Meal Plan To Save Time and Money

Posted on December 27, 2018

by Jessica H

Do you want to save time and money?

Have you ever tried meal planning?

Try these simple steps to get started …

Step 1: Get started with a meal planning calendar

Keep an eye out for new recipes that fit your time frame and your appetite. In the beginning, flexibility may be necessary. Write it down, see what works.
Meal Planner Calendar from Little Housewife

Step 2: Make that shopping list

Keep sales in mind. Working with sales to do your meal planning can save you big time.

Check out your local grocery store online. Many offer online couponing and buying rewards. View ads, clip what you use, and earn rewards in one location!
Shopping for groceries - looking for deals or sales - image from Pixabay.com

Step 3: Prep your food

If your upcoming recipe requires sliced or diced veggies, do the work now and store them for easy access later. Prepping food ahead of time can be your biggest time saver on busy days.
Veggies on cutting board - food preparation - image from Pixabay.com

Step 4: Practice preemptive cooking

Pre­cook components of lunches and dinners for easy access. Store them strategically for on the go meals.

If a recipe can be cooked in advance and frozen, why not? Spending time on prep day by doing some bulk cooking will cut time and energy later. If you have a day of chaos in the cards, it may be the day to pull from your pre­-frozen entree list.

Don’t underestimate the value of doubling batches! Double up now to stock your freezer and use up extra fresh ingredients before they go bad. Double the reason to double batch.
Lunch box - meal prep - image from Pixabay.com

Pave your way to meal planning success with the help of quick recipes

Eat at home tonight : 101 simple busy-family recipes for your slow cooker, sheet pan, Instant Pot®, and more / Tiffany King
Run fast. Cook fast Eat slow : quick-fix recipes for hangry athletes / Shalane Flanagan & Elyse Kopecky
Fit men cook : 100+ meal prep recipes for men and women - always #healthyAF, never boring / Kevin Curry
How to feed yourself : 100 fast, cheap, and reliable recipes for cooking when you don't know what you're doing
The Everygirl's guide to cooking / Maria Menounos with Keven Undergaro
The quick six fix : 100 no-fuss, full flavor recipes, 6 ingredients, 6 minutes prep, 6 minutes clean-up / Stuart O'Keeffe with Kathleen Squires
Michael Symon's 5 in 5 for every season : 150 quick dinners, sides, and holiday dishes / Michael Symon with Douglas Trattner
It's all easy : delicious weekday recipes for the super-busy home cook / Gwyneth Paltrow with Thea Baumann
Or check out these books to save time and money
$10 dinners : delicious meals for a family of four that don't break the bank / Julie Grimes
Supermarket healthy : recipes and know-how for eating well without spending a lot / Melissa d'Arabian with Raquel Pelzel ; photographs by Tina Rupp
Good and cheap : eat well on $4/day / Leanne Brown
Affordable paleo cooking with your Instant Pot : quick + clean meals on a budget / Jennifer Robins
No time to visit the library? Explore our eBook collection
Runner's World Meals On The Run 150 Energy-Packed Recipes in 30 Minutes or Less by Joanna Sayago Golub
Williams-Sonoma School Night Dinner Solutions for Every Day of the Week by Kate McMillan
Mastering Meal Prep - Easy Recipes and Time-Saving Tips to Prepare a Week of Delicious Make-Ahead Meals in just One Hour by Pamela Ellgen
New Slow Cooker Magic - Fix it and forget it cookbook set by Phyllis Good
Rookie Cooking: Every Great Cook Has to Start Somewhere by Jim Edwards
Build-A-Bowl : 77 Satisfying & Nutritious Combos: Whole Grain + Vegetable + Protein + Sauce = Meal by Nicki Sizemore
Vegan Yack Attack on the Go! Plant-Based Recipes For Your Fast-Paced Vegan Lifestyle - Quick & Easy, Portable, Make-Ahead, And More by Jackie Sobon
The Taco Tuesday Cookbook : 52 Tasty Taco Recipes To Make Every Week The Best Ever by Laura Fuentes
Web Resources for Meal Planning

10 Family Meal Planning Tips & Ideas on a Budget – Money Crashers

$200/Month Menu Plan for Our Family of 5 – Thrifty Frugal Mom

Meal / Menu Planners – Money Saving Mom

Weeknight Family Meal Plans – My Recipes

Your Four-Week Dinner Plan – Real Simple

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