Do you find that way too much of your budget is going toward food? Whether it’s groceries, eating out or lunches for work, it’s easy to let this area of your budget get out of hand. Through meal planning, I was able to save my family $200 last month!
How it Works
Before I dive into just how much I saved and where, here’s a brief overview of how meal planning works for me. Each Monday, I sit down and plan out my meals for the week.
I start by taking a look at my calendar and figuring out how many meals I will need. Next, I take a look at what ingredients I still have in the house. I base a meal or two on these items so that I can use them up before they go bad.
Next, I spend some time on Pinterest finding a couple new recipes to try. Finally, I fill in the gaps with a few of my go-to meals. As I am planning, I write down a grocery list of everything I’ll need.
Fewer Trips to the Store
Before I got back into meal planning, I would decide what I wanted to make for dinner the day of. This meant I never planned ahead before grocery shopping, so I ended up going to the store 3 or more times a week.
You’ll find that the more trips you take to the store, the more money you spend. Each time you go, you end up picking up an extra item or two. By meal planning and making a list before hitting the store, you can better stick to your budget and avoid impulse buys.
By meal planning and making one trip to the store each week, I save an average of $75 a month!
Less Wasted Food
Like I mentioned earlier, during my meal planning session I check what ingredients I have in the house already. For example, a couple weeks ago I made enchiladas for dinner. I didn’t use up the entire package of tortillas, so the following week I made tacos.
Leftovers for Lunch
I purposefully make more food than we will need so that Andrew and I can both have leftovers to reheat for lunch the next day. Before I started doing this, Andrew would usually eat out or buy extra food to make at work. By taking leftovers we save at least $50 a week just on his lunches!
As for me, I used to struggle with what to eat for lunch each day. Usually I would find something to eat around the house, but I still went out and grabbed something once or twice a week. Now, I rarely eat out. This saves me about $10 a week.
Eat Out Less
We also set a goal to eat out less. We had been going out around two times a week, once for date night and at least once with friends. Now I plan special meals to cook for date night and we just go out once a month or so.
We still go out with friends occasionally, but we try to do other things like potlucks or just going out for dessert or drinks. By only going out a couple times a month, we save at least $50 a month.
Using Sales and Coupons to Save More
Another step I recently added to my meal planning process was to check out sales and coupons as I made my list. I check the sales ad for my grocery store and then check what coupons I got in the mail or are available on my grocery store’s coupon app. I also just started using (referral link) Ibotta to get rebates. I’ve been using it for two weeks and already got $15 back!
So by using coupons and planning meals around sale items, I save at least $25 a month. This is an area I have a lot more room to grow in, too, since I could start looking for coupons more than I am and continue to use Ibotta.
Do you meal plan? What are some ways that it saves you money? If you haven’t started meal planning yet, why not?
Emily says
Tips I need for sure. I have got to get better about meal planning, especially with the baby coming. I don’t want to need to make multiple trips out to the store. I mean Target yes but not the grocery haha
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
Just cutting back on how many trips I make to the store saves me SO MUCH. It’s crazy how it adds up each time you go and pick up a couple of extra items.
Cascia Talbert says
I meal plan all the time and it saves us a ton of money, plus we are eating healthier too. In fact, I have a free book on my site on how families can do simple meal planning, to save time, money and eat healthier. Have a great week!
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
Meal planning is the best! Thanks for sharing.
Emily Anne says
I’ve been working on meal planning myself. I actually don’t have a family to feed, but my eating habits have not been very healthy as of late. I’ve been eating out WAY too much, because I get too busy, so I eat on the go. Not the greatest way to do it. I’m working on getting better about meal planning ahead of time. Thanks for this post! Great tips!!
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
I started meal planning when I was single, too. Even when you are cooking for one it saves money and helps you eat better!
Hannah says
Thanks so much for sharing! We recently started meal planning also and it’s saved us a ton of money. It’s much less tempting to eat out when there’s yummy food already in the fridge. I also sometimes make extra food to freeze for lunches so I don’t feel as much pressure to eat the same thing 5 days in a row!
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
That is such a smart idea to freeze leftovers for a future lunch! My husband never minds eating leftovers but I usually don’t like to eat the same thing for days in a row. I’m going to try that!
Lynn B. says
One of my favorite subjects. Meal planning is so rewarding in many ways. Great post.
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
It’s one of my favorites, too! I love saving money and always knowing what to make for dinner.
Alexis @ Chemistry Cachet says
When my husband started his law enforcement academy, I decided to start meal planning and only going to the store once a week. I used to go all the time, anytime I wanted and would just spend too much. It has been so helpful meal planning. Great tips!! Thanks for sharing!
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
Just going once is probably one of the biggest money savers for me! When I didn’t plan ahead, I’d go several times and pick up little “extras” each time. Those really add up!
Liz says
Meal prep saves me SO much money!! I try to convince everyone to do it 🙂
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
As you can tell, I always try to convince people to do it, too! Saving money is one of my favorite things about it, but I love the time it saves too. It’s great to avoid multiple trips to the store or spending time every evening trying to figure out what to make for dinner.
Elizabeth Mayberry says
Yay! So great. I love seeing people do this! At this time in our lives we are okay with paying more for food because we don’t have the time to really try to cut back. we are prioritizing other things (like me working two jobs and also time together & with friends so cooking is tat the bottom! lol) But I love seeing all these! Maybe one day I’ll be able to do this!
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
Meal planning and cooking definitely takes time, so it’s not for every season! I’m glad you figured out what works for you right now.
Tayrina Gonzalez says
Great tips! I’m going to start doing some meal planning. Thanks for sharing!
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
That’s great! I hope these tips are helpful for you.
Angela @Setting My Intention says
Meal planning has really made life easier. I’m a recent convert. It has helped us stay on budget since we don’t order pizza last minute, and takes the stress of the 5pm cries from my sons of “What’s for dinner mom?”
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
Absolutely! If I don’t plan ahead and have options for the week, I’m way more likely to be lazy when dinnertime goes around and want to go out or order take out.
Jenna Owens (@aSavoryFeast) says
I always have a hard time just cooking for myself, too! But if you need lunch the next day you could have the extra food as leftovers. That makes it more worth it to spend the time cooking for one!