Slide Show | February 2011

Save $50 a Day, 2011: Food and Medicine

iStockphoto

You can beat the rising cost of meat and eggs, get discounts at restaurants, savor wine and beer for less, and cut prescription drug costs by following these tips.

•  
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
•  

Save $50 a Day, 2011: Food and Medicine

Slide Show

Save $50 a Day, 2011: Food and Medicine

Get Deals on Meals

iStockphoto

These sites take a bite out of restaurant prices. Restaurant.com guarantees discounts of at least 50% at more than 15,000 restaurants. Wow-coupons.com offers deals at restaurants, retailers and even other discounters. Buy with a group at Groupon.com or Livingsocial.com and get the discount du jour.

•  
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
•  

Get Deals on Meals

Slide Show

Save $50 a Day, 2011: Food and Medicine

Brown Bag It

iStockphoto

According to research by Harris Interactive, 45% of U.S. adults packed their lunches last fall. No wonder: A 12-inch turkey-breast-and-ham sub with chips and a drink runs about $8 at Subway. Buy a loaf of bread, lunchmeat, cheese, and fruit or chips for the week and you'll spend a much more palatable $3 or so a day. To add variety, cook enough over the weekend to last several days -- say, a pot of soup or a pasta dish -- or pack last night's dinner leftovers.

•  
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
•  

Brown Bag It

Slide Show

Save $50 a Day, 2011: Food and Medicine

Veg Out at Dinner

iStockphoto

The price index for meat, fish, poultry and eggs is up the most of any food category over the past year. All the more reason to go vegetarian once or twice a week. Compare $1 per serving for four-bean enchiladas (www.frugal-living-now.com) with $2.50 a serving for chicken breasts. A family of four saves $6 a meal.

•  
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
•  

Veg Out at Dinner

Slide Show

Save $50 a Day, 2011: Food and Medicine

Savor Wine for Less

iStockphoto

Rather than a pricey Bordeaux, such as Chateau Batailley Pauillac 2009 ($40), try Amancaya 2009 ($20), a Bordeaux-style blend made in Argentina. It's a joint effort between local winemaker Catena and France's Domaines Barons de Rothschild.
For a white, try South Africa's Neil Ellis Sauvignon Blanc Groenekloof 2009 ($18), instead of New Zealand's Cloudy Bay Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough 2009 ($27).

•  
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
•  

Savor Wine for Less

Slide Show

Save $50 a Day, 2011: Food and Medicine

Drink Beer on a Budget

iStockphoto

Beer drinkers can try Yuengling Porter at $6 a six-pack. America's oldest brewery produces a rich porter that challenges dark brews from Europe and American microbrews costing $10 or more a six-pack.

•  
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
•  

Drink Beer on a Budget

Slide Show

Save $50 a Day, 2011: Food and Medicine

Save on Rx Drugs

iStockphoto

When feasible, buying generics should be your first step. And you should ask your doctor whether you can save money by splitting any of your pills.

For example, the cost of a 30-day supply of 10-milligram tablets of Crestor is the same as it is for 20-mg tablets. That can result in a $63-a-month savings. But the single best strategy, aside from using generics, is buying your medications through mail order, where you may be able to get a 90-day supply for about the same price as a 30-day supply at a local pharmacy. Example: You'd save almost $95 per month on Lipitor.

•  
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
•  

Save on Rx Drugs

Slide Show

Save $50 a Day, 2011: Food and Medicine

Stretch Health-Care Dollars

iStockphoto

Health savings accounts let you stretch your health-care dollars with a triple tax benefit:

Money that you contribute to an account is tax-deductible, grows tax-deferred and can be used tax-free for medical expenses in any year.

To qualify, your health-insurance policy must have a deductible of at least $1,200 for self-only coverage (or $2,400 for family coverage).

You can contribute up to $3,050 to an HSA in 2011 ($6,150 for family coverage).

•  
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
•  

Stretch Health-Care Dollars

Slide Show

Save $50 a Day, 2011: Food and Medicine

MORE WAYS TO SAVE

iStockphoto

Save $50 a Day on Investing & Financial Planning

Save $50 a Day on Shopping & Entertainment
Save $50 a Day on Travel & Transportation

Save $50 a Day on Utilities and Home Improvement

The Best Times to Buy: A Season-by-Season Guide to Getting the Best Deals

•  
• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4
• 5
• 6
• 7
• 8
• 9
•  

MORE WAYS TO SAVE

Skip This Ad »