Meal Planning

If you are like us and live on a budget, one of the biggest areas we are able to save money is on our food bill.

Did you know, the average family spends between $146- $289 per week for a family of four to eat a healthy diet.- U.S. Department of Agriculture. What!?

I am not sure about you, but we just do not have this kind of money. So in order for us to provide our family with nutritional foods and not break the bank, I turned to and now rely on meal planning. Now let me help by sharing this Meal Planning secret which helps me stay on target…. I do not plan out meals to a detail. I keep this meal planning simple, like most things I do. Let’s face it, as a mommy (or daddy) working, caring for the children, caring for the house and just the success of getting dinner on the table, can be enough on anyone’s plate. So the key to my success is KISS… (Keep It Silly Simple)

 So what do I do?

I have a basic menu, which I shop by and I can either stick with my weeks menu or I can mix things up and go a little crazy and change things up!

 The reason for the basic menu is more for a guide and when I am at the store shopping, I know exactly how much of everything I need. (SAVINGS!!) Now, let’s say I decide I do not want taco's on Tuesday, but I have ground beef, and all these fresh veggies… well maybe I will turn the meat into hamburgers or make a quick “sloppy joe” out of the ingredients I have… Or for those nights that you are just consumed with baseball practice, homework, dance or just ran out of time, I pull out what we have as leftover’s and we do a “Leftover Buffet”. More Savings!

 I hope this tip helps out and I would LOVE to hear what you do to help your family save money!