Ever since my husband and I were married 15 years ago, I've been planning our weekly menu. Even if I don't take the time to write things down, I still have a few meals in mind that would get us through the week. It's in my nature to be a planner so planning a menu was obvious for my own sanity.
But, even if you're more of an impromptu cook, today I'd like to touch on the importance of menu planning, or why planning a menu is important, no matter what your situation is. We're all busy people so the power of a plan can help each of us tremendously!
Here are four reasons on the importance of menu planning:
Our health
Our health should be one of our main concerns and one way to ensure good health is to eat well. Having a menu plan in place helps you avoid take out and those quick pre-made meals that may not be well rounded. With planned meals, you'll end up with a more balanced and nutritious diet.
Keeps the budget in check
Groceries cost a lot. Save yourself some financial stress by planning your meals and your shopping list based on what's on sale and what you already have in your pantry. With a menu plan in place, you only have to purchase the ingredients you need create the meals you've picked. That's how I only spent about $33 this week on groceries. (Though, I'm anticipating a quick trip to buy more milk and fruit later in the week.)
Your time is important too
Whether you work outside the home or you're a stay-at-home parent, we're all juggling a ton of activities on a daily basis. While planning a menu in the first place takes a little bit of time, it will definitely save you time in the end.
You will always have the ingredients you need to create a meal from your planned menu. No running to the store for a last minute item or opening the fridge and cupboards 500 times to figure out what to make for dinner.
Or realizing it's 5pm and you just spent an hour trying to find a great recipe when dinner could have already been on the table. With a plan in place, all you have to do is pick a meal from the list and make it!
Reduces waste
Have you ever bought food from the grocery store thinking you'll use it for something, but end up throwing it out instead? If you stick to the grocery list that you created based on your planned meals, you won't be purchasing anything that you won't use. In turn, you'll be creating less waste, both in the food sense and financial sense!
I believe that the importance of menu planning cannot be stressed enough. Menu planning has made my life so much easier and I've heard the same from many others! Sometimes, the menu plan is the only thing in the day that goes as planned!
If you really struggle with menu planning, then try out $5 Meal Plan. It happens to be my favorite meal planning service. It’s just $5 a month (the first two weeks are free!), and you get menu plans sent straight to your email along with the exact shopping list you need in order to create the meals. Each meal costs around $2 per person or less. This service allows you to save time because you won’t have to meal plan anymore, and it will save you money as well! If you are interested in joining for free, click here.
What are some other benefits of menu planning that can you add to the list? Let us know in the comments below.
So, you're running low on funds in your grocery budget for the month, but you still have a few meals that need to be made. You might be thinking that cooking a delicious meal on a budget might not be possible but, affordable family feasts are possible!
Here are 5 delicious budget friendly meals to help!
Roasted Chicken and Root Vegetables - While purchasing a whole chicken may be more costly upfront, the amount of meals you can get from one chicken can really help stretch your budget. The first night, you can enjoy slices of roasted chicken and delicious vegetables. The next night you could turn leftovers into a chicken pot pie. Finally, use the bones to create a tasty soup!
Refried Bean Quesadillas - Recommended by a reader over at the Simply Frugal Facebook page as a budget friendly meal, I found this tasty looking Refried Bean Quesadilla recipe that I'd love to try! Instead of using a whole bunch of cheese, which can get expensive, you can fill your quesadillas with beans! To make this meal even more budget friendly, here's a recipe for Homemade Refried Beans in the slow cooker!
Black Bean & Salsa Burritos - This is one of my personal made up recipes, but I happen to think it's a great budget saver and it's packed with protein!
Pulled Pork - This was another meal recommended by a Simply Frugal Facebook reader. She likes to buy cheap pork cuts when they go on sale for $1/lb. She roasts it then freezes it in bags in meal sized portions. The meals she enjoys creating with the pork are nachos and salad rolls with corn bread and coleslaw.
