5 Money Saving Meal Planning Tips

I have my own system of meal planning and it works well to save us money without taking up a ton of time.  I go to the grocery store regularly and keep close tabs on what is in my fridge and freezers that needs to be eaten.  Those things alone keep my meals on track.

I make 28 breakfasts a week.

I pack 10 school lunches a week.

Leo and I almost always eat lunch at home for 14 lunches a week.

Big kids eat lunches at home on the weekends for 4 lunches.

And then I cook 6 dinners a week.

Plus snacks.  Plus treats.

 

WOW!  That's a lot of food to have prepped and ready to go.  No wonder I've always got food on the brain.  I take advantage of grocery pick up from Walmart, pick up and shopping at Sams and monthly Aldi or Meijer trips.  I plan my grocery pick up around other errands so that I can grab groceries at the end of my running errands.  I love grocery shopping late at night in my pjs and just being able to drive up and get them the next day.  It is a life changing service.

I hope you enjoy my 5 Money Saving Meal Planning Tips //

1. Eat at home.

I love the idea of Sunday brunch after church, but waiting in brunch crowds, eating a busy restaurants and paying $100 for brunch isn't my idea of fun.  Instead, I've been making different brunches for my family at home on Sundays.  We go to church, come home to rest and then I whip up this brunch for my family.  I picked the main things - bacon and eggs and then took their orders to customize their fruit and carbs.  It was quick and easy and everyone loved it.

I did scrambled eggs with or without cheese.

Egg in a basket (toast)

Baked french toast sticks.

Cooked bacon for everyone and then asked them their preferred fruit.

Eggs are a staple in my brunch menu.  Then I swap out the meat and carbs each week.  I'm hoping this is a meal planning routine that sticks!

2. Establish routines in your cooking schedule.

Tuesdays = Taco Tuesday at our house and everyone knows it.  Almost every Tuesday you will find us eating some form of Mexican food at home.  I usually make taco meat and then have all the toppings and ingredients for soft tacos, nachos or salads.  Each person build their own plate.  It's so nice to not have to worry about what I should make on Tuesdays.  It's a no brainer.

Another taco night option is Sheet Pan Nachos.  Customize each section for each member of your family and enjoy.  I do a layer of chips and meat and then each person comes to the kitchen to pick their toppings.  This sheet pan of nachos was delicious.

3. Make extra

I intentionally make extra food at dinner time to give me leftover lunch options all week long.  I make a casserole we can enjoy for a dinner or two and my lunches.  Or grill extra chicken or make extra taco meat.  That way I have leftovers that can be ready quickly for lunches.  I try to plan leftover lunches on Saturdays to clean out the fridge.  I lay out all of the leftovers on the counter and then the kids pick what sounds best to them.  It's a genius way to clean out your fridge and ensure you aren't letting food go to waste.

4. Try to waste nothing

I work hard to never let food spoil in the fridge.  This requires me keeping really close tabs on our produce and leftovers.  If something is looking sad, I'll fix it for dinner that night or chop it up and freeze it.  Or if it's too far gone, I will compost it.  I also to a fridge/freezer inventory before I go to the store.

5. Write out your menu

I do this every weekend.  I write out 7 dinner options for the week - main dish and sides.  Then I pick whatever sounds good that morning to make for dinner.  Kevin enjoys seeing dinner options for the week and it takes the pressure off of me to come up with a meal each night.  I just select something from the list.  This saves us money when we're tempted to go out to eat. 

What meal planning tips and tricks do you use to save your family money?