Marvelous Meal Planning: Dinner to fit your budget.
These days, we have our meal-planning and grocery shopping plans down to a science (which was hardly the case not even five years ago). I guess that’s what happens when you decide to cook five different meals each week for a year… or a few. Every Sunday, we plan our meals for five nights and buy exactly what we need for those meals (plus any extra items for breakfasts and lunches).
A question that’s been asked recently is “how do you shop for all of those meals, but with a budget in mind?” Excellent question! And while there are weeks when we tend to feature “fancier” meals, which include pricier ingredients, the majority of the time we aim for balance. Balance in terms of our dishes (healthy and healthy-ish) as well as the total cost of our groceries.
A food budget is reality for most of us so I thought I’d share my top eight tips to keep in mind next time you are meal planning or find yourself grocery shopping for your next meal.
In case you’re curious, it’s happened on more than one occasion that we browse grocery stores “for fun” which may sound ridiculous, but I find it fairly relaxing! Now that I’ve shared too much, let me get back to those tips…
Top Eight Tips: Groceries on a Budget
Plan the meals - this is the best way to keep your total cost in check. If you stick to the ingredients needed for each meal, and don’t stray from it, then there is a chance the total cost of groceries will be lower than if you plan while you shop (pending the types of meals you’re making).
Check the pantry - this is a must! Before you set out on your grocery shopping adventure, check the cabinets. This way, you’ll likely avoid buying multiples of the same item. And you can check your supply; maybe you already have enough chickpeas for the dinner you had planned. Or, maybe you’re almost out of garlic and definitely need to stock up.
Prioritize the proteins - seems like a no-brainer, right? Well, if you’re aiming to keep costs down, then plan accordingly. Certain proteins are pricier than others, but sometimes you just need that fancy fish. Or steak. Or whatever. If there is one, or two, special proteins you really want to include during a specific week of meals, then balance out the expensive nights with low-cost options on the others (e.g. meatless soups, veggie tacos, tofu night). This way, you can have it all!
Vary the main ingredient - while we tend to think chicken stir fry is the easiest dinner ever, and it is, try varying the central ingredient in said-stir-fry to not only find a new meal for your rotation, but to balance out the cost of that same dish. If you’re in the mood for a stir-fry-style meal most of the time, try it out with cauliflower as the main, or ground pork, or ground turkey. It’s great to have a favorite meal, but it’s even better when you can change up that same dish five different ways and keep the total cost-per-meal down.
Try new flavors - I suppose this won’t necessarily allow you to keep costs lower, but it’s still a good frame of mind for when you’re meal planning. As an example, curry is delicious and is so easily made with as few, or as many, ingredients as you need. It’s easy to keep the price down on this flavorful dish by filling it with veggies; it’s also a great dinner that will introduce you to lots of bold flavors. Another way I like to keep budget in mind? Make dinners with tons of flavors, but keep them vegetarian. Cost can be kept down if your giant dinner salad is filled with veggies, legumes, and gluten free croutons, rather than steak. ;)
Stick to the list - once again, keep your eyes on the prize: dinner! As much as I like to meander through the snack aisle when we shop, I know it’s healthier, and more cost-effective, if we stick to what we need. But sometimes you do need snacks. And that’s OK.
Plan for next week, now - for all of the meals we plan for the week we are currently in, I am constantly seeking out recipes for the weeks to come. Not only does it keep us organized for the next Sunday’s plan, it keeps me focused. Since we are trying to not jet off to a bar every Friday these days, the more recipes I have saved and bookmarked for the future, the better.
Enjoy your dinner! At the end of the day, this is all about food. And food is wonderful! Cooking at home will almost always be cheaper and far healthier than going out to eat. Even if you splurge on certain ingredients. ;)
All in all, take these tips with a grain of salt (pun intended). This list works for us, but even we have weeks where the rules go out the window, the frozen pizza makes an appearance, and we just RELAX. Because it’s just dinner. And dinner should just be good. :)
PS: wondering about our favorite grocery items and must-buy pantry staples? Check out Mollie’s Market for my current set of essentials.
Enjoy!
Mollie