These plans, along with the money-saving tips they submitted, should help you lower food costs. Here are a few tips that allow me to feed my family of four inexpensively in Seattle, which is a pricey part of the country:. Related: How To Prevent Freezer Burn.

Subscribe to get money-saving content by email that can help you stretch your dollars further. Twice each week, you'll receive articles and tips that can help you free up and keep more of your hard-earned money, even on the tightest of budgets.

We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time. My number one recommendation for those who want to be frugal in their meals is to have a well-stocked pantry , fridge and freezer. For a frugal meal plan, I go online. I tried a number of weekly plans I found. Saved the ones we liked best and ditched the rest.

Tonight, I had ham and veggie linguini. The menu called for Italian bread to go with the linguini. You can move things around and use dinner leftovers for lunches. Breakfast 1 — Oatmeal with raisins and walnuts Breakfast 2 — French toast and two slices of tomato Breakfast 3 — Cereal of your choice Breakfast 4 — Yogurt and fresh fruit Breakfast 5 — PBJ Breakfast 6 — Eggs and toast Breakfast 7 — Muffin and jam.

Lunch 1 — Black bean soup and tortilla Lunch 2 — Salad with nuts Lunch 3 — Veggie soup and bread Lunch 4 — Sandwich Lunch 5 — Chicken noodle soup Lunch 6 — Salad and tortilla Lunch 7 — Bean burrito.

Dinner 1 — Chicken and potatoes Dinner 2 — Pizza Dinner 3 — Pasta Dinner 4 — Burritos Dinner 5 — Stew Dinner 6 — Fish and rice Dinner 7 — Quiche and salad Krystyna. Cooking and baking from scratch would be required on any frugal meal plan that I am familiar with.

I do not follow a set meal plan. My plan involves using what I have on hand, purchasing items on sale, and volunteering at two food pantries so I am given a few food items in exchange for my labor each week.

Holly in NH. Related: How To Read Your Grocery Ad Like an Insider. Perhaps these ideas will help. We eat oatmeal a couple of times per week. We also have pancakes from scratch with homemade syrup , scratch muffins, scratch biscuits, or cream of wheat.

The baked goods are generally made with mixed flours whole wheat and white. Sometimes, I make granola. Another option for breakfast is a smoothie if the bananas are getting a bit over-ripe. We eat sandwiches or leftovers from supper.

We have peanut butter and jelly at least two times per week. Right now, the cherry tomatoes are finishing up in the garden, so those are going into small containers and into lunches. Sometimes, they have pickles or carrot sticks. See 14 Ways To Buy Produce for Less.

We have a discount grocery near us, so the sweet snack is made up of larger packages. When they get home, they have a snack. At home, we have milk, juice and water with yogurt and fruit for a snack. Beef is out of our league right now, but we have a grocer with great deals on chicken, so we stock up.

When we have company, we try to do something more fun, like a curry with lots of toppings or have pizza night. I freeze anything that is about to expire and use the produce in stir-fry and salad right away.

I get organic food and special things I would not ordinarily buy. My family is grateful for the variety. See: A Grocery Stockpiling Guide: How and When to Save.

For thrifty meals, I recommend hot cereals for breakfast, including brown rice cooked with raisins. Also, I recommend smoothies made with peanut butter, powdered milk, and over-ripe bananas.

We use chickpeas in salads and refried beans in tortilla wraps. A weekly meal plan is a great way to get started with frugal meal planning. However, meal planning can also be a bit of a challenge.

For one thing, it can be hard to find the time to plan and prepare meals in advance. Or trying to figure out what to do with leftovers or how to use up that last bit of celery before it goes bad.

But with a little effort, meal planning can be a great way to save time and money while still eating well. And who knows, you might even find a new favorite recipe along the way.

Simply print it out and fill in the blanks with your own meal ideas. Or save time and use my sample meals and grocery shopping list. Keep reading for more tips on how to make frugal meal planning work for you! Meal planning means being smart and resourceful with the food you have on hand.

It can be as simple as using up leftover ingredients from dinner to make a lunch the next day. Or, it could be meal prepping simple meals in advance so that you have them ready to go during busy weeks.

Frugal meal planning is all about being creative with what you have and making the most of your resources. One of the simplest ways to save food dollars is to cook at home more often.

By cooking meals from scratch, you can control how much you spend and what goes into your food. Frugal meal planning is a great way to save money on groceries while still eating healthy, delicious meals.

