We all know that we try to save more on our grocery bill since groceries are expensive.
If you have a large family, this can be especially true.
If you are trying to save more on your weekly or monthly food bill, a fundamental strategy is proper meal planning.
When you implement an organized meal plan, not only will you save more money, you will also save time.
Who wants to spend all their time running back and forth to the grocery store?
So I’ll show you how to save money by meal planning. Because saving your money is important.
Plus, meal planning for families is a great way to save your hard earned money.
And, when you learn how meal planning saves money, you won’t be wasting food and more trips to the store.
Here are some ways how meal planning saves money.
Prevents You From Purchasing Items You Do Not Need
By taking the time to decide what ingredients, and the quantity that you need for each meal, you can create a detailed grocery list to take with you on your shopping spree.
By sticking to the list and checking to make sure you have every ingredient you will prevent having to return to the supermarket for items that were overlooked. This will save more of your time and hard-earned money.
Without a list, you can become confused and distracted and end up with odds and ends that you don’t need or incomplete meals.
Or like me, with several extra items like cookies or cakes!
Taking the extra time every week to compile a list is a little work but will save you money. And that’s why meal planning to save money is one great reason to meal plan!
Save money by meal planning this week by starting with a list of recipes and the ingredients you need for each of them.
Enables You To Repeat Ingredients For Multiple Meals
When you are creating your meal plan, try to choose recipes where you can use the same ingredients for multiple meals.
Save money on meal planning for families by purchasing rice, pasta, beans, soups, tomato sauces, and canned vegetables. They are a great way to stretch your dollar to save more.
Items like these can be repeated in several dishes such as different casseroles, multiple Mexican and Italian dishes.
BONUS DOWNLOAD
Want to plan your weekly meals with less hassle?
Download these FREE Meal Plan Templates and you'll get your meals and shopping list organized in just minutes.
You can reduce your grocery bill by purchasing these staple foods rather than the more expensive already prepped meals and you’ll get more meal for your money.
Buying staple foods is a great way on how meal planning saves money.
Helps You Keep Food Waste Down
Have you made meals where you had leftovers? What did you do with them?
Many times when we are not planning correctly, we tend to overestimate the ingredients we need.
How meal planning saves money is that you can figure out exactly how much your family eats and how much or many of the ingredients you need to purchase.
If you have extra, make sure to save it. These are my favorite meal prep containers! They really help us from wasting leftovers.
Right after dinner, I pile up the leftovers in these containers and I immediately put them in the freezer. Then I don’t have to worry about the leftovers going bad or going to waste. This is just one way we save more by not letting our leftovers go to waste.
Don’t let fresh produce spoil; instead, chop up the vegetables when you buy them and put the ones you will not use right away into the freezer.
This is one way to save money on meal planning for families because those veggies won’t get lost in the fridge.
By saving and utilizing your ingredients, you will discover that you will need to buy less on your next trip to the supermarket. It’s a great way to save money by meal planning!
Save More Time – Encourages You To Get In And Out Of The Store Quicker
Alright, this is a no-brainer people. The more time you spend in the store, the more money you are going to spend.
Unfortunately, many people do not understand this concept. If you want to save more, spend less time!
Ever wonder why you don’t see a lot of clocks in the grocery store? The answer is simple they don’t want you to know what time it is. Store owners want to keep you in the store if they can.
When you already have an organized grocery list to go with your meal plan, you will be able to get in and get out fast.
BONUS DOWNLOAD
Want to plan your weekly meals with less hassle?
Download these FREE Meal Plan Templates and you'll get your meals and shopping list organized in just minutes.
I’ve even tried timing myself to see how fast I can get in and out of the store. I often make a game of it with the kids that way I am truly focused on getting just what I need. One child holds the clock and tells me how long I have left until my time is up. They encourage me and the goal of just buying what I need and it helps my budget!
Have you tried the clock game? It’s one way to save money on meal planning with your families!
Plus when I meal plan, I actually choose easier meals using my Crockpot or my Instapot! They save me loads of time by not having to slave over a hot stove. A win-win for me!
Enables Better Organization
Having an organized freezer, refrigerator, and pantry comes from excellent meal planning.
Staying organized is the best way to save money on meal planning for families. If the food is organized, it’s easier to create and prepare meals.
Save more money by keeping similar ingredients organized together, you will be able to keep track of what you have and will be able to create better meal plans.
If you clutter these areas up with items that you don’t need or are mismatched, then you are doing yourself a disservice.
Your meal planning will run a lot smoother with proper organization.
Take a few minutes every week to scan through your kitchen and make sure everything is organized.
There it is folks. You can save money by meal planning.
I challenge everyone to try and use these simple ideas to save more on their food costs.
Implementing a meal plan is a sure way to get control of your food budget and finances.
So I hoped you’ve learned how to save money by meal planning. Because saving your money is important.
Plus, meal planning for families is a great way to save your hard earned money.
And, when you learn how meal planning saves money, you won’t be wasting food and more trips to the store.
It isn’t hard to start using these ideas today.
YOUR TURN: What meal item would you like to save more on? Let me know in the comments below!
