How to Save Money with Meal Planning

Meal planning is an essential tool for anyone who wants to save money on their food expenses. It involves deciding what meals to prepare for the week ahead, making a shopping list, and buying only the necessary ingredients. By planning ahead, you can avoid impulse purchases and reduce food waste, which can help you save money in the long run.

One of the key benefits of meal planning is that it can help you eat healthier. By planning your meals in advance, you can ensure that you are getting a balanced diet with plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. You can also avoid the temptation to eat out or order takeout, which can be high in calories, fat, and sodium. By cooking meals at home, you can control the ingredients and portion sizes, which can help you maintain a healthy weight and reduce your risk of chronic diseases.

Understanding Meal Planning

Meal planning is the process of deciding on a week’s worth, or even a month’s worth of meals in advance. It involves selecting recipes, creating a shopping list, and preparing the ingredients before cooking. Meal planning helps to save money, reduce food waste, and make healthy eating more accessible.

Meal planning can seem daunting at first, but it doesn’t have to be complicated. There are several simple steps to follow:

1. Set a budget: Determine how much money you can afford to spend on groceries each week or month. This will help you to plan meals that are within your budget.
2. Choose recipes: Select recipes that are easy to make and use ingredients that are in season or on sale. Consider meals that can be made in large batches and frozen for later use.
3. Create a shopping list: Write down all the ingredients you will need for the week’s meals. Check your pantry and fridge to see what you already have on hand. Stick to your list when shopping to avoid impulse purchases.
4. Prep ingredients: Wash and chop vegetables, cook grains, and marinate meats in advance. This will save time when it comes to cooking the meals.
5. Cook and store meals: Cook the meals according to your plan and store them in the fridge or freezer. Label the containers with the date and contents to avoid confusion.

Meal planning can be tailored to suit individual needs and preferences. Some people prefer to plan meals for the entire week, while others plan for a few days at a time. It’s important to be flexible and make adjustments as needed.

If this all sounds a bit daunting, check out the bestselling Meal Plan Like A Boss Toolkit available in the shop that helps you with the entire process.

Benefits of Meal Planning to Save Money

Meal planning is a cost-effective way to manage food expenses. It involves creating a plan for meals and snacks in advance, which can help individuals save money by reducing food waste, preventing impulse buying, and reducing the frequency of eating out.

Minimises Food Waste

One of the primary benefits of meal planning is that it minimises food waste. By planning meals in advance, individuals can purchase only the necessary ingredients, reducing the likelihood of food going bad before it can be used. This can help save money by avoiding the need to throw away unused food.

Prevents Impulse Buying

Meal planning can also help prevent impulse buying. When you plan meals in advance, you can create a shopping list of the necessary ingredients. This can help avoid purchasing unnecessary items that may not be used or that can lead to overspending.

Reduces Eating Out

Eating out can be expensive, and meal planning can help reduce the frequency of eating out. By planning meals in advance, individuals can ensure that they have the necessary ingredients on hand to prepare meals at home. This can help save money by reducing the need to eat out, which can be a significant expense over time.

Overall, meal planning is an effective way to save money on food expenses. By minimising food waste, preventing impulse buying, and reducing the frequency of eating out, individuals can manage their food expenses and save money over time.

Steps to Effective Meal Planning

Meal planning is an essential aspect of saving money on food. Here are the steps to follow for effective meal planning:

Assess Your Budget

Before you start meal planning, it’s essential to assess your budget. Determine how much money you have to spend on groceries each week or month. This will help you plan your meals accordingly and avoid overspending.

You may find it helpful to transfer the grocery money into a separate part of your account, such as the savings pots offered by Starling Bank so that it can be kept separate from other spending. You may also wish to use the Cash Envelope System to budget for groceries.

Take Stock of Your Pantry / Kitchen Cupboards

Take inventory of your pantry and fridge before you plan your meals. This will help you identify the ingredients you already have and avoid buying duplicates. Additionally, it will help you use up ingredients that might go bad soon.

Plan Your Meals

Once you’ve assessed your budget and inventoried your pantry, it’s time to plan your meals. Choose recipes that use ingredients you already have, and plan meals that are easy to prepare and store. Consider themes for each day of the week, such as Meatless Monday or Taco Tuesday.

Create a Shopping List

After planning your meals, create a shopping list. Include the ingredients you need for each recipe, as well as any staples you’re running low on. Stick to your list and avoid impulse buys to stay within your budget.

Shop Smart

When shopping for groceries, be smart to save money. Look for sales and discounts, buy in bulk, and choose generic brands over name brands. Additionally, consider shopping at discount stores such as The Company Shop or markets for fresh produce at lower prices.

By following these steps, you can effectively meal plan and save money on food without sacrificing taste or nutrition.

