Does Meal Planning Save Money? The answer is yes! From significantly reducing food waste, to eat eating more meals at home, meal planning is one of the best ways to save money on your family budget.
How to Save Money by Meal Planning Your Weekly Meals
Meal planning seems daunting to many of us and most people have a lot of questions; how do I start? Will I actually save money? How will I save money? So, to give you an idea of how to save money when meal planning, we’ve put together a list of tips and tricks for you to follow.
One of the number one ways we are wasting our money is by wasting food. The second way we are wasting money is by eating out.
- The number one way we waste food and money is by throwing away our leftovers. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), around one-third of all food produced in the world for human consumption is lost or wasted every year. A significant portion of this food waste is due to throwing away leftovers and other uneaten food.
Create a Weekly Meal Plan
Here is one of our best resources to create your own meal plan —> Plan Weekly Meals – FREE Printable Guide
First things first, sit down and create a week-long meal plan. Monday through Sunday. As tedious as this sounds, this can be made a fun activity for the whole family. Instead of one person picking all the meals, get everyone to pick at least one meal they want. Whether it’s their favorite or one they want to try this is a great way to get all the family involved and happy for at least one meal. Once this is done, you’ll be able to see what ingredients you will need and which ones can be used in multiple meals.
Try to create a 5 day meal plan that will use leftovers for the additional 2 days.
Don’t forget to include all side dishes, breakfast, lunch and snacks for the week. Plan for breakfast and lunch: Plan meals for breakfast and lunch as well, instead of relying on expensive takeout or fast food.
Write Out Your Weekly Shopping List
Once you have worked out what meals you want to make over the next week, write each ingredient that you do not have into your printed shopping list. Write this down into your list, sectioning it into meats, frozen foods, bakery, canned goods, etc. If there are ingredients which you can use in multiple meals this will mean there will be a way for you to save money. Whether it’s buying a slightly bigger chicken for the Sunday chicken roast so you are able to have chicken salad sandwiches for a few days – or buying a bigger package of ground beef and some beans to turn a spaghetti with meat sauce into a delicious chili.
That brings us on to our next step and one of our favorite ways to save money:
Use Ingredients which Can Be Used for More Than One Meal
When it comes to creating a meal plan, writing all the meals for the week down will help you see what ingredients you will need. Trying to buy ingredients which can be used throughout a number of your meals will help keep your costs down. For example: one family member wants to spaghetti with meat sauce and another wants to have chili. Instead of having one at the beginning of the week and one at the end, why not have them one day after the next. This way you can purchase a larger package of ground beef (which will work out cheaper than two smaller portions) and use in both recipes. Cook the ground beef in onions and garlic and add in the tomato sauce. Once you have portioned out the spaghetti sauce, simply add a couple of cans of beans and chili seasoning to the other half for the chill the next day.
Use leftovers: Plan meals that use leftovers from previous meals. This can help reduce food waste and save you money on groceries.
Stick to Your Grocery List While Shopping
Everyone can be tempted by those extras you walk past in the supermarket. It’s important though you try to stick to your list as well as possible if you want to save money when food shopping. The occasional extra or a good multibuy is great every once in a while but the constant throwing of extras in the buggy is where the money really adds up. If you want to give the kids some treats, ask them what one chocolate bar/ice cream flavor they want but try not to by any more than that. Make a treat a treat. This way your shopping bill will stay low but your family will stay happy!
Buy Cheaper Brands
It’s really easy to be sucked in by high branded products with a well-known name. However, by simply going to a store’s own brand products rather than popular brand products. Also researching into which supermarket near you is best priced is another great tip. By doing this and all the other tips on this list will save you some money when it comes to meal prepping.
Buy Staples in Bulk
Buying staple ingredients like rice, beans, and pasta in bulk can save you money in the long run. You can save a ton of money and not tempt takeout when you can cook a box of rotini pasta and add in some red sauce or leftover veggies. Don’t have red sauce or veggies? Add some canned tuna fish and green peas. Top with shredded cheddar cheese.
