Yeah livin the raw deal, three course meal: spaghetti, fettuccine, and veal. - Puff Daddy, "All About the Benjamins"
After shelter, food is usually the biggest item on your budget. So how do you cut costs on food?
The biggest weapon in the war against overspending on food is menu planning. How do you do it? Well, you’re on the internet right now and that truly is half the battle. Check out the weekly ads for a few grocery stores in your area. Write down produce that you like that’s on sale and do the same for the meat and fish*.
In this example, let’s say that these items are on sale at our local store this week: 10 lb bags of potatoes, eggplant, peppers, avocado, and English muffins.
Now, take a look at your calendar for the week. Working late on Tuesday? Try to find a crockpot recipe that you can start in the morning. Having dinner out on Friday? Don’t plan anything for that day. Catered lunch at work on Monday? Ditto.
Now, take a look into your fridge and cupboards. Write down anything that you’ve got and need to use up. Also make a note of anything that you’ll need like milk, eggs, etc.
Let’s say you have a few cans of beans and some shredded mozzarella.
A little Googling, a little search around some recipe sites and here’s the menu that I came up with:
Just a note – the menu assumes that you already have the basics in your house: salt, pepper, flour, spices, etc. If you don’t have those things, no worries, but you really should have those things, get it together.
Use my handy planner to get started! Free printables are on the Mind On Your Money Pinterest page.
Breakfasts: Either avocado toast, cereal and milk or Egg McMuffin sandwiches
Lunch: Kale salad with apples and sunflower seeds or leftovers
Sunday: Penne alla Norma
Monday: Aloo Phujia with tons of green beans
Now that you have a menu to work from, make a list of the items that you’ll need.
Now, the hardest part: Go to the store and ONLY BUY WHAT’S ON THE LIST. If you’re really cutting back and really don’t trust yourself then only take cash. I did it for years! And more than once I’ve suffered the indignity of having to put an item back because I didn’t have enough money. It happens, you’ll live, I promise.
After you’ve gotten the hang of basic menu planning, you opt for theme nights like Taco Tuesday or Mushroom Monday to make the planning easier. We have had Breakfast for Dinner on Tuesday for many, many years.
I also do my best to incorporate one very low cost meal per week, usually a riff on beans and rice like…uh…beans and rice with tortilla chips and salsa or mujadara with pita and hummus. You’ll find what works for you and your family.
*My family and I abstain from meat for ethical reasons, so my recipes will always skew that way. Also, I enjoy cooking from scratch and try to only eat food that is recognizable as…food. No dinosaur shaped nuggets, etc.
We almost always have a quesadilla night...and it's always a good way to get rid of leftovers without making them seem like leftovers. Just about anything is delicious slapped between tortillas with some melty cheese. I also try to budget my meats, because like you said, it's one of the most expensive items on your list. I buy the very best, most humanely raised I can get, so it's even more costly, but I try to stretch it and make it the accent to a meal, not the star.
ReplyDeleteYes! Or a big frittata with whatever's left in the fridge. Throwing food away makes me so ticked off.
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