Thursday, May 23, 2013

Eating Cheap :: Meal Planning 101

Eat Cheap :: Meal Planning 101

Taking the time to meal plan seems overwhelming and tedious...but it doesn't have to be that way. It can be rewarding and you feel awfully productive afterward. The biggest incentive to meal-planning should be the MONEY! You will save so much, the small amount of time it takes will easily be worth it.
In this post, I'll walk you through my process step by step. It's easy and relatively painless, I promise.

Take Stock :: What's in your kitchen now?
You should go into your kitchen, survey the freezer, the fridge and the cupboards. Take a look at those things you already have in the kitchen that haven't yet been utilized in a recipe. Use them as a starting point.
As an example, I had pork chops and chicken thighs that I had purchased earlier in the month at Costco in my freezer. I can plan several meals around them. If your stumped for what to do with your meat, Google or Pinterest can make short work of looking for a recipe that will be just right!



About Meat :: Which cuts will get you more bang for your buck?
If you want to stay in a budget, you'll want to choose inexpensive cuts. I rarely choose chicken breasts. Why? They are lower in protein than dark meat for one...and they are generally not very flavorful either. For a white meat substitute, I usually go for pork chops. I buy them at Costco for around $13-15 for 9-10 very thick chops. Two chops is really four! I either thinly slice the chop for stir-fry style teriyaki pork, or cut the in half length-wise and make pork chops a thousand different ways!
For buying chicken, I almost always go for thighs and legs. Not only can you find them very cheap at Costco in bulk (around $10 for 3-4 meals worth), but you can also find them at rock bottom prices at your local grocery store. I regularly find legs that are close to code date for $3-4 for a dozen or more! Last time it was 14 legs for $3.25. I went home, used two freezer bags and froze two meals worth of legs.
I don't shy away from ground beef either. I make it maybe once a week...but at Trader Joe's you can get a pound for $2.69. Taco Night is very popular in my house and it's an easy win. If your vegan or vegetarian...or just want a healthier choice, go for the meatless ground at TJ's for just a few pennies more.
Another meat I buy regularly, ground Italian Sausage in the tube...don't be scared! It's the same as link and it works much better in soups, pasta and pizza. Not only is it much tastier, in my humble opinion, but it's much cheaper than link sausage. It's around $3-4 for a one pound tube.
You can still have the odd roast or steak, but you have to plan around them, having cheaper meals (or meatless ones) to even out your budget.

About Sides :: Just pick one!
You can blow a ton of dough on the side dishes. If you are in the center aisles, then you know two things...it's highly processed and it's much more expensive than it seems.
I have a general rule, 'one side dish with every meal'. If it's soup, it's bread or biscuits. If it's meat, it's usually salad, veggies or potatoes. The main thing is to just have one! I also keep a big bag of rice (I like Cal Rose) for Asian-style dishes. I'll keep a 5lb bag of red potatoes around in a drawer as well. When properly stored, they'll keep for quite some time. They make it easy to whip up "smashed potatoes" or roast them up for a quick side.
I try to keep it simple. That helps too.
For salad, I never buy pre-packaged. I buy a head of Romaine, chop, wash and keep in a bag in the fridge with a paper napkin or towel and it will keep for a week or more. I'll dress it up with some carrots or just have it plain with some dressing. Either way, one large head of lettuce is under $2.00 and will last us for at least a week.

Eat Cheap :: Meal Planning 101

Time to make that list!

Eat Cheap :: Meal Planning 101What you'll need:
1. A pen and paper ( I use a composition book I bought at Target during back to school time). You could use your computer, but I'm the kind   of girl who still enjoys writing things down.
2. Your phone or laptop to find recipes and/or have your recipe box handy.
3. A mental inventory of what you already have in your cupboard. 

Step one :: What staples do I need?
I'm sure there are things your family always eats. In my house, milk, bread, butter and fruit are things I always need to buy. They go on the list first.

Step two :: Plan your meals for two weeks
Above is a picture of my list setup. On my paper, I number 1-14 or I'll abbreviate the days of the week on the side. Next, list meals you already have the ingredients or most of the ingredients first. I spread mine out (probably just a quirk as I can't think of a great reason why I do it...probably a habit left over from when I planned it to the day).

Step three :: Fill in your list
Have your recipes handy on your phone, computer or recipe box. Go day by day and add item you need to buy to your list. Add them in the right category for ease of shopping when you're at the store.

My categories:
  • Produce 
    • fruits and veg
  • Meat/Dairy
    • includes lunch meats and other deli items
  • Pantry (the middle aisles)
    • I try to limit my time in these aisles and focus on the "outer ring" of the store.
  • Other/Etc/Bulk (this includes frozen)
    • I also limit myself on using frozen "convienence" foods. Avoid them and the hefty prices they carry. Not to mention they are almost all bad for you.
    • Frozen veggies are ok tho...but still pricey (I rarely buy them)
    • Buy your shampoos/toilet paper/laundry detergent and whatnot somewhere else. The grocery store often marks these items waaaay up. I hit Target, personally...but almost anywhere else is cheaper than the grocery store.