Have More Meatless Meals
Use cheaper proteins than meat: Consider using cheaper proteins like beans, lentils, and tofu instead of expensive meats 2-3 time per week to save money.
Meal Planning Accessories
When it comes to meal planning, prepping and organizing your meals, food storage is a really big, important factor.
Food storage accessories are so important to making the meal planning process super easy and convenient. So, we’ve created a list of all the meal planning essentials that you should add to your kitchen. Not to mention that using reusable storage means you’ve done your part to helping the planet.
Check out our list of our top 10 kitchen must haves to make your meal planning routine even easier than you thought it would be.
Sturdy Reusable Sandwich Bags – https://amzn.to/41pae0T
Reusable bags are a great way to store the food that you want to eat the next day or later on in the week. If you can, try and get the leak-proof ones. Most of these will have a seal which will stop liquids from spilling out, so whether you’re having a fresh, chicken salad or last night left over chili-con-carne, you can be sure the inside of your bag will stay dry.
Freezer Bags
Freezer bags are a must have when doing meal planning. These are an easy and convenient way to keep leftover food and store it in the freezer. Using freezer bags rather than boxes takes up less room which means more meal planning and freezing for you.
Measuring Cups
If you want to make sure you’re getting the right portion sizes for meal planning, measuring cups are your friend. Portion control will give you the correct portion sizes and eliminate waste – therefore always saving you money.
Glass Storage Containers
Glass storage containers of different sizes are another helpful piece of equipment to have in your cupboards. Whether you use them for freezing, breakfasts, lunches or as snack holders for your bags, they’ll always come in handy. We love glass storage containers because you never have to worry about the overuse of plastics and glass lasts a very long time. Glass storage containers also help you to see what you’re storing!
Tin Foil
Tin foil is one of the greatest but most forgetful cooking accessory. When cooking fish, chicken, chops or vegetables, wrapping them in tin foil keeps the moist and flavorful. It’s also great for when it comes to storing food. Simply wrap your half cut onion or tomorrows sandwiches in some and pop them in the fridge and you’ll be sure they’ll stay fresh and yummy.
Mason Jars
Mason jars are great for breakfast or lunch storage. If you find yourself in a rush in the morning before work and sometimes skipping breakfast, look no further. Mason jars are a great way to store homemade granola and overnight oats. Simply prep the night before or a few days in advance and all you have to do is grab and go. Love salad for lunch? Simple prep your easy mason jar salads the night before a busy day.
Slow Cooker
Purchasing a good slow cooker is a great investment. You can pop all your ingredients for a few days’ worth of meals in one go in the morning before you head to work or university and then you’re done. Using a slow cooker like this means you don’t have to worry about cooking your dinner after a long, hard day of work. With the extra food cooked you can either save it by popping it in the fridge for the next few days or using your freezer bags to save for a few weeks’ time.
Thermal Flasks/Containers
Investing in good quality thermal flasks/containers is another useful investment. If you enjoy and want to make homemade soup to take to work but don’t want the hassle of having to use a microwave or don’t have one in your staff room, these will be your life saver. Simply heat up your soup in a bowl the morning before you leave, then place the hot soup into your thermal flask and you’re good to go for up to 12 hours.
Mini Cooler Bags
If you want to have cooked meats or meals that need to be refrigerated but don’t have a fridge or work or going on a long trip, mini cooler bags are what you need. Coming in different sizes and cool patterns, you’ll be able to keep your delicious food at an even more delicious temperature.
Nutribullet
Though a little more on the pricey side, buying a Nutribullet (or any other smoothie maker) is a really good idea. You don’t just have to use this to make smoothies, they are really useful for making homemade soup, hummus and many more. So for a one-time purchase piece of equipment, it’ll definitely show you it’s worth.
