Wednesday, September 03, 2008
Save Money by Writing It Down
Many people don't realize this, but one very simple way to start saving money very quickly is to actually start tracking where you're spending money on a day-to-day basis. Pennies add up. And every time you stop for a quick coffee or soda, pick up an extra magazine, or even buy a pack of gum or some candy, it takes money out of your budget. Most people have no idea how much money they actually spend by buying a little bit of this and a little bit of that every day.
In fact, if you make a habit of always paying things with paper bills but never any change, and just start sticking the change in one spot regularly, you may be surprised at how fast that money adds up.
If you need to reduce your spending bill, then you need to get a handle on where your money is going. And the only way to do this is to write it down consistently. Save every receipt you get, and sit down every day with those to add up how much money was actually spent that day. You may be surprised to find, that even though you only spend a little bit here and there, the total amount is much more than you expected it to be.
Keep track of every expenditure you have. When you pay a bill, write down the exact amount you paid. If there were any additional expenses added to the bill such as credit card fees, you need to note those down too.
If you track where you're spending money every single day, and track exactly how much you're spending down to a penny, you will start knowing without a doubt where all of your money is going. Once you have an idea of where the money is going, it will then be much easier to sit down and create a spending budget for your household. You may choose to create a budget for each individual person as well as the house in general, or you might just want to create a general family budget which is separate from the necessities budget for the house.
Trying to make a budget without first knowing where all of the money is going though will not work. In fact it will just be an act of frustration. Because money will be flowing out, or it will be short in one area or another, and you won't be able to understand why. So by first writing down everything you're spending you can get a much more accurate picture of where the money's going. And you can also see where you may have some bad financial habits, so you can start working to correct those problems while also getting your budget working much more efficiently for your family.
In fact, if you make a habit of always paying things with paper bills but never any change, and just start sticking the change in one spot regularly, you may be surprised at how fast that money adds up.
If you need to reduce your spending bill, then you need to get a handle on where your money is going. And the only way to do this is to write it down consistently. Save every receipt you get, and sit down every day with those to add up how much money was actually spent that day. You may be surprised to find, that even though you only spend a little bit here and there, the total amount is much more than you expected it to be.
Keep track of every expenditure you have. When you pay a bill, write down the exact amount you paid. If there were any additional expenses added to the bill such as credit card fees, you need to note those down too.
If you track where you're spending money every single day, and track exactly how much you're spending down to a penny, you will start knowing without a doubt where all of your money is going. Once you have an idea of where the money is going, it will then be much easier to sit down and create a spending budget for your household. You may choose to create a budget for each individual person as well as the house in general, or you might just want to create a general family budget which is separate from the necessities budget for the house.
Trying to make a budget without first knowing where all of the money is going though will not work. In fact it will just be an act of frustration. Because money will be flowing out, or it will be short in one area or another, and you won't be able to understand why. So by first writing down everything you're spending you can get a much more accurate picture of where the money's going. And you can also see where you may have some bad financial habits, so you can start working to correct those problems while also getting your budget working much more efficiently for your family.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Save Money by Buying More
Did you know you can save money by buying more? Yes, this sounds contradictory, but it actually works quite well. Why? Because buying things in bulk actually makes them cost less individually.
For example, if you know that you usually have to buy a package of toilet paper about once a week for your family, then you can actually reduce the amount of money you're spending on that toilet paper by buying a bulk package instead. If you normally buy a four pack each week, that's about 16 rolls each month. If that four pack cost you three dollars each, then you're spending $12 a month on toilet paper. If you instead by one pack of 16 rolls once each month, you might only spend eight or nine dollars for that larger package. See the difference in how much you can spend?
There are many things that all of us use frequently which can usually be purchased in bulk sizes. Before selecting the items you will buy in bulk however, make a realistic assessment of how much space you have available in your home. If your home is quite small, you may not be able to buy too many items in bulk sizes because you will have no place to store them. If you do have some space though, or if you can make space, this is an excellent way to save money.
If possible, it's even more helpful when you have an extra freezer. This is most useful for families to save money on frozen goods. Here are some things you might want to consider buying in bulk to save money.
Laundry supplies. Instead of buying laundry soap every week, try buying a much larger box that will last an entire month. Do the same with your fabric softener, bleach, or any other laundry materials you use. When you compare the prices you'll usually find that the large boxes and containers are less expensive than multiples of the small ones.