Tips for Meal Planning on a Budget

When it comes to meal planning on a budget, there are several tips that can help you save money while still eating delicious and nutritious meals. Here are some key tips to keep in mind:

Buy in Bulk

Buying in bulk is a great way to save money on groceries, especially when it comes to non-perishable items like rice, pasta, beans, and canned goods. Consider purchasing these items in larger quantities, as they often come with a lower price per unit. Be sure to check the unit price on the label to ensure that you’re getting the best deal.

Utilise Leftovers

Another way to save money on meals is to utilise leftovers. Instead of throwing away food that you didn’t finish, try incorporating it into your next meal. For example, leftover chicken can be used in a salad or sandwich, and leftover vegetables can be added to a stir-fry or omelette. This not only saves you money but also reduces food waste.

Choose Seasonal Produce

Seasonal produce is often cheaper and more readily available than out-of-season produce. When planning your meals, consider incorporating fruits and vegetables that are in season. Not only will this save you money, but it will also ensure that your meals are fresher and more flavourful.

Consider Plant-Based Meals

Plant-based meals are often cheaper than meals that include meat. This doesn’t mean you need to buy any meat substitutes either – think meals that are naturally meat free such as pasta with tomato sauce, baked potatoes with cheese, cheese and vegetable bake and cauliflower cheese.

Emma’s Story: How Meal Plan Like A Boss saved her over £200 a month on grocery shopping!

Like many of us, Emma had to navigate the intricate world of meal planning while dealing with the added complexity of having picky eaters at home. As a working parent, she would regularly find herself making a last minute stop at the supermarket on the way home from work, where hunger and tiredness would lead to overspending and convenience over nutrition.

What’s more, because this last minute strategy didn’t allow for forward planning, Emma didn’t have the time or energy to think about buying ahead, so the cycle would be repeated several times a week.

“I must have been spending at least £50-£60 a week extra on top of what had already been spent on the weekly shop,” she said. “Despite doing an online order each week, we never seemed to have much in for our evening meals. But once I was in the shop I’d find myself picking up extras. It never seems much at the time but spending an extra £15 a day several times a week was over £200 over the course of the month!”

Emma’s turning point came when she stumbled upon Meal Plan Like A Boss. “I was so fed up of ending up in the supermarket or the local shop after work that it was the saving time element that appealed to me even more than the money. It was the promise of only going to the supermarket once or twice a month that really intrieged me. I was skeptical, but I thought at this point what have I got to lose?!”

After working through the Meal Plan Like A Boss System, Emma has managed to save on average an extra £200 a month by eliminating these extra shopping trips, plus she is spending far less time in the supermarket.

She says: “While I haven’t quite managed to cut down the shop to once a month, I have been able to stop all the last minute after work trips and just do one main grocery shop a week. This in itself has saved us over £200 and only takes a little bit of forward planning. I can’t believe it was so simple to change what I’d known for months was a bad habit. Now with the money saved we can enjoy a takeaway or a meal out guilt free!”

Sondrah’s Story: “I thought Meal Planning was for Type A Perfectionists”

Sondrah’s initial hesitation towards meal planning stemmed from the misconception that it was too rigid and inflexible for her busy lifestyle. As a parent juggling numerous responsibilities, she craved flexibility and spontaneity in her meal choices. The idea of adhering to a structured meal plan seemed unattainable.

However, this was leading to a reliance on takeaways and convenience foods more than she would have liked.

She says, “I always thought meal planning ahead meant having to stick rigidly to choices well in advance. In the past I’d always resisted this approach because I don’t like to dictate what I might want to eat a week in advance. I also wanted to plan my own recipes that I know my family like, and not have to stick to someone else’s plan. But what we were doing at mealtimes was clearly not working for us anymore.”

Sondrah encountered Meal Plan Like A Boss as part of the Ultimate Bundles Home Management Bundle in 2022. “I probably wouldn’t have gone out of my way to buy a Meal Planning toolkit on its own, but what appealed to me was noticing the promise that it wasn’t a set menu plan. In fact, it’s not a meal plan at all, it just shows you HOW to meal plan, using the meals of your own choice! I’d already got it as part of the bundle, so I decided to give it a try.”

Sondrah’s decision to embrace Meal Plan Like A Boss proved to be a game-changer. She experienced a newfound sense of empowerment and control over her meals without sacrificing the flexibility she valued. The program allowed her to plan meals that suited her family’s tastes while providing a framework for efficient grocery shopping and savings.

One of the standout features of Meal Plan Like A Boss was its ability to help Sondrah continue to be flexible with what to eat that day. “It’s more about preparation than sticking rigidly to a plan,” she says. “Now I have the ability to choose what we eat at short notice, knowing that there are several options prepped in the freezer thanks to the systems outlined. We definitely eat better now!”

So if you’ve ever felt daunted by the idea of meal planning, these stories shows that it’s never too late to give it a try and experience the positive changes it can bring to your life. You can click the link below to find out more about Meal Plan Like A Boss, or grab your free meal planning templates.

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