Is meal planning a part of your life, or something you are want to get started with? It’s one of the best ways to cook more meals, save money and save time. Today I’m going to share my process for meal planning and grocery shopping.
When I first moved out on my own and started cooking for myself, I developed my own meal planning system to save money. Honestly, I didn’t stick with it very well over the past year or two.
Andrew and I cook dinner at his house most nights of the week, but we don’t have much space for storing groceries. I also didn’t do a great job of planning ahead, so I would just grocery shop every time I cooked. This is a sure way to spend way too much money!
About a month ago we got engaged and have been planning our wedding. We are trying to save as much as we can during our engagement, so we started a budget together. I knew that we would save way more money if I planned our meals for the week and just went to the store once.
I have a 4-step process that I go through each week to plan our meals and grocery shop.
Step 1: Know how many meals you need to plan for.
Don’t skip this step! Having a general idea of how many meals you need to buy groceries for is important. If you don’t do this, you might buy too much and have to throw away something that goes bad, or you might not get enough and you’ll have to take another trip to the store.
Every week looks different for us, but I can usually plan on around 5 meals. To help with changes in our schedule, I make sure to keep the ingredients for some of our favorite meals in the house to throw together.
Step 2: Check out the store ads and coupons.
I check what meats are on sale first and try to plan some of my meals according to that. I also watch for items we use often, like boneless chicken or bacon, to go on sale so I can buy extra.
Most weeks I try to do most of my shopping at one store, so I choose the one with the best sales on items we like. If I have the time, I might stop by another store if they have a really good deal.
Step 3: Plan your meals.
You will probably have already planned a couple thanks to seeing what was on sale at the store. Fill out the rest of the week, and don’t forget to think about breakfasts, lunches and snacks.
When I first started meal planning, I wrote down every single meal I knew how to make. I really need to update this list soon! It’s partially in my head, partially on the blog and partially on Pinterest. Having a list makes it easier to sit down a pick out meals for the week.
As you pick your meals, make a list of what you need from the store. Try to plan some meals that use items you already have in the house to save more money!
Step 4: Do your shopping (on the same day every week!).
Try your best to have a set day to go grocery shopping. Getting on a schedule will help you stay organized and stick to your meal plan.
Having a shopping list will keep you on track and help you avoid impulse purchases. When I don’t have a list, I end up getting a bunch of things I don’t really need.
Do you meal plan? Share your tips in the comments!
Steph @Sustaining the Powers says
These are great tips! My process is fairly similar, though I tend to love sticking to themes for different nights of the week (Taco Tuesday or Pizza Night) so it makes deciding what recipes to make a bit less daunting.
I also really love getting my groceries delivered each week rather than needing to go to the store. I was spending so much time at the store and I’d end up buying so many things I didn’t have on my list. (Especially if hubby was with me.) I get to see the total cost ahead of time and adjust my cart if it’s too high without taking my calculator to the store. Wal Mart does a delivery service in my area for a flat fee of $5 and it’s worth every penny!
Jenna Brussee says
I knew you would have some great tips on this! I like the idea of theme nights. It would make planning a lot easier.
Getting your groceries delivered is a great way to save time and money. I can’t believe how inexpensive it is! For me, grocery shopping is almost therapeutic, so I don’t think I could give up going. It’s good for me to have a saving goal right now (my wedding) so I don’t let myself get anything extra!
Nina B says
These are great tips. I struggle in this area for sure!
Jenna Brussee says
I hope these tips will help! This is something that took a lot of time and dedication for me to succeed in, and I know you can too.
Chelsie Carr says
When Dustin and I were working on getting out of debt last year, I realized I needed to really start being serious about meal planning in order to cut down our grocery budget. My two main rules about meal planning are 1. if it’s not on my list, don’t buy it (exception if it’s a food staple I use a lot and it’s on sale) and 2. check my pantry first to make sure I don’t already have some of the ingredients (I once bought a bottle of Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce every grocery trip for a month and ended up with four bottles!)
Jenna Brussee says
Thank you for sharing those rules! I need to put them into practice. I am bad about checking ingredients. It can be hard since I basically have two pantries, one at my house and one at Andrew’s. It can be hard to remember to check both places before I go shopping.
Sarah @ Seriously, Sarah? says
My favorite thing for when I write my shopping list is to organize it by section (produce, cans, frozen). It saves a ton of time in the store. You’re so right that picking your recipes based on what meats are on sale are helpful, too! We asked for Lowe’s giftcards when we got married, so our big, extra freezer is the best thing we’ve ever bought. We can freeze extra meals and extra meat!
Jenna Brussee says
That is so smart to organize your grocery list! I do that a little, but usually I end up circling the store a couple times. And a big freezer is SO helpful! My parents have one and it saves so much money to be able to freeze more. I may need to think about asking for Lowe’s giftcards, too.
Sarah @ Seriously, Sarah? says
I resisted the organized for a long time just because you don’t want to turn into your mom, you know? Lowe’s gift cards were THE BEST. I already owned a townhouse, so we were able to get the freezer and a SILENT and a new dishwasher (the old one was not cleaning). So much better than formal plates that we didn’t need. My husband and I both already had fully stocked kitchens and all of that, so we didn’t need basics, though.