expenses.

Buy in bulk

The more you buy, the cheaper it is. Whether you're purchasing the 2 kilo bag of potatoes instead of the 1 kilo bag, or buying an entire cow wholesale instead of a fillet steak, significant savings can be made if you've got: a) the space to store it, and b) the up-front cash to buy a large quantity. Also, it's easier to get a trade account than you think.

Buy frozen

Frozen food sometimes gets a bit of a bad rep, but in reality, frozen food can have the same nutrients as the unfrozen food that we refer to as 'fresh'. This is simply because the freezing process locks in a lot of the vitamins and minerals and almost completely stops the process of food going off over time.

Freeze things

You can freeze more things than you might think. For example, you wouldn't think that olives or apples freeze very well, but they do. In fact, most fruit and vegetables freeze pretty well (apart from tomatoes). Meat freezes well also, although it's a good idea to be sure that meat is thawed and properly cooked before you consume it.

Buy protein powders

Protein powders are becoming increasingly popular, and not just amongst the athletic or dieting crowds. And there are a number of reasons why. Protein shakes, pound for pound, give you more protein for your money than even the most protein-filled foods such as meat or fish. And nowadays they don't taste too bad either, coming in a variety of flavours. Can you really lose weight drinking something that tastes a bit like chocolate milk? Yeah. Many online stores catering to athletes and bodybuilders sell them at wholesale prices.

Premium brands don't always equate to quality

It's a bit of a cliché, but the 'name brands' that spend all their money on marketing aren't necessarily any better than the lesser recognised brands or supermarket 'own brand' ranges. And if it makes you feel cheap, it may help to ask yourself if brand association is really worth you spending all that extra money.