Kitchen staples. If you have a family, chances are you cook quite frequently. And there are many food items that tend to stay in stock in your home regularly. Buying decent bulk can be much less expensive too. Staples usually include things like flour, sugar, rice, and potatoes. In some cases, other things are standard to. Spaghetti for example, or other types of pasta. Peanut butter. And more. These will vary somewhat from one family to another, but generally if you have children you tend to constantly buy these items at the store.
So if you buy a 5 pounds of potatoes every week, you can actually save money by buying a 20 pound bag once each month, or even a 50 pound bag if you use that much. You can buy bags of rice in five to 10 pound quantities, and sugar and flour or can be bought in 20 pound sacks as well. Again the compare the price difference is between the bulk purchase and multiples of the smaller purchases. You may be pleasantly surprised at how much money you can actually save by doing your shopping this way.
For example, if you know that you usually have to buy a package of toilet paper about once a week for your family, then you can actually reduce the amount of money you're spending on that toilet paper by buying a bulk package instead. If you normally buy a four pack each week, that's about 16 rolls each month. If that four pack cost you three dollars each, then you're spending $12 a month on toilet paper. If you instead by one pack of 16 rolls once each month, you might only spend eight or nine dollars for that larger package. See the difference in how much you can spend?
There are many things that all of us use frequently which can usually be purchased in bulk sizes. Before selecting the items you will buy in bulk however, make a realistic assessment of how much space you have available in your home. If your home is quite small, you may not be able to buy too many items in bulk sizes because you will have no place to store them. If you do have some space though, or if you can make space, this is an excellent way to save money.
If possible, it's even more helpful when you have an extra freezer. This is most useful for families to save money on frozen goods. Here are some things you might want to consider buying in bulk to save money.
Laundry supplies. Instead of buying laundry soap every week, try buying a much larger box that will last an entire month. Do the same with your fabric softener, bleach, or any other laundry materials you use. When you compare the prices you'll usually find that the large boxes and containers are less expensive than multiples of the small ones.
Kitchen staples. If you have a family, chances are you cook quite frequently. And there are many food items that tend to stay in stock in your home regularly. Buying decent bulk can be much less expensive too. Staples usually include things like flour, sugar, rice, and potatoes. In some cases, other things are standard to. Spaghetti for example, or other types of pasta. Peanut butter. And more. These will vary somewhat from one family to another, but generally if you have children you tend to constantly buy these items at the store.
So if you buy a 5 pounds of potatoes every week, you can actually save money by buying a 20 pound bag once each month, or even a 50 pound bag if you use that much. You can buy bags of rice in five to 10 pound quantities, and sugar and flour or can be bought in 20 pound sacks as well. Again the compare the price difference is between the bulk purchase and multiples of the smaller purchases. You may be pleasantly surprised at how much money you can actually save by doing your shopping this way.
Monday, September 01, 2008
Use the Internet to Save Money
Did you know? You can actually use your computer and the Internet to help you save money in many ways. Most people don't think of using their computer this way, but it's actually quite fun and you might be surprised at how much money you can save too.
For example, did you know that you can find coupons for almost everything online? It's true. Spend just a little time researching online, and you will come across discounts and coupons for almost everything you buy on a regular basis. Sometimes you can even find coupons for specific stores in your area too.
Books and reading can also be found online. As a matter of fact, there are literally tens of thousands of books you can legally read online. And in most cases, you can even download them to read on your computer when you're not connected to the Internet.
In addition to books, you'll also find digital reports, white papers, and many other reading materials too. Just some of the things you'll find to read online include children's books, classic literature and novels, instruction manuals, and more.
There are also some movies, TV shows, and music which can be enjoyed online legally too. The trick here, is to make sure that you're accessing legal materials. Many up-and-coming music artists will release their music for free for example, because they want to get noticed from as many people as possible. TV shows are starting to put some of their material online too, because it provides another place for them to sell advertising.
If you use directory assistance on your phone a lot, you can save quite a bit of money by simply using the online directories instead. Almost any phone number can be looked up these days, and it doesn't cost a thing.
The same applies to maps. Instead of buying a map at the store when you go on a trip, you can simply look up the directions online at no cost. And you can even print them out for reference while you're traveling too.
