3 Simple Steps to Meal Planning on a Budget

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Things are going a little haywire these days. As I write this, it is day #10 of the #covid_19 self-quarantine. Food is a big topic when you are a mom of 4, with 3 of them being boys. So today let’s tackle the topic of meal planning on a budget.

While many people have sadly lost their jobs or income has temporarily stopped during this strange time in history, I do know this is a hot topic right now.

To be honest, I was not prepared for summer level eating in the middle of March. We go through a gallon of milk A DAY when they are all home. Usually, we prepare for that ahead of time.

Money may be tight right now, but eating is a necessity.

So how do we do both when we were not prepared? I will cover finances in another post.

In the meantime, let’s tackle what we can do today with meal planning on a budget.

PIN IT FOR QUICK REFERENCE!!

I would like to preface this entire post with my enormous dislike of cooking. It definitely is NOT my “thing”.

I’ve heard people call it their “Labor of Love”… all I hear is labor, labor, labor.

People also refer to their time in the kitchen as their “therapy”… honestly, I’d rather be in therapy.

So though I would absolutely 100% rather drive through somewhere to pick up the food that has been already prepared and cooked for me, we all know that is the worst option for both our health and our pocketbook.

Yes, even picking up healthy food will still cost you… $$

The average American household spends $3,000 eating out!

Money-Saving Rule #1: STOP EATING OUT

What you can get for $15 at a restaurant you can make at home for $5.

Save eating out for a special occasion or a celebration… not an entitlement.

You can only go out to eat so many times before you start wondering where all your money is going.

CHALLENGE: Track your spending for 7 days. Don’t change any of your habits, just live your life as you normally would.

Literally every single thing you spend money on. Every single thing. Write it down for 7 days.

At the end of the challenge add up how much money you spent on food out.

Have extra money?

If your dislike of cooking is like mine and money is not an issue I definitely recommend a Meal Kit delivery program. How brilliant are those?

However, if you are not in the spot for meal deliveries, then here are 3 simple steps to your meals each week.

Plan, Shop, Prep

BE SURE TO GRAB YOUR FREE MEAL PLANNING WORKBOOK!

SEND ME THE WORKBOOK

1. MEAL PLAN

• The first thing I do is sit down with both my calendar and meal planning sheets.

• I have my calendar opened up so I can see what the week ahead holds.
  • Practices? Games? Events?
  • What nights do I NOT need to make dinner?
    • I cross those off my weekly meal planning chart

• What are the family favorites and weekly staple meals?
  • Write those down.

• Do I want to try any new recipes this week? What caught my eye on Pinterest?
  • Write those on the Recipe Research sheet

• What meals will we be eating on what days?
  • Taco Tuesday, Pizza Friday, Leftover Wednesday… etc

• Who’s making what? (back to this in a sec)
  • Assign names to specific days

• What groceries do I need?
  • Based on your recipes make your list
  • This works out particularly well when you have a “looker”. Someone posted in the kitchen for you to call off each item needed for the week.

Now that I have all my meal planning sheets filled out I know exactly what I need for the week.

It’s time to…

2. SHOP

The best place to head for the best prices, in my opinion, would be Aldi’s. They have definitely upped their game in quality, including a lot of organic and natural options, and their prices can’t be beaten!

Walmart is also a great option for affordable prices and a wide variety of options.

And for my people that have big families like this party of 6, Costco is our go-to for bulk stocking.

These are just a few places that definitely make it easy and affordable to get what you need, on a budget!

FOCUS

I am a disorganized person by nature, therefore, I NEED a list to keep me on track.

Also, impulse shopping is a quality trait of mine… (one my husband just adores), “yes I need that and that… oh, look at that!”

So it is important that I plan ahead, have a list, and stay on track.

ONLINE

Thankfully, most grocery stores these days provide grocery delivery for those in the qualifying areas. If you’re not in one of those areas (like me) they also offer pickup options for online orders.

Delivery and pick up options may cost a couple of extra dollars but can we be honest, friend, these options keep me out of the store which ultimately keeps more money in my pocket!!

3. MEAL PREP

Now that we have everything we need, let’s get to work.

We are a food prep family, which means we overcook one time a week to last the entire week… and beyond.

