Eating 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.

Time to make that list!

What 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:

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!