Do Some Meal Planning to Save Money (and Time)
Groceries have been in the spending spotlight the last few months as we’ve stockpiled (often marked-up) shelf stabilized goods and haven’t had the opportunity to dine out. If you’ve gotten into the meal-prep groove, awesome. I’ve had a different experience.
I noticed that being crunched for time with work and toddler, J and I turned to the same meals over and over. I got really sick of eating the same things and did a complete 180. I went too far in the other direction and started spending way too much precious evening time pinning Pinterest recipes that were complicated and time consuming and left me frustrated and ready to order pizza (again).
We’ve since found our groove. Here’s what’s worked for us as far as meal planning to save money and time.
Have themed nights!
First and foremost, themed nights! Thinking of our week in Meatless Monday, Taco Tuesday, and Pasta Party Friday helped us get creative but keep it simple. It might sound silly but deciding what kind of taco is a lot easier than choosing from any meal idea under the sun.
It saves us mental energy, time consuming grocery lists and we still get to save money with meal planning.
Build in the time for meal planning each week.
Just as we have to create the time for our Money Parties, we also have to create the time for meal planning (but luckily, a lot less time!). Setting a recurring calendar reminder for fifteen or twenty minutes works best for us so don’t we don’t forget to do it.
It can be tempting to try to improvise in the grocery store, but this all but guarantees that we’ll leave with too many snacks, not enough ingredients for meals, or too much perishable food that we’ll end up throwing away (and feeling guilty about wasting). Believe me, I’ve been there. Many times.
Keep it simple.
I have a tendency to turn to beautiful recipe inspiration from Pinterest, food bloggers and friends’ social media accounts. Tackling too many of these complicated recipes leaves J and I feeling defeated in a kitchen filled with dirty dishes.
That’s why we came up with a new rule: keep it simple. If it seems too complicated, we skip it.
At the end of the day, it’s your meal plan, so think about what types of meals and cooking experiences bring you the most joy. Simple recipes often offer the best of all worlds: they make use of ingredients we have on hand, they don’t require a lot of time in the kitchen, and they can be really delicious. Plus the meal planning saves us money!
It’s okay to improvise.
I’m a lot better at this step than J. He’s very particular when it comes to his ingredients. I’m not afraid to leave out or substitute ingredients we don’t have. If we’re out of a spice a quick google search will give me my next best option. Dinner at our house is not a top chef competition.
When making your grocery list, leave out ingredients you don’t need or won’t use very often. Even spices go bad, so don’t spend a lot of money on something that won’t get a lot of mileage in your kitchen.
Double the recipe.
This step needs very little explanation. If we have enough of the ingredients, doubling a recipe gives us double the meals for the same-ish amount of work. Then we can freeze the leftovers to heat up and enjoy another day.
Having meal options in the freezer allows us to have some variety while not adding the to meal prep workload that week. If you want to get extra nerdy about it (like I do), you can even label the frozen meal containers to keep track of what you have.
Shop smart.
With almost any recipe, you’ll need a combination of pantry staples and fresh ingredients. As you start planning your meals, keep a running list of which pantry ingredients you use most often. Items like olive oil, vinegars, salt and pepper, and spices are common.
In some cases, it’s cheaper to buy non-perishable foods from online vendors like Thrive Market, so do some quick price comparisons before you head to the store. Or, check out community supported agriculture (CSA) programs in your area to buy fresh, high-quality ingredients directly from local farms and farmers. If you’re interested in sustaining your local growers and knowing more about where your food comes from, buying a share in a CSA is a great way to do that.
Regroup and improve.
After your first few weeks of meal planning, take a step back and think about what went well and didn’t. This is a step that’s easy to skip but can make a big difference.
What aspects did you find most enjoyable? What parts were the least fun? Which meals did you like best? Which ones were the most fun to cook? Answering these questions can help you determine which recipes you want to make again and which you can leave behind.
Finally, take a look at your grocery store spending. How did you do? If you spent more than you wanted to, what are some ways you can cut down? If it felt like you didn’t have enough variety in your meals, how can you incorporate new ingredients?
We can use meal planning to save money and time. With some thoughtful planning it can also be healthier for us and we don’t have to sacrifice having delicious meals. Win-win. The whole process will get easier and more efficient with practice! I’d love to hear what strategies you use for your own meal planning.