Pasta with White Bean Sauce - Pasta is cheap, especially if you stockpile it with coupons! I can't wait to try this recipe because not only does it sounds tasty, it also uses beans for protein instead of meat. Love that.
What are your favourite Budget Friendly Meals that come in handy when your grocery budget is running low?
In sort of a continuation of my post Why I'm not an Extreme Couponer, I though I'd follow up with some of my ideas to save money without using coupons! After all, I personally think coupon usage is a very small aspect of frugal living.
Here are 6 ways to be frugal without using coupons:
Use Less
You know how many household products, such as laundry detergent, give you guidelines on how much product you should use each time? Well, I rebel and always use less product than what is recommended 🙂
After all, in the case of laundry detergent, it's actually the washing motion that cleans the clothing, for the most part. While I was in Africa (years ago) I never once saw laundry being done with Tide, let alone a washing machine!
Use Alternatives
There's usually a cheaper alternative for most high priced items out there.
For example, Jet-Dry. I use vinegar in the place of Jet-Dry and my dishes come out sparkling!
Another thing I do, is use cottage cheese in place of Ricotta cheese in recipes like lasagna. Cottage cheese is a much cheaper alternative and contains a lot of protein!
Shop Less
I've been finding myself shopping a bit more than usual lately. Mostly because I'm trying to pick up the baby necessities I know we'll need when we bring the baby home from the hospital. (diapers, wipes, etc.)
But do you know what else I'm discovering with my more frequent shopping? I'm spending quite a bit more money on things that I think might be useful. Spur of the moment purchases. The fact is, the less shopping you do, the less stuff you'll discover that you "need", therefore, you'll be spending less money.
That is probably one one of my favorite ways to be frugal without using coupons!
Make More
I have completely stopped buying cleaning products. I know I can get cleaning products really cheap by using coupons, but I LOVE the natural cleaning kit I created. Saves me a bundle and it's fun!
Same goes for meals. The more you make at home, the more you'll save, even if you "splurge" on some ingredients!
I always find it very satisfying when I create something at home that I know I could have spent a fortune on at a store!
Evaluate and Make Changes
From time to time, evaluate the services you make use of regularly (phones, TV, internet, etc.) to see if there are any changes you could make to lower your bills.
If you want to hit a financial goal much faster, consider cancelling a service in its entirety to get you there.
If you're paying an outrageous interest rate on a credit card, call up your credit card company to negotiate a lower interest rate.
If you're spending a billion dollars on gas each month, assess how you do your errands/get to work to see if there are any changes you could make to lower your cost.
Swap with friends/family
Someone you know usually has something you need that they would be happy to let you borrow. I do this all the time with my Mom. She has mini muffin tins that I like to use, while I have a mini loaf pan that she likes to use, so we just swap!
We've been doing a lot of this in regards to the baby stuff we need. My sister in law sent along all her newborn clothes so we hardly have to buy any clothes for the first little while!
What I like most about this frugal technique is that we won't be storing very much long term since it will go back to the person it's borrowed from when they need it again! Perfect for me and my desire to have less stuff in my home!
What are your favourite ways to be frugal without using coupons?
You’ve got a short window of time to get food on the table after a long day with the kids or at work, but a big freezer. Money Smart Mom: Financially Fit Parenting author Sarah Deveau has the solution for you! In this three part series on Freezer Meal Planning, she’ll teach you everything you need to know about cooking for the freezer.
I love to cook. I love browsing through boutique kitchen stores, and not much thrills me more than selecting a gorgeous new cookbook and burrowing into a comfy chair with it at home, dreaming of dinner parties. I have invested in fantastic tools over the years, sometimes discovered at thrift stores and garage sales – vintage Le Crueset dishes, my wonderful Kitchen Aid mixer, and perfectly sharpened Global knives.
