Cooking meals which are decided on a day to day basis is not only tiresome but can take its toll on your pocket book as well. Frequent trips to the grocery store and buying smaller, pre-made food items can cost you time as well as more money in gas and in the checkout line. By sitting down and planning your meals for the week you can shop smarter, save time and alleviate the stress of deciding what's for dinner every day.
Break out the Cookbooks
Even those with very busy schedules can carve out 10 minutes on the weekend to plan seven meals. Dust off cookbooks containing some of your favorite meals and plan a complete menu for each day, side dishes included. Once you have your meal plan make a grocery list based on the food needed for the week.
When choosing your menu for the week plan on cooking meals that fit into that day's schedule. If a child has soccer practice on Wednesday or you usually work late on Thursdays be sure to choose a meal for that day that takes little prep time or that can be prepped ahead of time.
Buying in Bulk: It's Good for the Budget
It's a well known fact that purchasing commonly used food items in bulk saves you money in the long run. This is true whether you have a big or small family. By buying in bulk and freezing or storing those items you build up a reserve of food items that makes gathering ingredients for your recipes as easy as taking a trip to the freezer or pantry.
On the other hand, be mindful of the quantities you buy when purchasing foods with a short shelf life. Sure, that jumbo bag of salad may seem like a deal but if you find yourself throwing out half of it due to spoilage it wasn't much of a savings after all. If you do find you have to buy items that spoil quickly in bigger amounts, cooking meals requiring the same ingredient least twice in a one week to ten day period helps avoid waste.
Revisit Those Leftovers
A great way to save money on food and make meal planning easier is to save meats not used up during a meal. Chicken, steaks and roasts can be frozen and make wonderful stewing meats at a later date. Reusing leftover meats saves money on your grocery bill and makes planning a dinner for a future date that much easier.
Cook in Bulk
Another fabulous way to cut down on meal choice and prep is to make double batches of dishes that can be frozen and enjoyed later. Many soups, sauces and pasta dishes such as lasagna will freeze well for short periods of time. Marinating meat for dinner? Make a double batch-one for that day's meal and another one to freeze immediately and pull out another day. Your frozen batch will marinate while thawing and be ready for the grill or oven the next time you include that meal in your weekly planner with no prep time required.
The old saying goes," He who fails to plan, plans to fail." If you feel like you're flunking out of home-ec due to your last minute meals and climbing grocery bill fight back by taking a few minutes to make a weekly meal plan. Cooking meals when you have a plan is easier, cheaper and can even make you love cooking again. - 15485
Break out the Cookbooks
Even those with very busy schedules can carve out 10 minutes on the weekend to plan seven meals. Dust off cookbooks containing some of your favorite meals and plan a complete menu for each day, side dishes included. Once you have your meal plan make a grocery list based on the food needed for the week.
When choosing your menu for the week plan on cooking meals that fit into that day's schedule. If a child has soccer practice on Wednesday or you usually work late on Thursdays be sure to choose a meal for that day that takes little prep time or that can be prepped ahead of time.
Buying in Bulk: It's Good for the Budget
It's a well known fact that purchasing commonly used food items in bulk saves you money in the long run. This is true whether you have a big or small family. By buying in bulk and freezing or storing those items you build up a reserve of food items that makes gathering ingredients for your recipes as easy as taking a trip to the freezer or pantry.
On the other hand, be mindful of the quantities you buy when purchasing foods with a short shelf life. Sure, that jumbo bag of salad may seem like a deal but if you find yourself throwing out half of it due to spoilage it wasn't much of a savings after all. If you do find you have to buy items that spoil quickly in bigger amounts, cooking meals requiring the same ingredient least twice in a one week to ten day period helps avoid waste.
Revisit Those Leftovers
A great way to save money on food and make meal planning easier is to save meats not used up during a meal. Chicken, steaks and roasts can be frozen and make wonderful stewing meats at a later date. Reusing leftover meats saves money on your grocery bill and makes planning a dinner for a future date that much easier.
Cook in Bulk
Another fabulous way to cut down on meal choice and prep is to make double batches of dishes that can be frozen and enjoyed later. Many soups, sauces and pasta dishes such as lasagna will freeze well for short periods of time. Marinating meat for dinner? Make a double batch-one for that day's meal and another one to freeze immediately and pull out another day. Your frozen batch will marinate while thawing and be ready for the grill or oven the next time you include that meal in your weekly planner with no prep time required.
The old saying goes," He who fails to plan, plans to fail." If you feel like you're flunking out of home-ec due to your last minute meals and climbing grocery bill fight back by taking a few minutes to make a weekly meal plan. Cooking meals when you have a plan is easier, cheaper and can even make you love cooking again. - 15485
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