I started this group because a lot of people wanted to learn how I eat well on such a small budget. Frankly, a lot of people dont believe its possible! So I thought Id share with you what Im doing today to save money in June: menu planning. Its a bit of work, but once done, its done. And it saves me a TON of money every month. I do it monthly instead of weekly because it allows me to plan long term--and if youve been to one of my classes in years past you know that long term planning is the key to saving lots of money. So heres my process: I sit down with a notebook and a couple of cookbooks or recipe sites open. I start by making a list of those basic meals you know you make every month. For us thats things like fajitas, garlic chicken, homemade pizzas, and so on. Theres usually six to eight of those. Then I flip through the cookbooks and recipe sites (and sometimes Pinterest) to remember the things Ive had lately that arent necessarily in the tried and true heavy rotation, and to find new recipes I want to try. I fill these into the list, until I have about fifteen to twenty meals. Now, I practice bulk cooking, which means when I cook, I make enough for two or three meals worth. This means I dont need to cook as often, which saves me time and money, because Im not as tempted to eat out when Im tired. (Because dinner is in the freezer.) It also saves me money because I can buy meats and supplies in bulk, while on sale, and take full advantage of the discount. I then plug this list into a calendar for the month. Im revamping my spring/summer menu plan, but usually once Ive got the plan done Ill reuse it for several months. The other beauty of a plan is that it is very flexible--you have what you need on hand for anything on your list, so you can move it around at will. Dont feel like lasagna tonight? Pick something else from the list. Not a huge deal. And now youve avoided the temptation to eat out because you were bored/tired/blah. Most people who menu plan for the month save $50-$100 with this step alone! So, do you menu plan? Or is this new to you? Any questions about it?
Posted on: Sat, 31 May 2014 18:59:52 +0000
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