Saving money
seems to be a hot topic these days, well WANTING to save money is. I’ve been
asked to share how I plan my meals, how I budget for them and how I stick to my
budget. I’m the first to tell you that saving money, living on a budget, and
most importantly sticking to a budget are much easier said than done.
First I’ll try and sum up how I go about it
all, and then I’ll break it up into steps so it’s easier to follow and apply to
your own home.
One of the
most important parts of saving money, meal planning, or setting a budget is…Attitude.
Bet you wouldn’t have guessed that? If you dive into budgeting with the wrong
attitude you firstly won’t save any money, secondly you won’t enjoy doing it,
and thirdly you’re going to give up before you see progress. Before you decide
to start, clear your mind of all the negatives that go a long with saving money. Realize that you will have to change around
priorities. Understand that it’s ok to take baby steps until you reach your budgeting
goals. Know that in the end it is going to be sooo worth it. Mind clear? Great let’s start.
I’ll give
you a rundown of what I do every two weeks.
I arrange
all of our bills so that it is almost an even amount coming out of each
paycheck. That way I always know how much is left over and there aren’t even
any surprises.
For example, we get paid twice a month. On the
1st, and the 15th. At the beginning of each month we
always have the same bills. Car, Insurance, Credit Card. So I know the amount
that will come out at the beginning of every month. Then on the 15th
we pay Phones, Insurance, Internet, and Credit Card We have more bills on the 2nd
pay check because the bills are smaller. So it evens out. Once my bills are
paid I form the rest of my budget… I’ve had the same budget since May of this
year and it has worked wonderfully for us. It took me 2 paychecks to figure out
how I was spending and where my money was going.
When I first
started budgeting I knew that where we lost the most money was food. I would go
to the grocery store spend 300 and we’d run out of food before it was time to
shop again. So the first thing I did was look at my previous months spending
habits, decide how much you would like to be spending and try to meet that goal
first. If you normally spend 300 and you want to only spend 150 then start
there, I changed my grocery budget 3 times before finding the perfect goal that
would give me enough for two weeks and I would also get to sneak in some treats
and snacks. I spent too much on groceries and we ate out way too much! That was
my first change in attitude. I told myself that I could cook all those meals
that we ate at restaurants and it would cost me half the price. My 2nd
change in attitude came when I realized I was being a brand snob. I was paying double;
sometimes triple the price for things just because it was name brand. I hate to
break it to you ladies and gents, but the store brand is almost ALWAYS just as
good and so much cheaper. When you serve your family, the labels don’t go into
the pot so no one will ever know the difference. After realizing I was a brand
snob, I then came to the awful conclusion that I was being a real picky pain in
the butt. I would run to the store whenever I got the craving for something
just because I felt like it. GUESS WHAT?? When you’re poor…who cares what you’re
eating as long as your families bellies are full.
A HUGE part
of meal planning is planning ahead (duh). If I say we are having spaghetti on Thursday….guess
what? We are having spaghetti on Thursday. Now this doesn’t mean you can’t swap recipes
last minute but you have to be realistic. If you don’t organize your meals, how
are you supposed to shop for them? If you never know what you’re going to “feel
like eating” you’ll never save money. Make your menu as if it was set in stone.
And only shop for those meals when you are starting out.
So how do I decide
what I’m going to plan on eating? I start with my 3 rules.
#1 I MUST
try at LEAST 1 new recipe every week
#2 we WILL
eat leftovers ONCE a week
#3 ONLY BUY
THINGS ON SALE!!
The third
rule is really the basis for successful budgeting. Every week I read the
circular ads for my favorite grocery store. I personally like to shop at Kroger,
because I can see all the deals online and I also really like their store brand
stuff. I start with my staples. Meat, carbs, and produce. Every week different
meats are on sale. I always choose different cuts of Chicken, Beef, and pork. Total
up how much your meat would cost you. Then we go to carbs, I always have rice,
pasta, and potatoes in my pantry. Look in your ad and see what deals they have
on these. Again total how much your items would be. Now move on to produce see
what is on sale and what is in season. Write down what you would normally make
with these ingredients. If you are making a menu for two weeks break down you
ingredients in a way that they will stretch the furthest. If chicken breast is
on sale and it comes with 10 breasts but we only eat two per meal then you have
5 meals out of that one package. It’s always easiest to break down your meat
first and then add sides to it. So now you have a list of usual meals you would
make with these items. Next you need to pick a new recipe to try out. I LOVE
pinterest….therefore that’s where I get a lot of my inspiration. So let’s say I
want to try a new beef recipe…ask friends, look online, browse pinterest. Whatever
you want to do to find a recipe for each week. Write it down. So you now have
two days set. At my house we have leftovers every 4 days so that accounts for
two more days in you plan. Now plug in your normal recipes into your plan.
Start simple
when you first start planning. Once you have all of your staples listed out….look
to see what other ingredients are on sale that you could use in your recipes.
If condensed soups are on sale then maybe you can try more casseroles this
week.
Alternate meats and grains. If you have
chicken one day have beef the next day, or if you have pasta one day have potatoes
the next etc.
Get creative
with your meals, be adventurous! I started out only trying one new recipe a
week now I try 3 a week. Since every week new things are on sale I’m forced to
try new recipes. You HAVE to force yourself to have variety. Only buying things
on sale actually makes it easier. I like to think of it as a test…what can I come
up with these ingredients…and I come up with some interesting combinations.
Now that I’ve
probably confused you with all that goes on in my head every two weeks lets
break it down J
Step 1: Choose your budget. My budget is 160 every two
weeks.
Step 2: Research
sales, and be familiar with prices.
Step 3: Make
lists, lots of them. List all sale items. List groceries you have to have
(milk, eggs, bread etc.) list things you would like to try. List prices of
everything. I always write 3 lists, one of everything on sale, one of things I need
to get, and one of recipes I could make with what is on sale.
Step 4: pick
your meals. Since you have all these lovely lists pick your favorites and start
plugging them into your menu. Remember the rules. 1 new recipe. 1 leftover day.
ONLY sale items.
Step 5: have
a price next to every item on your list, and stick to your list. Take the
guessing out of it. If something isn’t on sale that you need, Google the price.
Always have a total before you shop.
Step 6: use
a calculator while shopping. Always start with your staples, as you’re shopping
add them up. Once you’ve gotten them see how much money you have left before
meeting your budget. Then you can get all the extras, like sauces, spices,
cheeses, snacks, desserts etc.
Step 7. Take
advantage of sales… if they have pasta 10 for 10….buy it. If the pasta is
normally 1.50 and you have the room in your grocery budget. Stock up, then next
time you won’t have to get pasta and you can spend that money elsewhere.
Step 8. Make
it fun… print out pretty lists to fill in. make a cool menu board. Reward
yourself when you have an awesome shopping trip. Whenever I spend exactly my
budget or a couple dollars less. I buy myself a milkshake… give yourself a
reason to want to do it again.
I hope this
was helpful; I will definitely re-visit this topic again. Please please feel
free to ask questions. Meal planning takes effort. It doesn’t happen by
accident and it’s not always easy. But one day you’ll be excited to sit down
and make a menu, that’s when you know you’re doing it right. You will be amazed
at how much more food you’ll have at home and how many awesome recipes there are
out there if you just get out there and try!
I apologize
if it’s a little scattered tonight, I’ve got a toddler full of Halloween candy
distracting me J
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