Meal planning is the new craze that makes every mom feel guilty about not having enough time to prepare, cook and now freeze meals ahead of time. Not only that, but meal planning on a budget can just add on the stress.
Not only are you supposed to keep yourself, kids and spouse organized but now you’re supposed to organize meals?!
What you’re going to learn in this post:
- The stupid simple steps to meal planning on a budget
- 10 cheap and easy recipes your family will love
- How to save the most money when meal planning
We all have a million and one things to get done in a short amount of time.
Even though it may sound like meal planning on a budget is adding even more to your plate (pun intended), I’m here to show you how to make it easier so you don’t feel like screaming when it comes to cooking dinner.
HOW TO EASILY MEAL PLAN ON A BUDGET
Keep it stupid simple.
Cooking dinner is a chore. And honestly, one of my most-despised and least favorite tasks to do.
Do what you can with what you have. If you don’t have time (or patience) to do elaborate meals – DON’T DO THEM.
My meal planning on a budget is based on:
- Being Effective and Organized
- Staying Stupid Simple
- Saving the Most Money
Quick 5 Steps to Meal Planning on a Budget:
Step 1 – Get 3 sheets of paper. Write down all possible meal ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner. *Choose easy meals here people, nothing fancy!
Step 2 – Using a blank meal planning sheet start filling it in using your meal ideas. Start with one meal at a time – focus on planning all dinners, then plan all breakfast, then lunches. Check pantry, fridge and freezer so you can use what you have. (Never plan more than 2 weeks out, start by only planning 1 week.)
*If you’re used to eating out on the regular (hello, taco lovers right here!) then plan to eat out 1-2 times a week. You know you’re going to do it, so just make a plan for it.
Step 3 – Write a grocery list on a piece of paper, notes on your phone or wherever you’re going to remember it. DON’T leave the house without a grocery list.
Step 4 – Use rebates – NOT coupons. My favorite rebate app is Ibotta, always check it before going to the store.
Step 5 – Wave your hands in the air like you just don’t care because you have meals planned!
Detailed Meal Planning on a Budget Steps
Step 1
Write down all possible meal ideas that you and your family will ACTUALLY eat (this is key – don’t put things you wish they’d eat) on three separate pages.
Grab three sheets of paper (or print them from the Ultimate Financial Planner) and have one page for breakfast, one for lunch and one for dinner.
This is the step that’s going to make the rest of your life 10X easier.
The reason for writing down every single meal is so you don’t have to ask everyone what they want for dinner. All you do is go to your handy-dandy sheets of paper, pick an option and there you have it.
Step 2
Using your meal ideas sheets, take a blank weekly meal plan sheet and start filling it in. Start by planning the same meal for the entire week.
FOR EXAMPLE: Plan out all of the dinners at one time. Then move on to all breakfast and then all lunches. Trying to plan entire days is overwhelming. Keep. It. Simple.
While you’re planning out meals check the pantry, fridge and freezer and see what you can make with what you already have.
MEAL PLANNING TIP: Don’t create a meal plan for longer than 2 weeks.
Anything over 2 weeks is unpredictable. Honestly, I only plan one week at a time. Do what you can.
Remember to include a day (or days) for eating out.
Yes, I suggest adding in a day to eat out IF you have regularly been eating out. There are some families who don’t.
I know that we’re going to eat out at some point during the week. It’s a given, so why not plan for it?
Step 3
Simply write a grocery list for everything you’ll need for that week.
You have your weekly meal plan set up, now figure out every single thing you’ll need to get at the store and WRITE IT DOWN. It’s proven that you spend less when you make less trips to the store (shocker).
Write your grocery list where it’s convenient for you.
I don’t use the grocery list from my Financial Planner. Not because there’s anything wrong with it, but because I love using the notes app on my phone for my grocery list.
It’s a lot easier when I think of something to just type it into the notes and delete it while I’m at the store.
I’m totally serious when I say, DO NOT skip this step. You know how I mentioned above that this meal plan actually saves me money?
The major way it saves me money is by cutting down my trips to the grocery store. I don’t know about you, but if I run to the grocery store for just one or two things I feel like it’s a waste of a trip (this is the dumbest thing but it’s how I think!). So I end up grabbing ten more items I obviously don’t need just to feel okay.
