*image created by Tecara Bracey
I pay close
attention to my family’s spending habits. Early on I realized that my husband
and I were spending a lot on food, in particular eating out. I was excited
when I read that we could save money by planning our meals. At first, I was
somewhat intimidated, as the process seemed somewhat tedious. But I've found that it is
actually pretty simple and does indeed save my family a lot of money.
In 2011, the
average consumer spent $2,505 when eating out; this is not including meals
prepared at home or additional groceries.
Let’s say on average you spend $30.00 (which is probably pretty low) a
week eating out: That’s $120 monthly, $1440 yearly. Again, this is not including any groceries for
meals prepared at home. Imagine what you could do with an extra $1,000!!
By meal planning
and brown bagging our lunches my husband and I have been able to cut our initial food expenses by 50%.
This is great because we are still able to enjoy great meals and eat out at our
favorite restaurants while adhering to our budget.
Benefits of Meal Planning:
Save Money:
By planning our meals a head of
time, when we go grocery shopping we only buy the food that we need according
to the menu. It truly cuts down on impulse buys!! No more going to the store
for one thing and checking out with a $30 bill. Meal planning helps eliminate
senseless purchases from the grocery bill.
Save Time:
Knowing what is for dinner saves time. I no longer have to stop by the store and grab ingredients nor do I have
to spend time rumbling through recipes to figure out what I want to cook.
Eat Healthier:
Most people who meal plan tend to eat
healthier because you are cooking your own food. When you cook at home you are
more likely to use healthy ingredient and less fatty foods.
How I meal plan:
I’ve been meal
planning for a while now, in that I create menus in increments of 2 weeks,
around our bi-weekly paychecks. However, I strongly suggest starting with
planning 1 week at a time until you get the hang of it.
Step 1: I prefer to create my menus on Sundays because I can look at
the local store ads to see what is on sale that particular week, as I
sometimes plan meals around specific items on sale. Please note that just because something is on sale does not mean that I automatically purchase the item.
Step 2: I take inventory of food in the fridge and pantry to check to see if there are any items that I can use for the
upcoming weeks.
This is a very important step in the process because you do not
want to purchase items that you already have or overlook items that you can use
for a delicious meal.
Step 3: At this point I have a general idea of what I want to cook for
the upcoming weeks based on the store ads and what I have on hand. I then write out my menu using a meal planner worksheet and I fill in my grocery
list accordingly. I also look at the ingredients for each meal to see what items
I could possibly use for more than one meal. For example: If I use a bell
pepper for baked spaghetti I may also decide to make another meal that uses
bell peppers like fajitas. I also note days for potential left overs on your
menu.
Step 4: Lastly, I double check the grocery list to make sure I have
all the items I need and I post the menu on the fridge.
Step 5: After you have created a few menus, recycle them for another month!
Supplies I Used:
- Monthly Calendar (Dollar Store) $1.00
- You will need to laminate the calendar - roughly $2.50
- Dry Erase Markers (Dollar Store) $1.00
- Magnets or Magnetic Tape (Walmart) $1.00
**My friend Tecara created this and I copied her design!!
ENJOY MEAL PLANNING!!
