Meal Planning is one of the most important keys to our money saving plan. One of the highest costs of food is eating out or buying convenience foods. We spend more for these types of food when we are overwhelmed or can’t think of what to cook. When you have a meal plan, there’s no panic thought of, “It’s almost dinner time and I have no idea what to fix!”
I meal plan for a month at a time. This may sound overwhelming, but it’s really better than shorter planning periods. One hour towards the end of the month can have you prepared with meals for the next month. Meal planning based on the common foods you already have in your pantry allow you to cook even when you don’ t have time to run to the store.
When you meal plan for a month you can choose a type of meal for each day of the week and fill it in straight down the column. For example, we love homemade pizza on Fridays. Wednesday I like to plan soup and homemade bread. We also have a Mexican food night and an Italian food night. Within those categories I can plan a variety of different foods without repeating a dish over the month, but having some guidelines helps me think of ideas.
You can plan your meals around your schedule. If it’s a busy day plan a slow-cooker meal. Is there a night that would be perfect for cooking together as a family? Plan a meal for that night that a child can help prepare. Is there a birthday or other occasion? You’ll know ahead to plan something extra special.
When you have your monthly meal plan ready before you head to the store with cash, you will know if there are a few extra things that aren’t in your pantry that you will need to pick up.
I wrote a detailed article on meal planning last June and it’s hard to beat. Here’s the link to keep reading for the step by step guide for planning fantastic meals.
This is a very personal question and no one else can answer it for you. I know it is possible to feed a family good healthy foods for $50 per person per month. But it doesn’t have to be that low. If you can afford more and want to spend more, that’s okay. You don’t need to feel guilty about that. You can still use my shopping method if you are committed to organics or have special restrictions such as gluten free, but you should set your minimum budget to $60-$70 per person per month to cover the added expenses.
If you are in financial crisis and it feels like your world is crumbling down around you, then start your budget at this basic level. If you aren’t in a financial crisis but would like to start whittling at your budget to be able to save more or pay off debt faster, then take what you normally spend on groceries and subtract 20%.
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Example: Let’s pretend that you normally spend $600 a month on groceries for your family of 4.
Multiply $600 by .20 and reduce your budget by that amount.
Your new budget will be $600-$120 or $480.
Take $200 of those dollars to buy food that you will consume this month and use the other $280 to buy foods to put in your pantry. These should be healthy, whole foods, that you stock up on when you find a great price for them. Items in my pantry include: brown rice (dry beans and other whole grains), canned fruit in juice, spaghetti sauce, canned green beans, whole wheat flour, sugar, salt, spices, condiments, frozen meats, frozen vegetables, frozen cheese, and whole grain pastas. These are ingredients that you can combine in different ways to make an endless variety of meals.
The next month reduce your budget by another 20%. Again use $200 for food to consume right away and the rest to build your pantry. Continue reducing yoru budget each month until it’s at the level you want it to be. At this point, you will be eating half from your pantry and buying about half of your food fresh and using the rest of the money to restock your pantry.
Remember: You are restocking your pantry when you find foods at their lowest price.
More important than how much you should spend is that you have committed to a certain amount. Take that amount out in CASH each month. Keep this cash in a separate envelope labeled “food” and only spend it on food.
I like to do the bulk of my grocery shopping the first week of the month, saving back $50-$75 for replenishing our fresh foods and taking part in good deals later in the month. I’m a busy mama, so I like to keep my grocery shopping to a minimum. After that first week, I’ll slip into a store to buy just a few of the best bargains when I’m on my way home from another errend–and that is never more than once a week.
Be sure to check in tomorrow for the next step on saving money. I’ll show you how you to know that your $200 will cover all your food needs!
…It’s how much you spend. And what you get for your money.
After we finished our field trip to the grocery store yesterday with Nicole and the 700 Club crew, I had mixed feelings. It just wasn’t a great day for finding deals at the particular stores we were at. This is common every where. Some weeks there are so many deals it’s hard to know where to start and some weeks you might as well stay home.
Despite the lack of outrageous deals there were a lot of teachable moments. One of those was price comparing between bagged lettuce verses head lettuce. Sometimes the premade salad is less expensive and easier at the same time! Part of that is because once you tear up lettuce it doesn’t keep as long, so the store can become a motivated seller. Bagged salad isn’t always less expensive, but it’s an option worth checking out.
We bought some things that weren’t particularly fantastic deals, but if you have to feed your family that week and there isn’t much at home, they were the least expensive ingredients to build meals out of. These included fresh potatoes, fresh chicken quarters, brown rice, tomato sauce, and whole wheat pasta. They were every day good values that sometimes go on sale for even less.
Image Source Better Homes and Gardens
It’s even better to start building a stock pile or pantry out of foods that are fantastic deals, so when there aren’t any good deals, you can just stay home.
As we were walking out of the store a woman was parked nearby with a cart heaping full of food. She looked me over and looked at my camera crew and said in a snarky way: “I sure hope you saved a bunch of money, because I certainly did.” I know part of it was her needing a little pat on the back and some recognition for her hard work. But it stung a little. (I’m still working on that thick skin.)
