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Budget Cooking and Grocery Shopping Made EasierWith the price of food going up all the time, we decided one week to eat all cheap frozen food instead of cooking from scratch. Unfortunately, we had indigestion, heartburn, and upset stomachs all week. So how do you start cooking healthy, hearty meals on a budget? It is possible, but it takes some effort. Here are a few tips I have learned along the way: 1. Plan your weekly menu in advance.Write down a simple list of what meal you will be having each day, then prepare a grocery list of the ingredients needed for those meals. Don’t forget to add items you children will need for breakfast and school lunches. Budget cooking requires planning ahead. Microsoft Office Template for a Printable Grocery List 2. Plan a few inexpensive meals. This does not mean you have to eat low quality frozen stuff, but it does mean that you can plan one or two meatless dinners. A good example is pasta with tomato sauce. Also plan ahead for ingredients for school lunches for the week. 3. Try to comparison shop.It is a good idea to get the Sunday paper, and compare what the stores have on sale. If a local grocery store is having a wonderful sale on chicken, be sure to stock up. Another store may have a bargain on beef. I have to add, sometimes as a mom of young children, I don’t get the time to shop at three different stores. If this is your problem, compare to see which store has the best prices overall, and shop there. You can still do a great job at budget cooking!
4. Check out discount stores. If you have a large family, perhaps you are a member of Sam’s Club of Costco. If so, compare their prices and see which items you can save money on. A smaller family could check out Aldi Foods. I personally do a lot of shopping at Aldi Foods—I save a lot of money there. 5. Cut coupons. Coupons are not always the best deal, but sometimes they can save you money on things you would be buying anyway. I often find that even using coupons, I can still save more money by buying the store brand. However, if there is a certain name brand food you regularly use, definitely buy the Sunday paper and cut coupons. 6. Unless something is a fabulous deal, do not buy extras that are not on your grocery list. Grocery shopping and cooking on a budget requires self-control. Make your list, and stick to it. However, if you see a great unadvertised special on something you will be using in the future, like ground beef or cereal, stock up. Coupons -- Cutting and Using Coupons to Save on Groceries
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