There are various other things that can be found online completely free. You can listen to radio stations, find recipes instead of buying cookbooks, printout coloring pages for your children, play computer games at no cost, make long distance phone calls, and much more. Getting into the habit of looking for something online before you spend money for it, is a great way to help you save money on your expenses each month.
For example, did you know that you can find coupons for almost everything online? It's true. Spend just a little time researching online, and you will come across discounts and coupons for almost everything you buy on a regular basis. Sometimes you can even find coupons for specific stores in your area too.
Books and reading can also be found online. As a matter of fact, there are literally tens of thousands of books you can legally read online. And in most cases, you can even download them to read on your computer when you're not connected to the Internet.
In addition to books, you'll also find digital reports, white papers, and many other reading materials too. Just some of the things you'll find to read online include children's books, classic literature and novels, instruction manuals, and more.
There are also some movies, TV shows, and music which can be enjoyed online legally too. The trick here, is to make sure that you're accessing legal materials. Many up-and-coming music artists will release their music for free for example, because they want to get noticed from as many people as possible. TV shows are starting to put some of their material online too, because it provides another place for them to sell advertising.
If you use directory assistance on your phone a lot, you can save quite a bit of money by simply using the online directories instead. Almost any phone number can be looked up these days, and it doesn't cost a thing.
The same applies to maps. Instead of buying a map at the store when you go on a trip, you can simply look up the directions online at no cost. And you can even print them out for reference while you're traveling too.
There are various other things that can be found online completely free. You can listen to radio stations, find recipes instead of buying cookbooks, printout coloring pages for your children, play computer games at no cost, make long distance phone calls, and much more. Getting into the habit of looking for something online before you spend money for it, is a great way to help you save money on your expenses each month.
Sunday, August 31, 2008
How to Save Money on Groceries
Going to the grocery store is sometimes the fastest way to blow your budget. And if money is tight, you might even find yourself dreading your next shopping trip. There are actually many ways to save money on your grocery bill though, so we'll look at several of those here.
1. Start cooking. If you don't know how to cook, it's time to learn. If most of what you buy at the grocery store involves frozen meals and prepackaged goods, you are wasting too much money. You get much less food per serving, it's not very healthy for you at all, and you end up spending much more money for it too.
By cooking your own meals, you will find that the food is much more satisfying, and it costs much less money too.
2. Make a list first. Before you go grocery shopping, you need to make a list. The best way to do this is to actually make two lists. The first list should be the meals you plan to eat for the next week. Once you know what food you'll be eating, then you can make your shopping list too. Making the shopping list is actually easy once you have a meal list, because all you have to do is simply list down the ingredients you need for each of your meals.
Keeping to your shopping list might be the hardest part of this step. If you're not used to shopping from a list, you may be tempted to pick up other things that catch your eye while you're at the store. This is a bad habit though, and one which usually breaks your grocery budget quickly.
3. Try store brands. In many cases, the store brand of a food is just as good as the name brand is. The difference in price however is sometimes quite dramatic. You'll want to try store brands a little at a time though, because there are some things you may find that you do not like as well. As you experiment though, you can start making educated decisions as to which food you're willing to spend a little bit more money on to get the quality you prefer.
4. Pay attention to sales. This is quite helpful, particularly when you start shopping from a list. If you look at the sales ads each week while you're making your list, you can make note of things that are reduced in price. Don't add things to your list just because they're on sale though. Only note down those things on sale that you need as part of your regular shopping list.
5. Eat before you shop. If you go to the grocery store when you're hungry, you are almost guaranteed to buy things you don't need, and did not have on your list to begin with. In other words, you will spend much more money if you shop while you're hungry. So make sure you are satiated first, then do your shopping with your head and not your stomach.
1. Start cooking. If you don't know how to cook, it's time to learn. If most of what you buy at the grocery store involves frozen meals and prepackaged goods, you are wasting too much money. You get much less food per serving, it's not very healthy for you at all, and you end up spending much more money for it too.
By cooking your own meals, you will find that the food is much more satisfying, and it costs much less money too.
2. Make a list first. Before you go grocery shopping, you need to make a list. The best way to do this is to actually make two lists. The first list should be the meals you plan to eat for the next week. Once you know what food you'll be eating, then you can make your shopping list too. Making the shopping list is actually easy once you have a meal list, because all you have to do is simply list down the ingredients you need for each of your meals.
