I moved from America to Italy 14 years ago and I have learned a lot along the way. Here are several money-saving tricks I have picked up from living in Italy — most of which can apply to wherever you live too!
Buy fewer groceries at a time.
Italians tend to buy more fresh food — and buy it in smaller quantities. We have just what we know we'll consume in a few days, before anything has a chance to spoil and go to waste..
Eat seasonally.
I love strawberries, cantaloupe and watermelon, but in Italy, I can only get them in the summer, when they're ripe. Out of season, these fruits would have to be imported.Instead, enjoying them seasonally helps me appreciate them more.
Neither my husband nor I have developed any gardening skills just yet, but fortunately, his mother, uncles and cousins have, and they frequently leave bags of just-picked produce on our doorstep.
Cook more meals at home.
I live in a small town where we have no fast-food restaurants other than a pizzaria that does carry-out. OK! Not only do we save money on expensive restaurant meals, but we get more quality family time by cooking, eating and cleaning up together..
Yes, bigger cities have more options for fast food, delivery and carryout.I've also found that Italians are more conscious of what's in their food, so they tend to be less willing to make fast food more than an occasional meal.
A. Of course, it takes a little more meal planning.
B. We also end up having healthier meals.
C. Another way Italians save is by growing their own produce.
D. It takes a long time to transport goods from foreign countries.
E. McDonald's plans to open 200 new restaurants and hire 12000 staff in Italy by 2025.
F. They'd be a lot more expensive, of lesser quality and quite possibly grow n in an industrial greenhouse.
G. But even where the community is less closely connected, cooking and sharing meals with family and friends is still a big part of the social structure in Italy.
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