We have so much going on every day of the week, I honestly do not have time to make a fresh meal each day.

It’s just not what I have time to do or even want to do.

Example?

Cooking 6 chicken breasts in the Instant Pot, shredding it up, putting it in the fridge for meal options.

• Shredded chicken is perfect to have on hand for added protein to our salads and pasta dishes, throw in some mayo for delish chicken salad, or add some to our quesadillas.
• I’ll make a couple of batches of shredded chicken and freeze some for later.

Taking a couple of cans of tuna and pre-made tuna salad to keep in the fridge.

• So great to use on a sandwich, in a tortilla, or with some multi-grain chips.

COOK DAY

Cook day happens on Sunday.

Sunday is my prep day for the week ahead… in all areas.

The Slow Cooker and the Instant Pot are all pulled out and going.

My heart is for the slow cooker, I love being able to throw things in the morning and let them work all day.

Here are some of my favorite slow cooker recipes.

But there are times that I NEED the Instant Pot! Like when I forget to take the chicken breasts or ground turkey out of the freezer. Ugh.

The Instant Pot works quickly with both fresh and frozen foods, it truly is my best friend.

AND did you know that the Instant Pot also doubles as a Slow Cooker? WIN-WIN!

STAPLES

Some of our favorite staple items that we cook once and have in the fridge ready to be warmed up:

• Spaghetti “butter” noodles
• Sauce
• Mac n’ Cheese
• Chicken Taco Burrito Bowls
• Sloppy Joe’s
• Salsa Chicken
• Turkey Chili
• Mixed Veggies

Everything gets put into these great stackable storage containers. They stack so nice together in the fridge.

TIP: I take a mini post-it note with the name of what’s inside and that date it was made. This helps with quickly seeing what’s available and knowing when it’s time to get rid of it (if there’s anything left).

These always work well for anything you will be freezing. They don’t crack and are easy to warm up.

Want to save TIME and MONEY?

Then you definitely need to check out FREEZER MEALS.

Here’s a great article on how!

If you haven’t discovered the Six Sisters Stuff YouTube Channel – check it out!

Look how EASY it is to prepare Freezer Meals for your InstantPot or Slow Cooker.

15 meals for about $150. That’s $10 a MEAL feeding 4-6 people.

And THESE helpers are a MUST:

WHO?

Now in regards to WHO does the cooking each night of the week, we started a new rule due to this self-quarantine time.

I was finding myself with this houseful of incredibly wonderful and capable human beings who all were sitting around waiting for me to prepare everything.

That had to end quickly. It was time for everyone to jump into the kitchen and help.

I grabbed my Meal Planning Sheet and called a family meeting.

Each of my boys was to pick what 2 days of each week they wanted to cook for.

They choose what will be on the menu and will prepare it for their capability.

Whether the food is what has already been pre-made and is in the fridge or whether they pick a recipe and make it themselves, it’s totally up to them.

I will oversee to make sure there is some sort of healthy balance in their choices.

I have 3 boys x 2 nights each = 6 nights.

Night 7 is leftover night!

Not sure what is the appropriate age and skill level in the kitchen? Here’s a great guide.

When dinner is finished, the one who cooked does not clean up, they are in charge of choosing the game or movie for the night.

This helps give them the motivation to follow through on their cooking commitments.

Ok so let’s get real for a sec…

If my boys are in charge of picking out the menu each night, I am sadly setting myself up for failure when it comes to healthy low carb meals to keep my weight in check.

Example: The first night was fried chicken patties and cauliflower tots (yes! my 10-year-old picked those out). The second night was grilled cheese sandwiches and tater tots. Tonight is spaghetti.

Carbs, Carbs, Carbs.

I need to be super careful when it comes to carbs… I’ve come too far in my weight loss journey to jump back on the carb train.

Do you struggle with carbs and want other delicious options?

Then definitely check out 11 low carb foods you will fall in love with!

So, friend, I hope these tips helped you with your efforts to meal plan while on a budget.

Did I miss anything? What would you add?

Please tell me in the comments! I’d love to hear it!

And be sure to grab your FREE Meal Planning Guide.

xoxo, Mo

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