So you’d think getting dinner on a table every night would be a snap, right? Not so much. I work full time at my day job and for myself from home 10 to 20 hours a week. And of course, I’ve got a few kids too – three girls under the age of six.
After having my first daughter, I took up meal planning after my husband and I were guests on the Food Network Television show Fixing Dinner. It helped me add structure to my day to ensure I had great food on the table every night. However, as my schedule got busier, I often found I didn’t have time even when I tried to stick with my tried and true meal planning routine.
I turned to freezer meal planning. What a difference! For the past few years, I’ve used freezer meal planning to handle feeding the crowd in our house.
There are two main ways I’ll handle making our family’s freezer meals.
Super Prepared
This method involves being, well, super prepared! I look at my schedule and choose two days when I’ll have a lot of time to prepare. The first night I’ll set aside three hours to browse flyers for sale items, select recipes, write out the plan for how many times I might double or triple the recipe, and write a grocery list. Then I’ll head to the grocery store, bring everything home, and sort it on the kitchen table and in the fridge by recipe.The next day, I’ll follow my notes of what to prepare when, to ensure there are no long waits in the process wile meat is cooking or the oven is full. By the time I’ve put in five or six hours, I’ll usually have between 20 – 30 meals prepped and ready to freeze. Some meals are made big for sharing with guests, others might be small – just enough for my husband for dinner and his lunch the next day. My kids are still pretty picky, and I keep a container of grilled chicken and plain pasta in the fridge at all times in case they’re not interested in more than the obligatory bite of the main meal.
Slacker Method
If I just don’t have the time to set aside for a big cook, I’ll use the slacker method. A few nights each week I’ll double or triple the meal I’m making that night, and freezer the others. After a month of doing this, I might have 10 – 12 meal stashed away in the freezer.
Regardless of the method you choose, even the busiest parent can fill your freezer with fantastic meals that will save you money by taking advantage of buying items while on sale, and save you even more money over ordering take out in desperation.
Sarah Deveau is the author of Money Smart Mom: Financially Fit Parenting. She blogs about money at Yummy Mummy Club and at Money Smart Mom.
Did you know that it is possible to save money when you’re trying to live as organically as possible? Although eating organically will still take a big bite out of your grocery budget, here are some tips to help you save your hard earned dollars while feeding your family a healthy diet:
First of all, a major way to save would be to know the Dirty Dozen and Clean Fifteen list of fruits and vegetables. If your budget can’t allow for you to buy absolutely everything organically, focus on the fruits and vegetables that use the least amount of pesticides.
Here are the lists:
Dirty Dozen (try to only buy these when they’re organic)
Strawberries
Spinach
Nectarines
Apples
Grapes
Peaches
Cherries
Pears
Tomatoes
Celery
Potatoes
Sweet Bell Peppers
Clean Fifteen (Buy these when your budget won’t allow for these in organic form)
Avocados
Sweet Corn
Pineapples
Cabbage
Onions
Sweet Peas (frozen)
Papayas
Asparagus
Mangoes
Eggplant
Honeydew Melon
Kiwi
Cantaloupe
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Here are 10 more ideas to help you reduce your grocery budget:
Use coupons from The Healthy Shopper
I’ve posted about The Healthy Shopper coupons in the past and I think they could be a valuable resource for you! Sign up and print the coupons that interest you then use them at your local health food store or other stores that have a natural living section. You’ll find coupons for brands such as Simply Natural, ECOVER, Liberte, Natura, Seventh Generation, Sisu, Tom’s and more.
Cook from scratch
Cooking from scratch is always cheaper, no matter what kind of food you purchase. But in the case of organic eating, purchasing individual ingredients to create something that you could purchase already made (convenience items) could save you a bucket of money.
Purchasing locally grown and produced food, cuts down on the cost of transportation and supports your local economy. Buying locally means you’ll be receiving the food soon after it’s harvested, which means you’ll be getting a lot more life out of your purchases, in turn, reducing waste. Items that aren’t grown locally, have most likely spent a good amount of their “life” being transported to stores. Which means, you may find that the items spoil quickly forcing you to throw them away.