By planning ahead and taking advantage of sales and coupons, you can get the most bang for your buck at the grocery store. So you will see that I added links for the chocolate brownies, macaroni beef skillet, tomato soup and vegetable soup. I hope that helps!

If you are looking for a fully done for you meal plan that includes a grocery list, I do have this one week meal plan that I based off Aldi ingredients that might be useful. I hope that helps you out a bit! Thank you so much! I also realized, oh my gosh, food prices have gone up soooo much — even cutting this plan down some.

We are on track to be way over for the month. I know. They really have! It can be really tricky to figure out how to stay within budget, especially with the costs rising so much! I hope you can figure out some things to do that work well for you to get it to where you can feel good about it.

I love this!! I need this motivation and all of your ideas. Its just our 10 yo son, husband and myself. But I homeschool my son, we have two young dogs and all the household work as well as my two outside of the home jobs.

We want to live well below our means as we are trying to mass save which we are doing well in all areas except for food. Your site has really helped me simplify my thinking and I am totally going to consistently incorporate cooking into our homeschool curriculum!

Cinthia, your comment totally made my day. I am so delighted that what I am sharing is helping you. Thank for taking the time to let me know! And I love too that you are thinking about ways to incorporate cooking into your homeschooling.

Plan to reduce your grocery bill with these super frugal weekly meal plans and tips for keeping food costs low when the budget gets tight Go to the website Budget Bytes. 2 week meal plan for free and many more specialized 4-week meal plans for $12USD. The shopping lists and Beans, rice, vegetables and oatmeal are great staples. With these I've managed to push my monthly food budget to about $ I usually just

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Frugal meal planning strategies - 10 Tips for Frugal Meal Planning · 1. Take Inventory · 2. Batch and Freeze · 3. Order Staples Online · 4. Buy in Bulk · 5. Keep it Simple · 6 Plan to reduce your grocery bill with these super frugal weekly meal plans and tips for keeping food costs low when the budget gets tight Go to the website Budget Bytes. 2 week meal plan for free and many more specialized 4-week meal plans for $12USD. The shopping lists and Beans, rice, vegetables and oatmeal are great staples. With these I've managed to push my monthly food budget to about $ I usually just

Keeping your fridge, freezer, and pantry organized and knowing what you have on hand is core to effective meal planning. A bit of inventory management can save you big bucks!

Try to fill your meal plan mostly with recipes that use lower cost, more common ingredients. Using overlapping ingredients also helps ensure you use items up before they expire and it allows you to buy in cheaper, larger quantities.

When trying out new ingredients, start small, even if the unit cost might be a bit higher. If you love the recipe and ingredient you can go for the larger quantity that might have a lower unit cost the next time around.

The low cost ingredient advice is especially true with proteins. In terms of animal proteins chicken and pork are usually cheaper than beef and fish, so consider reserving the higher cost animal proteins for certain days per week or for special occasions.

Incorporating tofu, seitan, tempe, beans, eggs, and other sources of protein into the meal plan can save you big over the long term. Life can get hectic in a hurry, so even the best laid plans often need to be adjusted. There are a few ways in which you can build some contingency options into your meal planning.

Get started with this beginner's guide on how to meal plan and check out these examples of meal plans for inspiring ideas. You can meal plan the old-fashioned way paper and pen! or can use a meal planning app or website for convenience. Here are some other helpful meal planning strategies. Once you have your meal plan and shopping list, it's almost time to head to the store.

But before you do, you want to plan ahead for greater savings. Consider these money saving options:. Other things you can do are to shop at discount grocery stores, compare prices with local farmer's markets, and see if there are any farm delivery services in your area. Once you'rein the store,look for items that are on sale.

But remember, it's only a bargain if it's a food you enjoy! Don't be swayed by sales on products you don't like -- they may end up being wasted.

Food companies pay listing fees to have their products on store shelves. The big food companies get the best shelf space because they can afford it.

It does not mean the product at eye level is the best quality or the most affordable! Instead of always buying the well-known brand:. Food that's grown on local farms is less expensive during harvest season.

Take advantage and stock up when it's on sale. You can freeze, jar, or can it for later use. For example:. Opt for more plant-based meals. Replace meat with less expensive options such as tofu or beans.

Studies show that eating more plant-based foods and less animal-based foods can cut the cost of groceries by almost 30 percent. Well-priced plant-based protein options include beans, lentils, tofu, and peanut butter. When you do include animal protein, you can save money by avoiding the most expensive cuts of meat and poultry and choosing these instead:.