Step four :: Add in lunch and breakfast food
Don't go bananas! Most lunches are just for me and the baby during the school year. In the summer (coming very soon) I'll have an extra kid for both meals.
My lunches are simple, I automate so I'm not scrambling for ideas. For me, most lunches are a turkey sandwich and a side of fruit or the TJs version of Pirate Booty. When the kid is home this summer, I'm sure that will get mixed up with some pb&js, grilled cheese and maybe the odd mac n cheese day.
Also, leftovers work great for lunch. If you don't eat them, no one will. When you properly meal plan, you don't have a lot of leftovers, but when you do...it's the perfect amount for lunch.

Step five :: Don't forget snacks!
I like popcorn. I buy it in the bulk bin and pop it myself on the stove. It's salty, takes a long time to eat and it's nice to curl up with on the couch after the kids are in bed. It's always on my list. I also buy the no-guilt brownie mix at TJs and make them in a muffin tray so the portions are right and have those throughout the week. But anything else, it gets made from scratch...so I make sure my pantry has the staples. (and maybe some chocolate chips too).

Costco/Sam's Club
At the beginning of my shopping month, I like to hit Costco for a few things that last all month and are a savings that can't be beat at other stores.
Bread: We are a sandwich eating family. I buy two HUGE loaves of split-top wheat bread for under 5 dollars. I freeze the loaf I'm not using. Right now, it lasts all month. It may run out faster in the summer months.
Meat: I buy my pork chops and chicken legs or thighs here at the beginning of the month. Spreading meals out, I get 8-9 meals right there.
Milk and Eggs: Sometimes. If the timing works where I'm there when I need them. I don't go out of my way to freeze milk (yet).
Instant Yeast: I bake pizza dough, hamburger buns and bread for soup nights. Yeast is dirt cheap and I doubt I'll run out...the bag is huge...and around $3.
Pancake Mix: I buy this maybe once a year for $5. We have pancakes on weekends often and that bag will last forever. I could make my own mix, but for $5, I'll pass.
You don't have to go to Costco, but I like to, and I have the membership, so I take advantage.

Here is the receipt from my last trip to Winco:
Eat Cheap :: Meal Planning 101

Take special notice of the prices near the bottom of the receipt...those are the bulk items. 4lbs of flour for $1.22. $0.60 for 3/4 of a pound of elbow macaroni! Smoked paprika for $0.44!!! These are prices you CAN NOT BEAT.

My total was $68.18
It would have been less, but it's my birthday and we're making Fruit Pizza...I bought a little more than I needed just in case.

I will also be hitting TJ's soon, but I'll spend less than $20 there.
That's for 2 weeks.

Now this is my second trip of the month. I have meat left over from my first two weeks. of my $300/mo budget, I spend close to $200 in the first half stocking up for the whole month...keep that in mind.

I'll post my reciepts and meal plans every two weeks! I'll also be sharing my recipes in between...so stay tuned!

16 comments:

  1. Auntie is enjoying this! gg

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  2. The prices are crazy at Winco!!! we have one kinda close but it is in a super creepy area.....Im going to have to suck it up and go there :)

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    1. Totally worth going to. Go mid-morning. Even creepy places are empty.

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    2. Violet yes you are like me. I just run into Winco early in the morning, get what I need, and leave!

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    3. Violet you're like me. I shop early, get what I need, and get out!

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  3. This is wonderful! Thank you for sharing! We are a military family of 4 and have a 300$/month meal budget it's alwayd nice to see other ideas!
    -Shannon <3

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  4. I wish we had a cheap store like that around but we live in a rural area and can't get stores like that for two hours. We have a family of 10 and spend $700- $800 a month

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    1. There are ways to cut your spending without using bulk food stores to do it.
      Making things from scratch makes a big difference and choosing cheaper recipes. But a family of 10 is going to take some money to feed, for sure!
      Keep reading...I will have lots of recipes to come! All budget friendly!

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  5. I wish we had a cheap store like that around but we live in a rural area and can't get stores like that for two hours. We have a family of 10 and spend $700- $800 a month

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  6. I love this, I love this so much. This is a fantastic blog! For me, most of what you wrote about here I already implement(right down to going to WINCO, great place huh?), I will be making some adjustments with buying dark meat vs. chicken breasts and see what happens, definitely a great suggestion(The reason I only buy chicken breast for my husband and my lunches when there aren't any leftovers and I, them for a lack of a better word, filet them, then season and either grill or pan cook them. The package usually lasts us about 2 weeks for 7-9$). I really just wanted to drop by and say I absolutely love that you have a blog deticated to it. Scoping out your recipes now, always looking for new ways to re-invent the family menu! Keep up the amazing work and hope you have a wonderful day!

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    1. Welcome! I love me some Winco and I do on occasion buy breasts too. But more often than not I don't...it's a splurge or something I plan around specific recipes.
      Hope you hang around and I'm always open to suggestions too!

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  7. Never heard of winco must be a west coast thing? Love your ideas. I have tried meal planning many times but find it tedious and exhausting (maybe I'm just lazy or we living 2 blocks from the grocery store had something to do w
    ith it) but now that we live in the country I don't have that luxury anymore and need to plan. Love how you made your meal plan and shopping list in one that seems so obvious, definitely going to visit often

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  8. Thank you for this great information! I'm going to get started today by making my lists. I have two weeks until payday and I just went shopping.

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  9. We just got Winco and I am loving it!

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