Title: Develop a food budget and comparison-shopping strategies.
Course: Nutrition and Wellness (19253-18) > Section: Planning Menus and Preparing Food

Development of a food budget should include

- listing and determining the factors that influence the amount of money a family spends for food
- compiling a list of strategies for reducing food expenses
- identifying criteria used to establish a food budget
- developing a cost analysis for a menu plan that includes eating in and eating out.

Strategies for comparison food shopping should include

- listing criteria used for food selection (quality, end use of the product, cost and unit price, nutritional value, skill needed to prepare the product, time needed to prepare the product, ecological impact of use, and storage of the product)
- comparing places to buy food, including locally available farmers’ markets, grocery stores, discount food suppliers, catalogs, and virtual stores on the internet
- comparing brands of food products
- comparing cost of convenience foods to cost of similar foods prepared at home.

Process/Skill Questions:

Thinking

- Why should you be aware of your family’s food budget?
- What are the consequences of overspending a food budget?
- Is it possible to eat just as nutritiously with less-expensive foods as with expensive foods? Why or why not?
- What factors may influence our choice of where we shop?
- What are the benefits and disadvantages of comparison shopping?

Communication

- What communication skills are involved in making a budget for food purchases?
- Where do we acquire our attitudes and beliefs about food shopping?
- What standards should we set for shopping on a limited budget?
- What are the effects of advertising and grocery store layout and displays on comparison shopping for food?
- What criteria are most important to you as you compare food products for purchase? Are the criteria always the same?
- How do consumers benefit from having many brands from which to choose?

Leadership

- What is your most effective strategy (or combination of strategies) for saving money when shopping for food?
- How can we help others determine effective money-saving strategies?
- What happens when families must choose between shopping for food and another essential, such as medicine or rent?
- How can comparison-shopping techniques benefit the consumer when shopping for food?
- How can we use technology to help us compare food products?
- What leadership skills can we use to make decisions about food purchases?

Management

- Which money-saving strategies are you most likely to use? Why?
- Is it difficult to stay within a budget when buying food? Why, or why not?
- What management strategies can help us avoid impulse purchases at the grocery store?
- What information do we need in order to use comparison-shopping techniques?
- What sources of assistance can we access if we have trouble comparing food products?
- What management skills help us apply our criteria to different types of food products?