Keeping to your shopping list might be the hardest part of this step. If you're not used to shopping from a list, you may be tempted to pick up other things that catch your eye while you're at the store. This is a bad habit though, and one which usually breaks your grocery budget quickly.
3. Try store brands. In many cases, the store brand of a food is just as good as the name brand is. The difference in price however is sometimes quite dramatic. You'll want to try store brands a little at a time though, because there are some things you may find that you do not like as well. As you experiment though, you can start making educated decisions as to which food you're willing to spend a little bit more money on to get the quality you prefer.
4. Pay attention to sales. This is quite helpful, particularly when you start shopping from a list. If you look at the sales ads each week while you're making your list, you can make note of things that are reduced in price. Don't add things to your list just because they're on sale though. Only note down those things on sale that you need as part of your regular shopping list.
5. Eat before you shop. If you go to the grocery store when you're hungry, you are almost guaranteed to buy things you don't need, and did not have on your list to begin with. In other words, you will spend much more money if you shop while you're hungry. So make sure you are satiated first, then do your shopping with your head and not your stomach.
Saturday, August 30, 2008
More Ways to Save Electricity
There are many ways to cut down on how much electricity and energy your family uses each month. The most common tips involve ways to either heat or cool your home or efficiently in the summer and winter. Besides those though, there are actually many other things you can do which will help cut the electricity usage and costs as well.
1. Try using fans instead of an air conditioner. This tip is particularly useful during the spring and fall, but it can also be handy on mild summer days as well. In some cases for example, it can get very nice outside at night time in the summer. And on these pleasant nights, you don't have to use an air conditioner to pull your home. Instead it you can simply open a window, and sit a box fan in it. This fan will pull the cool air in from outside to cool your home. This has the added benefit of bringing in fresh air to. You can even use a second fan to work as an exhaust, which will push hot air out of another window.
Since hot air rises, you'll see the best results from having an exhaust type fan in the attic, or at a higher location than your window fan. If you're not able to set up an exhaust fan of this type, you can get similar results with a standard ceiling fan. Simply put it in reverse so that it sucks air upwards instead of blowing air downwards.
2. Turn things off when they're not in use. Modern day conveniences have caused most of us to have very bad habits were electricity usage is concerned. Some people for example, will never turn off a light. They leave lights on in every room even if it's the middle of the day and no one is in that room. This wastes energy, and increases your electricity bill dramatically. The same habits are seen with other electronic devices and appliances.
Try to get into the habit of turning things off when you're not using them. Turn off lights when you leave a room, turn the computer and monitor off when you're finished using it, and don't fall asleep with the TV on all night.
You can even take this one step farther, and unplug things when you're not using them. If you have many digital clocks in your home for example, you might try unplugging all but one or two of them. If you have electric coffeemaker, unplug it which are finished with your coffee each day. Anything that plugs into a wall, will still use a small amount of electricity, even when the device is not turned on.
3. Change your lightbulbs. You may or may not already know this, but the simple act of removing standard lightbulbs and replacing them with the newer energy-efficient ones, can reduce your electric bill by amazing amounts. The amount of money you save from doing this will vary depending on the size of your home, how many people live in your home, and how often you use the various lights in your home as well. Some people notice a small difference such as $20 less on their electric bill when they make this change. Others however, can see as much as $50 to even $100 difference in their utility bills.
These new energy-efficient lightbulbs looks strange to some people. They are curly, and there are even named pigtails. Some people even worry that their globes will not fit over at these new bulbs, so they have not made the change. Regardless of how they look though, they are actually designed to fit into the same space that the old-fashioned lightbulbs do.
1. Try using fans instead of an air conditioner. This tip is particularly useful during the spring and fall, but it can also be handy on mild summer days as well. In some cases for example, it can get very nice outside at night time in the summer. And on these pleasant nights, you don't have to use an air conditioner to pull your home. Instead it you can simply open a window, and sit a box fan in it. This fan will pull the cool air in from outside to cool your home. This has the added benefit of bringing in fresh air to. You can even use a second fan to work as an exhaust, which will push hot air out of another window.
Since hot air rises, you'll see the best results from having an exhaust type fan in the attic, or at a higher location than your window fan. If you're not able to set up an exhaust fan of this type, you can get similar results with a standard ceiling fan. Simply put it in reverse so that it sucks air upwards instead of blowing air downwards.