Nicole’s family is bouncing back from a huge hardship. They lost their house and all their possessions in a fire last year and her husband is searching for a full time job while she does her magic at home with their sons and keeping a frugal lifestyle. She needs to whittle her grocery bills down to $200 a month so they can get traction with their life. If I filled her cart to heaping with non-nutritious foods she might show a larger percentage of savings, but she would also blow her entire budget and more without a healthy meal to show for it.
The real magic with grocery savings happens in the kitchen. I sent Nicole home with bone in chicken, chicken breasts, whole wheat flour, lettuce salad, brown rice, whole wheat flat bread rounds, whole wheat pasta, spaghetti sauce, fresh fruit, potatoes, and neufatchel cheese. She can make chicken alfredo, BBQ chicken sandwiches, creamy chicken and rice, chicken ceasar salad, mini pizzas and more with these ingredients. She spent about $50, we saved $22 and her family could eat for a week by adding a few spices and pantry items (like BBQ sauce and parmesan cheese) that she already had at home.
I’d like to introduce you to Rachelle. She writes a fantastic blog over at: http://rarabakes.blogspot.com/ You have to pop over and visit her there and try some of her fantastic recipes! I’m thankful for her guest post below to help take the pressure off while we prepare for our television appearance with the 700 club:
You just spent the past hour making sure-to-be delicious stuffed peppers from your backyard garden. It’s paired with a fresh fruit from the produce co-op, and bread that you purchased (with a coupon!) at the bakery discount store. It’s a delicious and healthy frugal meal; but, no one in your family seems eager to try it. What’s a mom to do?
Making meals look more enticing can be a great way to perk up the interest of your family members. Frugal meals don’t need to be dull. Here are my ideas for making dinner time more enjoyable, regardless of how much the food cost.
1. Play with Colors and Textures
Cauliflower soup served with corn and white bread is going to look pretty lack luster no matter what you do. Find ways to inject color and texture into your meals. For instance, cauliflower soup with a cheddar cheese garnish, green beans topped with a few slivered almonds, and a slice of whole-grain bread will look a lot more visually appealing. As an added bonus, more color and texture frequently means more fiber and nutrients!
Use some of the ingredients already in the meal to garnish the serving dishes. Simple spaghetti sauce looks fancier when fresh basil leaves are scattered across the surface. Dried parsley can be sprinkled on a multitude of dinner dishes. Nuts and dried fruits are quick salad additions to bring more fun into the meal. Get creative and have fun! If you have an artistic child, have them think of ways to garnish and present the foods while you cook them.
Food typically looks more appealing if it is served in a glass bowl rather than a messy mixing bowl. Pots and pans don’t belong on the dinner table—transfer the food to a serving dish. Rather than just putting a package of bread or tortillas on the table, remove the items from the plastic packaging and set them on a plate. Although this may seem unnecessary and create a few more things to wash, it will make the meal appear more put-together. If there is a soup or salad being served, I like to dish up individual servings and set them out before gathering everyone to eat.
4. Have a Conversation
One of my favorite ideas for dinner-time conversation came from my neighbor, a mother of five children with a wide range of ages. Each night as they are eating, they go around the table and each person shares the best thing that happened that day and the worst thing that happened that day. We’ve tried this idea in my own family as well and it sparks great discussions and is a topic that everyone can participate in.
The environment that the food is served in can be just as important as the food itself. I hope that these ideas help you have more enjoyable frugal meals! If you have a favorite way to garnish food or a fun dinnertime conversation idea, please leave it in the comments.
It’s been a whirlwind. We just got back from our frugal cruise to Mexico (Pictures later) and flew to Norfolk, VA for the filiming of our segment with the 700 club. The hotel we are staying at is gorgeous! It’s all decorated in a colonial style with crystal chandelliers and fireplaces everywhere. The food is amazing and the people are some of the kindest around. Here are some photos of the hotel.
Our room at the Founder’s Inn. Historical Williamsburg is close by.
This is just part of the lobby at the Inn.
Another room in the Lobby. The crystal chandeliers, Persian Rugs, and Fireplaces are everywhere!
The View out our hotel room window. The Inn is made of several buildings including a 2 story fitness center with a heated indoor lane pool. I wish I had brought my suit!
We started this morning bright and early in makeup and then off to the hair stylist. Before that the wardrobe consultant helped me choose the most flattering pieces of clothing I own for the various shoots we will take.
All Done!
Setting up for the first shot in Teeters Grocery Store. The camera man, James, is getting ready to finish medical school as an OB GYN and hopes to use his skills back in the mission field. Lori is next to him and is producing this segment. She really has a way of puttng people at ease. I’m giving my belly a little good luck rub and Nicole Harris is right next to me, staying calm. She’s amazing! And I’m so happy I got to be in her space today.
