Do the rising food prices have you feeling strapped for cash? Do you find yourself struggling to decide on what to eat for dinner each night? Check out these simple ways to meal plan and cut costs at the same time.
In July of 2014, as a single woman in the middle of a weight loss journey that ultimately saw me losing 60 pounds, I was no stranger to having a set meal plan. That all changed the moment I met my husband on August 1st.
While amazing as my weight loss journey was, that journey also saw me eating pretty much the same thing each night. As you can probably imagine, my husband wasn’t a big fan of that idea.
What Is Meal Planning?
Meal planning is whatever process you use to schedule out the individual meals that you, and your family, will eat over a period of time. Some choose to plan from week-to-week while others find it more beneficial to plan a month ahead.
Why Meal Planning Is Essential
No matter how far in advance you choose to meal plan, it is important to understand they why behind doing it. Without having a clear vision and purpose, for anything you do, it can be easy to let it fall to the wayside. I’ve known several people, and have at times been one, to let the busyness of the rest of life distract from planning meals and to spend too much time in the drive thru or simply eating what is on hand. In these times, it is helpful to recenter myself on these core principles:
- Meal planning can help you stay within budget
- Meal planning ceates structure & routine (you don’t have to think about it throughout the week)
- Meal planning helps you keep up with healthy habits and nutrition goals
- Meal planning can help you reduce waste
How To Meal Plan On A Budget
As a young mom who works part-time, I know that it can be challenging to manage your grocery budget. With the rising cost of food, it seems, it is only getting harder. That’s why I’ve had to come up with quick ways to improve my meal planning process that saves as much as possible.
1. Check The Calendar
The first step to effectively meal-plan on a budget is to check your calendar. Are there days that you’ll be working late or the kids have an extra-curricular event? Will you be celebrating a birthday or special occasion?
Think about your day-to-day schedule over the next week, or several weeks, and develop your plan around it. Perhaps you’ll go out to eat or you’ll want to make something quick for the days you’ll be shuffling the kids to their activities. Either way, check the calendar ahead of time and you may find yourself cutting down the number, or complexity, of meals that you need to make.
2. Plug In The Go-Tos
Next, it is time to think about what meals your family eats frequently or would those that it would be easy to create variations each week?
In the past, I’ve used a dinner rotation like this one. Amanda does a great job breaking down the days of the week with many suggestions. These days, one night a week we eat with my husband’s grandmother. While I have go tos, the day changes based on schedules.
Either way, having go-to meals speeds up the planning process and helps cut expenses as you can shop for more items in bulk. I also like to browse the ads for what produce & meats might be on sale as this can affect what meals I choose for the week.
3. Shop The Pantry (and Fridge)
There have been countless times I’ve gone shopping only to come home to find 2-3 of an item. It is usually canned goods that are already on the shelf. Open those doors, and drawers! Taking stock of what you already have is the smartest way to save on, what could have been, unnecessary groceries.
Have a specific meal in mind but missing an ingredient? Try coming up with different concoctions with what’s there!
Check Out These Meals To Make From The Pantry
4. Shop For What’s Left
Last, you have to make your list. Whether you’re shopping once a week, bi-weekly, or monthly, you should have a very clear idea of what you need. This way you can, hopefully, avoid grabbing items randomly as we all know those can rack up quickly.
Pro Tip: Using a grocery pickup, or delivery service, helps keep you on track to follow your meal plan.
I hope you’ve found these tips helpful in reducing your spending on groceries. Let me know how you structure your meal planning and what you’ve found most beneficial!
Lindsay says
Love these ideas! Meal planning can be so hard sometimes!!
Lauren Rought says
Thank you! It really can be but, with a little time and preparation, it can be easier. Which step was your favorite?