You can combine these protein choices with grains and vegetables that are more affordable. These include:. Some meal options made from these ingredients include:. Ingredients with a long shelf life, such as pasta , rice, and canned beans, can be purchased on sale and stored until you need them.

If you maintain a well-stocked pantry, you'll have fewer items to buy every time you shop. Keeping essential ingredients on hand can save money and reduce last-minute grocery runs too. When you meal plan, make sure to check your pantry and incorporate ingredients that you already have on hand.

Some delicious, affordable pantry recipes include:. This affects restaurants and grocery stores, but it's also happening in individual homes across the US. One smart way to save money is to reduce waste. Quite simply, stop throwing away food that you spent money on.

Here are some tips for reducing food waste:. Double the ingredients in your recipe so you can make and freeze meals. This is known as batch cooking, and works well for multi-serve meals such as lasagna, soups, stew, chili, and curry. When freezing, use single-serve containers so you can reheat one portion at a time.

Make sure to mark each item with a name and the date it was prepared, then try to use the foods up based on this timeline:. These freezer storage times indicate how long the item will retain the best flavor and quality.

Meal Prepping: Getting ingredients ready in advance for quicker cooking. Freezer Cooking: Preparing and freezing meals for later. Once-a-Month Cooking: Cooking a month's worth of meals in a day. Budget Meal Planning: Planning meals to save money.

Emergency Meal Planning: Preparing for unexpected situations. Meal Planning Guidelines and Principles Use MyPlate food groups: Include a mix of protein, vegetables, fruit, dairy, and grains for a well-rounded meal.

Variety is Key: Rotate different foods to ensure you get a range of nutrients. Plan Ahead: Decide your meals in advance to avoid last-minute unhealthy choices. Use a Shopping List: Create a list based on your meal plan to avoid impulse buying.

Minimize Processed Foods: Focus on whole, unprocessed ingredients. Cook in Batches: Prepare extra portions for leftovers to save time and reduce waste. Look at your Calendar: When menu planning, adjust your plan as needed to accommodate changing schedules or unexpected events.

Plan easy meals on busy days. Learn Basic Cooking Skills: Simple cooking techniques can make meal preparation easier. Our online free Create Better Health course is perfect for this! Reduce Food Waste: Start your menu planning by looking through the fridge, freezer and cupboards. Use leftovers creatively and be mindful of expiration dates.

Family Involvement: Involve family members in meal planning and preparation. Keep it Simple: Meals don't have to be complicated to be nutritious and delicious.

Factors to Consider When Planning Meals Here are a few factors to keep in mind when frugal meal planning. Budget Constraints: Be mindful of your budget and seek cost-effective ingredients and recipes that align with your financial goals.

Time Available for Cooking: Consider your daily schedule and choose meals that match the time you have for preparation, whether it's quick and easy recipes for busy days or more elaborate dishes for weekends. Nutritional Needs: Tailor your meals to meet your nutritional requirements, considering factors like age, activity level, and health goals.

Aim for a balance of nutrients like protein, carbohydrates, and vegetables. Available Ingredients: Plan meals based on what ingredients you already have and what's in season. Reducing food waste and using what's on hand can save both time and money. Portion Sizes and Balance: Pay attention to portion sizes to avoid overeating and ensure your plate is balanced with a variety of food groups to meet your dietary goals.

Simple Steps to Follow When Meal Planning Choose a Day: Set a specific day each week for meal planning. Kid-Friendly Meal Planning Here are some simple tips for kid-friendly meal planning: Involve Kids: Let kids help choose and prepare meals. When they have a say, they're more likely to eat what's served.

Finger Foods: Kids often enjoy bite-sized, finger-friendly foods. Consider snacks like veggie sticks, fruit slices, or mini sandwiches. Colorful Plates: Use a variety of colorful ingredients to make meals visually appealing.

Kids are more likely to eat a rainbow of foods. Hidden Veggies: Sneak vegetables into dishes like spaghetti sauce or smoothies for added nutrition.

Balanced Meals: Ensure each meal includes a mix of protein, vegetables, and grains to cover nutritional needs. Refer to MyPlate for more guidance on food groups. No Pressure: Avoid pressuring kids to eat. Offer a variety of foods, but let them decide how much to consume.

Mealtime Routine: Establish a consistent mealtime routine to create a sense of structure and comfort. Offer a Dip: Kids may be more interested in trying foods if there is a dip offered.