2. Turn things off when they're not in use. Modern day conveniences have caused most of us to have very bad habits were electricity usage is concerned. Some people for example, will never turn off a light. They leave lights on in every room even if it's the middle of the day and no one is in that room. This wastes energy, and increases your electricity bill dramatically. The same habits are seen with other electronic devices and appliances.
Try to get into the habit of turning things off when you're not using them. Turn off lights when you leave a room, turn the computer and monitor off when you're finished using it, and don't fall asleep with the TV on all night.
You can even take this one step farther, and unplug things when you're not using them. If you have many digital clocks in your home for example, you might try unplugging all but one or two of them. If you have electric coffeemaker, unplug it which are finished with your coffee each day. Anything that plugs into a wall, will still use a small amount of electricity, even when the device is not turned on.
3. Change your lightbulbs. You may or may not already know this, but the simple act of removing standard lightbulbs and replacing them with the newer energy-efficient ones, can reduce your electric bill by amazing amounts. The amount of money you save from doing this will vary depending on the size of your home, how many people live in your home, and how often you use the various lights in your home as well. Some people notice a small difference such as $20 less on their electric bill when they make this change. Others however, can see as much as $50 to even $100 difference in their utility bills.
These new energy-efficient lightbulbs looks strange to some people. They are curly, and there are even named pigtails. Some people even worry that their globes will not fit over at these new bulbs, so they have not made the change. Regardless of how they look though, they are actually designed to fit into the same space that the old-fashioned lightbulbs do.
Friday, August 29, 2008
Tips for Reducing Your Heating & Cooling Bills
For most of us, the electric bill is the largest utility expense we have each month. And with the cost of common fuels rising sharply every single day, this expense is only going to get worse. The best thing we can do, is to start reducing how much electricity we use in our homes. There are actually many easy ways to do this too.
For most of us, heating and cooling the home is at least 50 to 70% of our monthly electricity bill. So many of these tips will address ways to heat and cool for home more efficiently.
1. Insulate your home. Older homes particularly have many cracks and crevices where air can come in or escape. During the summer, the cooler air from inside will rush out, or the hot air will come in. You can help reduce this loss by simply adding insulation around doors and windows.
2. Insulate your windows. Even after you install weatherstripping around the windows in the cracks and crevices, you may still be allowing heat in during the summertime if the sunshine strongly into a window. Likewise, in the winter time cold can come in through the window panes as well.
One of the best ways to insulate your windows, is to simply hang curtains, shades, or blinds. There are insulating curtains which can be hung at your windows in both the summertime and wintertime. These insulating curtains help block the hot air in the summer, and the cold air or in the winter. They have the added benefit in the summer, of keeping the strong hot sun from coming into your home and fading your furniture, or simply heating up the air.
3. Create your own shade. You can easily create your own weather control around your home, by simply planting bushes and trees, or installing awnings and porches. Bushes and trees are the easiest and least expensive, but they can't take time to get the most benefit from if they are small when you plant them.
Planting a bush approximately 5 to 6 feet tall in front of a window which gets lots of sunlight in the summertime will help shade that window, and it will help cool the air that passes by it. You can also plant a tree which grows from 12 feet to over 25 feet tall, and it will provide shade for the roof of the home. When planting trees to create shade in the summertime, make sure that you choose one which will shed its leaves in the winter. This way it will not block the sunshine in the winter when you need it or to help heat your home.
If you don't have the room or desire to plant trees and bushes, simply try a well cared for lawn or garden instead. The simple act of having lush greenery around your home, even in the form of simple grass, can lower the temperature by several degrees.
For most of us, heating and cooling the home is at least 50 to 70% of our monthly electricity bill. So many of these tips will address ways to heat and cool for home more efficiently.
1. Insulate your home. Older homes particularly have many cracks and crevices where air can come in or escape. During the summer, the cooler air from inside will rush out, or the hot air will come in. You can help reduce this loss by simply adding insulation around doors and windows.
2. Insulate your windows. Even after you install weatherstripping around the windows in the cracks and crevices, you may still be allowing heat in during the summertime if the sunshine strongly into a window. Likewise, in the winter time cold can come in through the window panes as well.