We’re setting up for an outside intro shot here. This is one of the few belly shot pictures I have, lol. Little Grant is growing along nicely. It’s hard to belive we’ll meet him in less than 12 weeks! I have more shots of the hotel that I’ll post later and cruise shots too, but for now I’m ready to get some rest.
Hi Friends, This month is all about going back to the basics on shrinking your grocery bills! I am in Virginia Beach right now shooting segments for the 700 club which will air at 9:00 am Eastern or 8:00 am central on CBN. (For stations and show times click here.) To help kick off our month I’m reposting an excerpt from an article I wrote last summer for The Nester. It’s some of my best work and I wanted all our new readers to have it:
With the Grocery Shrink method, we recommend families work their food budget down to $50 per person per month or $200 for the average 4 person family. We don’t use a lot of coupons but focus on savvy shopping and using what we have. Fruits and vegetables are a definite must, as are whole grains, and naturally raised meats. If baking your own breads and pitas and cooking without boxed mixes feels overwhelming, we will show you how easy and nutritious it can be!
I have 5 children that I home school while I work from home. I understand how busy life is and still use a $50 per person budget of $350 for our family. Believe it or not, I had money leftover last month which I will use to stock up on necessities for the future. I’ve met lots of frugal mama’s in the internet world and firmly believe anyone can do what I do and do it better. Here are 10 basic tips to give you a head start on your grocery slashing journey:
1. Switch over to cash only for groceries. Decide what you can afford to spend every month and put that amount in cash in an envelope. When the cash is gone, you are done shopping until next month. Studies show using cash reduces spending by 30%! And you will always know when you are near the end of your budget. I keep my cash in a couon organizer like tihs one, a sewing pattern available on etsy from isew. This allows me to easily get money from several budget categories in one store.
2. Inventory what you have on hand. You may have a little or a lot, but it’s important to use up what you have before it goes bad.
3. Look at the Grocery Ads and evaluate what the good deals are. Just because it’s in the ad doesn’t mean it’s a good deal. Just because it’s a good deal for that item, doesn’t mean you should buy it. For example, I’ve seen a local chain advertise a “low price guarantee” on an item and noticed that the same item was less expensive a few weeks ago. It was the lowest price in the area for that day, but another day you will find a much better price. Buy as much as you can afford of the items that are their lowest price ever. Aim for 6 months worth of non-perishable food in your pantry.
Also consider that while frozen hash brown potatoes will go on sale for $1 for a 2 lb bag but real fresh potatoes will go on sale for $1 for 10lbs. Fresh potatoes are a much better deal and healthier too.
4. Before hitting the stores, check www.becentsable.net and see if there are any coupons available to match with the sale items you are planning to purchase. They will tell you what coupons match up with the sales and where to find the coupon in your paper or where to print it online.
6. Learn to make something new from scratch to save money and improve health. You can make yogurt in your crock-pot. Sprouts take 1 minute a day to grow and are ready to eat in just 3 days! You can make 100% whole wheat bread at home that is soft, sliceable and with a fine crumb. Try homemade tortillas, granola, or pitas. You can always go back to buying them, but you may find you prefer your own.
7. Make the foods you used to enjoy in a restaurant, at home. Pizza, grilled stuffed burritos, Fettuccini Alfredo, spinach queso, submarine sandwiches. . . you name it, you can make it.
8. Pack leftovers for the working spouse’s lunch. Taking a lunch instead of buying it saves about $2,000 a year! I pack my husband’s lunch before serving the meal. That way I am guaranteed to have enough for him.
9. Take food with you when you run errands. Then eat your picnic lunch instead of stopping for fast food. Look how easy it is!
10. Reevaluate your necessities. Toilet paper, sanitary napkins, diapers, baby wipes, paper towels, dinner napkins, and paper plates all have washable, reusable counterparts. If you don’t sew, old t-shirts cut into squares do not require a hem since they don’t ravel. They are super soft and make great washable toilet wipes or face tissues. Homemade cleaning supplies are inexpensive, effective and environmentally friendly. Click here to get my favorite recipes: www.groceryshrink.com
10a. Also think about the foods we buy that are treats, things like ice cream, cookies, cakes, crackers, soda, chips, and juice. While these items do not contribute to our health, it’s okay to have them for a rare treat once in a while. The average American family spends enough on these types of foods each year that they could take a family vacation on a Caribbean cruise ship just by forgoing the pleasure and saving the money they would have spent in a trip fund! It’s amazing what can be saved just by letting rare treats be rare treats.
P.S. It’s easy to overlook what food you can grow at home. We have a small yard in the city but found space in our flower beds for organic herbs and vegetables. It’s fun to step out the door and gather fresh organic food to serve immediately. If you can grow enough, canning and freezing fresh produce for winter use is easier than it sounds. My favorite resource is the Ball Blue Book.
This is just the tip of what we do over at the Grocery Shrink. You’ll find our blog which daily posts new money saving ideas and projects; a forum where you can talk to other frugal folks; and a weekly newsletter that reports reader tips and questions, encouragement for you on your frugal journey, recipes, and highlights from the blog and forum. I can’t wait to see you over there!