Buy what’s on sale
Many large grocery stores are starting to have pretty decent organic sections. Quite often, by looking in the flyers, you’ll see some items on sale that you can add to your shopping list. When you shop the sales, you be able to base your meal plan around these items and possibly purchase the items you use frequently in bulk.
Pick your own produce
Picking your own produce can be fun, especially for kids or a group of girlfriends! For a list of farms where you can pick your own produce in Canada visit PickYourOwn.org.
Try organic gardening
If you have the yard space, why not try your hand at gardening? You could even try container or square foot gardening if your space is more limited. You Grow Girl is a great resource for learning about organic gardening!
Freeze or can all the produce you’ve picked up from your local produce stands, farmer’s markets or that you’ve grown in your own garden. Doing this, you’ll be able to enjoy seasonal items all through the winter! Stop by your local library to read up on canning and freezing methods and recipes. Or, here’s a great online article to help you out!
Shop at your local farmer’s market
Buying directly from the farmer will help you save some dollars. In shopping at your farmer’s market, you’ll also know exactly where/who the produce and other items come from! Find a farmer’s market near you on FarmersMarketCanada.ca.
I hope that this will help those of you who were asking for some tips on eating organically!
Do you have any other tips to share for eating organic on a budget?
Eating gluten free on a budget can be difficult. But here are 4 useful tips to help you stay healthy and eating well on a gluten free diet.
How to Eat Gluten Free on a Budget
The following post is a guest post by Jeanine, from Faithfully Gluten Free! Make sure you check out her fabulous blog!
Whether you've been diagnosed with Celiac disease, are gluten-intolerant, or are eating a gluten-free diet for your own health benefits, you will know that it is not a cheap diet to be on. I'm going to try to list some points that helped me to eat gluten-free on a budget.
Eat real foods
Vegetables, unprocessed meats, most dairy, and rice do not contain gluten. By staying away from processed foods, which may contain gluten, try to cook a meal using ingredients in their natural state. For example, use potatoes instead of frozen hash browns.
Buy your flours in bulk
By purchasing your flours in large quantities, you will get a better price per pound than if you buy the small packages of flour.
If you are in Canada, you can save money by purchasing the large, unopened bags of gluten free flours and starches at Bulk Barn. Since the bags are still sealed, you don't have to worry about cross contamination.
To extend the shelf life, you can store the unused portion in sealed containers in the freezer or fridge. You could also team up with others that have to eat gluten free, and divide the large bags between the group, assuring that you always have fresh flours on hand.
Learn to cook & bake
When you are on a gluten-free diet, eating gluten-free is usually a life long commitment that you have to make to keep yourself feeling well. Since it is not just a phase, you might as well learn to make the best of it!
By learning how to cook and bake, you open your kitchen up to endless opportunities.
The gluten-free doughnuts, bread, granola bars and muffins that you can buy in the store may be good for convenience, but that is about it. Nothing beats home baking! With some practice, you will be able to replicate nearly all your favourite gluten-filled goodies using gluten-free flours.
You will just have to trust me on this. I have been eating and baking gluten-free for nearly 3 years now, and I am definitely not "living without".
Plan ahead
When you go out for the day, you should take a gluten-free snack along from home. Some gluten-free crackers, nuts, and dried or fresh fruit are all some ideas. Once you are out and about, you may not be able to find a suitable snack for your diet. Having something to munch on is better than going through a drive-through for French fries.
These tips, combined with all the great menu planning and grocery shopping articles provided on Simply Frugal, will help you to eat gluten free on a budget so well, that you won't feel like you're missing out.
Jeanine Friesen authors Faithfully Gluten Free, a blog dedicated to recipes for those on a gluten-free diet, because she believes no one should have to go without.