I’ve seriously saved so much by only doing one grocery trip a week – or if I’m really good, doing one trip for two weeks. If anyone else falls into this guilty trap then this meal plan is definitely for you!
Step 4
Use rebates.
I hate couponing. I am not a couponer nor do I want to do it.
I like things that are easy to do and don’t waste my time. That’s why I got hooked on Ibotta.
I love Ibotta because I don’t have to clip coupons or waste time, it’s as simple as the click of a button and then enjoy $20 or more back a month just from buying things I already needed.
Seriously, who doesn’t love getting money back on stuff you’re ALREADY BUYING?!
Ibotta is an app you can use that gives you rebates back on groceries you already have to buy.
You know how Ebates gives you cash back on stuff you purchase online? Ibotta is just like that but at the grocery store.
You literally just search for your store in the app, find the items that you have on your grocery list, scan your receipt and BOOM – cash back.
The only way for you to find out the true beauty of Ibotta is trying out for yourself. Go ahead, click this link, to find out all it’s cash back glory.
Just a full disclosure, you’ll get an extra $10 dollars for signing up through that link (yes, I’m an affiliate … why wouldn’t I share something that has already saved me tons of money and I totally love?)
Now you KNOW it’s too good to be true – seriously, what have you got to lose except all that money back from groceries you could be getting?
PS – Altogether my team on Ibotta has gotten back $1,089.63 in just a few short months. (most people have already gotten back $100+ in less than 2 months.) If that doesn’t make you want to join I don’t know what will! Plus, the app is free, so don’t worry about spending more money to get money.
Step 5
Throw your hands in the air and enjoy the rest of your day knowing you’ve successfully meal planned and that was sooooo much easier and less painful than you thought it would be!
Wait, what? That’s really it?! You thought meal planning was this intricate maze you thought you’d never get through.
Don’t make meal planning too hard. You don’t have to make all your meals ahead of time and freeze them (unless you feel like it.)
And you don’t have to feel like a failure if your meals aren’t organized like everyone else’s.
Your meal plan is exactly that, YOURS. Whether you want to meal plan to save some time by prepping and freezing meals ahead of time – or you want to save money by cutting down on your grocery trips.
Meal planning on a budget is meant to help keep your sanity in those busy life days – don’t make it harder than it needs to be.
Maybe you just got stuck at the first step and don’t have any ideas on what meals to put down. Or, you’d just like a complete meal plan already done for you.
In either case, I have a few options for you.
Meal Planning Options
Below are a few meal planning options that are already done for you. I have not personally used them but know people who have.
They’re reasonable enough to fit in your budget and not break the bank.
Meal Planning Templates: I created my own templates after not being able to find exactly what I wanted. Included in the Financial Success Planner are the sheets to write down your separate meal ideas, grocery list and meal planning sheet. Plus you’ll get the rest of the budgeting templates to continue saving money! Snag the Financial Success Planner and all the meal planning templates here.
Six Sisters Stuff: I am obsessed with Six Sisters Stuff recipes and am constantly searching for new recipe ideas on their site.
Their meal plans range from $4 – $8 dollars a month depending on what one you want. Included is 6 meals, 2 side dishes, 2 desserts and a detailed grocery list every week.
Very maintainable in a budget (and also could be worth the time it would save!)
eMeals: This is the same idea as the one above. The only difference is it has 7 meals as opposed to the six. You can use their app on your phone to see your meals and the grocery list.
The price is $5 a month for a subscription of 12-months and a subscription for 3-months for $10 a month. They also have a 14-day trial – if you’re just curious to see what it’s all about!
Remember to keep it simple. Meal planning is to help make your life a little less busy. We all know that if you ask your spouse they’ll say, “I don’t know, whatever sounds good to you.” Making you even more frustrated, forcing you to go out and eat at the last-minute but then regretting that you spent the money.
Quick Recap to Meal Planning on a Budget:
Step 1 – Write down all meal ideas for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Step 2 – Create your weekly meal menu using your meal ideas from above
Step 3 – Make a grocery list so you only have to make one trip to the store
Step 4 – Check your rebates so you can get cash back on the groceries you’re already buying.
Step 5 – Enjoy the rest of your stress-free night not having to wonder what to make for dinner! 🙂
Remember to keep meal planning stupid simple.
Here’s to a more organized (and only slightly stressed) life!
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