Produce Storage Guide For Meal Planners
How to Store Fresh Picked Strawberries
Save Money by Learning to Store Food Properly and Lessen Food Waster
Meal planning is a great way to save money AND time, especially if you have a busy lifestyle. Buying food in bulk is a great way to help in this process, though it can seem a little daunting when it comes to storing the food correctly.
We’ve put together a few lists for you to make those shopping trips less often and less worrying when it comes to prepping your food for the next few weeks.
Produce Which will Last Over a Week
Bulk buying food which will last you more than a week makes the rest of your shopping trips quicker for you and lighter for your wallet. Below is a list of food that can be used in a wide range of meals but that will keep in your cupboards/fridge for a respectable amount of time.
Vegetables:
- Potatoes
- Sweet Potatoes
- Onions
- Celery
- Parsnips
- Carrots
- Lemons
- Limes
- Turnips
Dairy:
- Butter
- Eggs
- Hard Cheese
Meat:
- Chicken
- Sausages
- Burgers
- Cooked sandwich meats (chicken, beef etc.)
As well as lasting well in the cupboards, all these ingredients are a great basis for a large mixture of meals not forgetting being full of great nutritional value. Don’t forget – you can also bulk buy the meats and cook them up, ready to each for lunches over the week.
Produce that will last a week (5-7 days)
Another great way to make your shops lighter is buying food that will last the whole week. Whether that’s sandwich fillings for lunches, fruit for snacks or meat to have with dinners, this list will have you sorted and full for the whole week.
Vegetables:
- Broccoli
- Cauliflower
- Cucumber
- Brussel Sprouts
- Egg Plant
- Mushrooms
- Leeks
- Bananas
- Oranges
- Apples
Dairy:
- Cottage Cheese
- Milk
Meat:
- Steaks
- Chops
- Bacon
The great things about these foods is the fact that they are super easy for snacks, great extras for bigger meals or even meals themselves. Some of these are even great to cook up ready for next day lunches, so you get two meals for the price of one!
Produce which will last only a few days (3-5 days):
Vegetables:
- Spinach
- Kale
- Tomatoes
- Asparagus
- (Cut) Onions
- Strawberries
- Raspberries
- Blueberries
Meat:
- Uncooked meats (usually 2-3 days)
- Cooked meats
Freezing/Freezable:
Another great way for saving time and money is freezing different foods. This is great for if you have had a hectic week and haven’t had a chance to go to the shops. If you have a few essentials in your freezer, it means you don’t have to worry if you don’t make it to the shops one week.
Vegetables/fruits:
- Frozen vegetable packets
- Frozen fruit packets
- Fruit smoothies
Meats:
- Chicken
- Fish
- Bread
- Soup
Tips and tricks:
Buying meat such as chicken, turkey, pork chops, lamb chops at the beginning of the month and freezing them will mean you will always have some ready for you to eat. Simply grabbing the meat out of the freezer the night before or the morning of and letting it defrost ready for dinner means no trip to the busy supermarket. Freezing the meat doesn’t change the taste and lightens any other shopping trips you have to make.
- Keeping produce in the fridge is also another great way of keeping it fresher for longer. The normal things such as most fruits and vegetables are probably things you put in the fridge without thinking, but next time try putting in your bananas, carrots, berries and avocados and you may just find you get a few more days out of them.
- Bread is a staple for most houses, whether it’s for toast in the mornings or sandwiches for lunch. Sometimes though, if there is only one or two of you living in the house, the bread does seem to turn bad quicker than you can eat it all. So, why not split the bread into portions in freezer bags and just grab the right amount when making sandwiches? This is a great way to save the bread and your money. If you do find you get through the loaf but it goes a bit stale towards the end of the week, try popping it into the fridge. This helps keeps the bread fresher for longer, just make sure you don’t push it too far to the back so it freezes!
Have questions on saving money meal planning? Just let us know!
Also Read The Importance of Meal Planning
The Benefits of Meal Planning
Benefits of Cooking and Eating at Home
How to Avoid Wasting Food
