How to meal plan on a budget
Are groceries eating a hole in your bank account?
Been there! Groceries used to be the black hole in my budget. I wanted to eat and feed my family fresh, wholesome foods but I was spending way too much money and regularly throwing out a lot of spoiled food.
I knew something had to change.
So I went to work asking other women how they meal planned, researched solutions online (Jordyn Page was an awesome resource), talked with other women, and learned through trial and error.
And through it all, I’ve nailed down an awesome meal-planning process that allows me to buy wholesome foods without breaking the bank.
Ready to eat well, have a well-stocked pantry, and a happy wallet? Read on for my budget-friendly meal-planning process!
Meal planning on a budget
Step 1: Shop your stash
First up, I open up the freezer, fridge, and pantry to see what is already there, especially when it comes to perishables, meat, and fish.
Ideally, I will throw out old leftovers or anything that may have gone bad a this point as well. It’s a good accountability and reality check before unwittingly rushing headlong into a shopping crusade.
Pro tip: having an organized fridge, freezer, and pantry makes this a lot easier.
Step 2: Plan meals FIRST around what you already have
II know this sounds incredibly basic, but it has been a game-changer. Got some chicken thighs? We're having teriyaki chicken. Shrimp is in the freezer? Lemon broccoli shrimp skillet.
I typically plan my meals based on the protein (usually meat) and expiring perishables we have.
BONUS TIP: Paprika
I use an app called Paprika Recipe Manager. it's $4.99 and beyond worth it (not sponsored). You can download any recipe from the web (from inside the app which is really cool), or manually add one yourself. It keeps all my go-tos and recipes that I want to try in one place, which greatly simplifies my life.
You can also use it for meal planning and creating a grocery list, which is awesome!
Step 3: Plan the remaining dinners for the week
I usually plan 4-5 dinners for the week. I plan for takeout once and leftovers once or twice.
Additionally, I like to switch things up, so I'm always searching for new recipes to try.
If you're like me and need some inspiration, make sure you have my free meal calendar for a month's worth of well-balanced and healthy meal ideas to see if there's anything you want to try this week.
I would recommend that you avoid trying more than ONE new recipe a week. New recipes are time-consuming!
Step 4: Write down your meal plans somewhere you'll see them
I have a little blackboard in my kitchen where I write down the meals for the week, but you could simply put it on a note on your fridge or in your planner.
It's nice to have a visual because it stands as a reminder if I need to thaw chicken or do any prep before the afternoon/evening hits.
Nothing worse than making it 5 pm and then realizing you had a crock pot meal planned.
Step 5: Make a Grocery List
Duh, Ashlee. I know, I know. But just do it okay, it will save your poor sweet brain from handling one more thing. Not to mention it will help you stay on track money-wise.
Maybe it’s just me, but I CAN not allow myself to go to a grocery store without a list. Otherwise, I get overwhelmed, overstimulated, and leave the store forgetting important items I needed and bringing home items I definitely did not need.
Step 6: Choose a store or two... buckle up for this one
Grocery delivery is going to be the most convenient method, though not always the cheapest (usually the yearly price is reasonable), it's just regular tips that can get ya.
I used to use Walmart's delivery service and it was pretty good.
My biggest and extremely first-world struggle with it was that often there would be substitutions (and I'd miss the window of declining or changing it) or they'd simply be out of stock of something I needed so I would have to go to the grocery store anyways.
Same story with a pick-up (minus the tip, tip isn't usually expected for pick-up).
So then I would be paying a tip + still end up at the store (again very first world) but it happened enough that I was ready for a change.
So after trying a LOT of different things out, I typically either shop at the store or do grocery pick-up. And here are my overall strategies for choosing where to go.
Walmart:
Often the obvious choice and overall pretty cheap, but most cost-effective for nonfood items (cleaning supplies, toiletries, etc.).
Costco/Sam's Club:
Most cost-effective for diapers, gas, wipes, rotisserie chicken, butter, flour, sugar, and baking/cooking supplies that I buy in bulk.
However, these stores easily turn into a rabbit hole and quickly eat up our budget.
So I ONLY go there IF I need something extremely specific (like diapers and wipes) and then will get other cost-effective essentials if I need them (and will make a list ahead of time ideally).
But I do not just "go grocery shopping" at Sam's Club anymore because I will leave with 1000 things that were not on my list that I am now convinced I absolutely need including pajamas and a random jar of some kind of snack I've never even seen before.
Food Lion / Aldi / Sometimes Kroger (Smith's)/ basically local grocery stores:
Most cost-effective for actual food. You HAVE to sign up for the rewards programs though (they cost zero dollars).
I check the ads through their respective apps on my phone and then choose where to go, typically Food Lion, although many of my friends love Aldi. I go with my daughter while my son is at school or my husband stops by on his way home from work.
The KEY to grocery shopping and saving money
When there is a sale on a staple (especially meat or other protein foods), I buy AT LEAST TWO. Usually more. In that way, I have a stock that will carry me into the next week, and it was bought at a sale price. This has been absolutely key to saving money each month.
I learned this tip from Jordan Page and it’s been a game-changer.
I honestly never bought shrimp until I started following this method. Because it's been on sale regularly at Food Lion, we now have it stocked regularly. Through strategically stocking up on sale items, I've been able to get foods I actually am excited about at a great price.
Time is Money Too
One more thing to consider, you might be in a season of saving dollars, or a season of saving time. So if you're super limited on time, a delivery service or pick-up might be the way to go for you.
Consider all the factors and decide what is right for you.
