Shopping on a budget is easy to do. It just takes a little bit of planning. There are so many benefits to this and once you do it you will wonder how you ever were able to shop any other way before.
Benefits of Budget Shopping or as I call it – Meal Planning
1)Saves you money – You buy only what you will need and can research prices prior to shopping to know the best deals.
2)Saves you time – no walking up and down all the isles deciding what to buy. You stick to your shopping list go straight for the items on it and you are in and out.
3)Saves the environment – You will cut your waste since you will be using everything you buy so you do not have to worry about your produce going bad because you never ended up using them on anything you made.
So this is how it works. Right before I go shopping I sit down with my note pad and decide what we are going to eat Monday – Tuesday- Wednesday- Friday-Saturday-Sunday. I write the meal name down and then I check my pantry/fridge for the ingredients I already have in stock and write down on my shopping list just the ingredients I need to buy. After I am done with the list I check for coupons for those items on the list and my coupon apps (like ibotta and such). Then I grab my reusable shopping bags and head to the store!
When I get home from work to make dinner there is no more “What are we going to make for dinner?” Where you stare into the fridge and scratch your head and think about what you are in the mood for…we have all been there! I just look at my meal plan and start making the meal for the day.
Of course there is still some flexibility. If I don’t feel like eating chicken I can just pick something from a different date and swap the dishes and you should always have your back ups in stock. Those dishes you know everyone will eat and is quick and easy. At my house is it Mac and Cheese, Frozen Pizza or spaghetti.