One of the best ways to insulate your windows, is to simply hang curtains, shades, or blinds. There are insulating curtains which can be hung at your windows in both the summertime and wintertime. These insulating curtains help block the hot air in the summer, and the cold air or in the winter. They have the added benefit in the summer, of keeping the strong hot sun from coming into your home and fading your furniture, or simply heating up the air.
3. Create your own shade. You can easily create your own weather control around your home, by simply planting bushes and trees, or installing awnings and porches. Bushes and trees are the easiest and least expensive, but they can't take time to get the most benefit from if they are small when you plant them.
Planting a bush approximately 5 to 6 feet tall in front of a window which gets lots of sunlight in the summertime will help shade that window, and it will help cool the air that passes by it. You can also plant a tree which grows from 12 feet to over 25 feet tall, and it will provide shade for the roof of the home. When planting trees to create shade in the summertime, make sure that you choose one which will shed its leaves in the winter. This way it will not block the sunshine in the winter when you need it or to help heat your home.
If you don't have the room or desire to plant trees and bushes, simply try a well cared for lawn or garden instead. The simple act of having lush greenery around your home, even in the form of simple grass, can lower the temperature by several degrees.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
Save Money by Eating out Less
Going out to eat with friends and family is a very popular activity for most people. It's a great way to spend time together, relax, talk and have fun. Unfortunately, it can also be quite expensive.
Going out to eat is also much easier after a long day at work. Instead of going home and having to do even more work in the form of cooking and serving a meal, it's much more appealing to simply go to a restaurant and let someone else do the work. This can get even more expensive however, when you have a family to feed.
If your budget is tight and you need to start limiting expenditures, one of the first things you should do is start limiting how much you and your family eat out at restaurants. This may seem difficult at first, particularly if you are actually in the habit of going out to eat often.
The first thing you should do is try to declare eating out a special event. If you normally go out to eat several times each week, cut back to just once every one to two weeks instead. And declare it to be a special occasion when you do go out to eat. This will make it easier to adapt to the change in schedule, and it will make eating out even more enjoyable than normal.
When you do go out to eat, there are various ways you can reduce the amount of money you're spending each time. For example, if you have a family it is much less expensive to take them to a buffet style restaurant. This way, you pay one fee for each person, and they're able to get as much food as they'd like, and as much variety as they'd like too.
Try to restrict yourself to going to restaurants you already know. If you know the restaurant, then you are more likely to know which foods you like and which ones you don't. This will help you avoid wasting money on a new and exotic dish that you didn't like.
If you really want to try a new restaurant, try going the first time alone or with just a friend or spouse. This way, if you don't like the food, you will have been much less money for just one or two people than for the entire family.
If money is extremely tight, you can go for the cheapest foods, and drink water instead of colas. This does however, limit how much you will enjoy going out to eat, and defeat the purpose of doing so in the first place. Eating out should be a pleasurable experience for the entire family, and not just a necessity.
Going out to eat is also much easier after a long day at work. Instead of going home and having to do even more work in the form of cooking and serving a meal, it's much more appealing to simply go to a restaurant and let someone else do the work. This can get even more expensive however, when you have a family to feed.
If your budget is tight and you need to start limiting expenditures, one of the first things you should do is start limiting how much you and your family eat out at restaurants. This may seem difficult at first, particularly if you are actually in the habit of going out to eat often.
The first thing you should do is try to declare eating out a special event. If you normally go out to eat several times each week, cut back to just once every one to two weeks instead. And declare it to be a special occasion when you do go out to eat. This will make it easier to adapt to the change in schedule, and it will make eating out even more enjoyable than normal.
When you do go out to eat, there are various ways you can reduce the amount of money you're spending each time. For example, if you have a family it is much less expensive to take them to a buffet style restaurant. This way, you pay one fee for each person, and they're able to get as much food as they'd like, and as much variety as they'd like too.
Try to restrict yourself to going to restaurants you already know. If you know the restaurant, then you are more likely to know which foods you like and which ones you don't. This will help you avoid wasting money on a new and exotic dish that you didn't like.
If you really want to try a new restaurant, try going the first time alone or with just a friend or spouse. This way, if you don't like the food, you will have been much less money for just one or two people than for the entire family.
If money is extremely tight, you can go for the cheapest foods, and drink water instead of colas. This does however, limit how much you will enjoy going out to eat, and defeat the purpose of doing so in the first place. Eating out should be a pleasurable experience for the entire family, and not just a necessity.