Savings Tip: Meal Planning

                                         *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!!