How I Halved My Food Budget to $600 a Month

Getty Images I opened up my budget tracking tool last November, and my jaw dropped -- I had spent $1,200 on food that month. That's when I knew I had to make a change. Now, a few notes about that total: That includes groceries, restaurants, bars and fast food. Also, I prepared Thanksgiving dinner -- $125 for couple of pies and a turkey for six people. However, that $1,200 number stuck with me -- I needed to cut my spending on food. It's no surprise that food was a big budget-breaker for me -- it's one of the most common expenses on which financial planners see clients spending too much money. I definitely felt like I was throwing money away. There are so many other ways I could use that money -- paying for a vacation, investing more money in an individual retirement account, saving for a down payment on a home, paying for a wedding.