Skip to main content

easy meal planning on a budget

save money

I know you already know that you can save money on food if you cook at home more often and plan your meals so you don't throw so much out. Right?

Then why don't we do that? Time? Energy? What to make?

The key is in the prep work. Here’s how to do it so you can hold onto that hard-earned cash and reduce your food waste:

1. Look at what you already have. Shop your fridge and pantry before planning your meals for the week. That way you won’t end up throwing things out that go bad before you can use them, and you won’t buy things that you didn’t realize you already had. Make sure you have a few basic staples on hand to use in an emergency—frozen produce, cans of tuna or salmon, eggs, etc.

2. Check out the grocery ads and download your coupons before you go shopping. If something is on sale, now may be a good time to stock up on things you use often, like meat or in-season produce that you can freeze.

3. Decide on a meal plan. Look at your schedule for the week, taking into account the nights you may have other events or plan to eat out. You may also plan on a leftovers night, a Breakfast for Dinner night, or even a Fend for Yourself night. Using what you already have and only adding things you need to make full meals, make a meal plan for the week. 

Don’t forget about breakfast and lunches. If you always take leftovers for lunch, that’s done. If you want to prep a whole week’s worth of lunches ahead of time, add those to your plan, using the strategies above. Breakfast is one of those things that people often repeat day after day, so again, check what you already have and try to use it before you buy more.

4. Write out your shopping list. This could be a list that you keep on your fridge for when things run out, a list you keep on your phone, or an app that the whole family can use when they want to add to the list. We keep one for Costco and one for our smaller grocery store. We only go to Costco once a week, so everyone understands that if it’s not on the list we won’t get it this week. During the pandemic we got into the habit of only going to the grocery store once a week too, so that forced us to think ahead and make sure the list was as complete as possible. The funny thing is that the less you have to go to the store for last minute items, the less you spend overall. Hmmm…not rocket science. :) 

Once you get to the store, stick to your list unless you see an amazing deal that you missed in the flyer. Sometimes there will be a manager’s sale on something that is almost out of date that you can use right away or freeze. The deli and meat sections are great for this!

5. Wash and cut produce as soon as you get home. This ensures that you will use it before it goes bad and you won’t find a pile of mush in the bottom of your veggie drawer at the end of the week.

None of this works if you don’t take the time to do it. Schedule a time each week to do these steps. I like to do all of this on Sunday mornings and then send my husband to Costco on Tuesdays when it’s not terribly busy. Challenge yourself to stay out of the stores except when scheduled or have a “no-spend” day at least a couple times a week.


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

why do we gain weight during menopause?

I've been hearing a lot lately in the nutrition stratosphere about the fact that our metabolism doesn't really slow down at menopause, and as a woman knocking at that door herself, I find that very frustrating.  I talk to women every day who tell me that the tricks they used in their 20s and 30s to slim down don't seem to work anymore.  They tell me their weight is redistributing itself and their clothes don't fit the same way.  They tell me they are doing all the things they've been told to do (move more/eat less) and nothing changes.  How can you tell these women that their metabolism hasn't changed? I wish there were an easy answer. There seem to be a multitude of answers--some of them biological, and some lifestyle related. Let's start with the biological. As we age we tend to lose muscle mass, and when you add declining hormone levels, you're going to see a change in body composition. Loss of estrogen causes weight to accumulate around your middle i...
Post a Comment
Read more

3 food rules to help you lose weight and feel great

We’ve already talked about the three questions to ask yourself when you’re eating .   Those were all about the mindfulness  side of eating.  Here are three ways to make sure you’re regulating your blood sugar and nourishing your body--in other words, the physiological side of what goes in your mouth.   Both are incredibly important, and often overlap.   Do these things and your inflammation levels will go down, your cravings will subside, your hormone levels will regulate, and you might even lose weight! Number one: Control your carbs. Carbohydrates are the one macronutrient that we really don’t need.   If we don’t ingest glucose, our bodies will make it.   If we don’t have enough glucose in our bloodstreams, our bodies will learn to run on ketones made from fatty acids.   That said, there are a lot of good things about vegetables and fruits that we can’t deny—they provide fiber and vitamins, and help our bodies detox.   Just try to ...
Post a Comment
Read more

what have I been doing?

College move-in day Wow. I look at my Facebook group and blog and realize I’ve been quite the slacker lately. What’s going on? Well let me tell you… Life’s been going on. My oldest went off to college a few weeks ago, and though you might think that would free up more time for me (it technically has) I’ve also been having a hard time sitting still with my feelings or sitting still at all. The realization that my children are leaving the nest and my role as their mother is changing is throwing me for a loop. I’m not quite sure I’m ready for this. What does it mean for the rest of my life? Instead of thinking about that, I’ve been keeping quite busy-- cleaning the house, cleaning out closets, painting her room, planning band events, and planning an Alaska cruise. All things that need to be done eventually, but also things that can be parceled out after I’ve done the things that are really a priority to me, like writing and coaching—and maybe a little introspection. room makeover ...
Post a Comment
Read more