In my home, the biggest budget buster is dining out. All those fast food pit stops at around $15 (for two) eat through my budget and before I know it, we've gone bust. Let's not even talk about the damage it does to my waistline.
Let's look at the numbers, shall we?
$25 (two adult meals + two kids meals) x 3 times a week= $75 a week x 4 weeks= $300 a month
Ouch.
It's easy to rationalize… "It's just this ONE time". Uh huh, right. What are you going to do for dinner tomorrow night?
I'm
here to offer you a solution for you. Plan ahead. That's easy for me
to say, right? Listen, I dislike planning as much as the next person,
but I'm determined to control costs and there are some great options out there to help us out.
- http://www.e-mealz.com-
For only $1.25 a week they do all the planning for you. Meal plans can
be personalized according to sales at your local store, diet
requirements, and the number of people in your family. - Convenience meals- Accept the fact that your perfectly planned menu will not work out.
Keep a few frozen pizzas or skilled meals in the freezer for those
crazy nights where nothing goes as planned. - Shop the freezer-
Most soups freeze very well, so next time cook a little extra to
freeze. When you are desperate for a meal, take it out, thaw it in the
microwave and you've got a home cooked meal with no extra work.
Steps to making a Menu:
- Using your calendar, determine how many meals you will need to cook until the next shopping trip.
- Choose recipes for each meal. (Have a family favorite? Cook it more than once!)
- Put those meals on a calendar.
- Make a list of all ingredients needed.
- Go through your pantry and freezer and mark off the items you already have.
- Add the remaining items to your shopping list.
I repeat my menu every two weeks then change it seasonally. (It's coming up on Chili season!!!)
Start
off simple, with recipes that are uncomplicated and pleasing to your
family. After you've become a menu-making pro, you will easily
transition to more adventurous dishes without the worry of having the
right ingredients at home.
Do you have menu successes or disasters that you would like to share? Come on over to the forums and tell us about them.
Tiffany can be found living the simple life at songbirdtiff.blogspot.com
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Oh, how I hate menu planning! Yet, every time that I am diligent to do so, our budget is so much better – Thanks for the inspiration, Tiffany!
I keep trying to do the whole menu planning thing. It works for about 2 weeks then usually gets scrapped. I definitely need to keep up with it though. Not only does it save money, but we eat a lot healthier too.
evil of you to post in-n-out while i'm dining on my waistline friendly cottage cheese on a bagel and watermelon. now i want french fries! ump. can.not.have.
I make a menu each week. It really does help keep you from stopping for fast food. But Oh my those fries and burgers looks so good.
Thanks for all of your helpful tips.
Amen Sister! We are trying to curb this beast RIGHT THIS VERY MOMENT. I just have to keep reminding myself that out of debt feels better than McDonald's tastes. A plan and not getting too hungry in the afternoon are what works for me.
But I love the picture – I was just there yesterday!
I really need to get back to planning. We have been bad lately. Not only does it cost money and add to our waistlines – it also makes my husband grumpy!
Great article! That nasty word 'planning' is like dieting. Ack! But it works!
Melissa
Why or why did you post that photo? HA…Now I seriously want to make an In-and-Out run for lunch, never mind the fantastic ideas in your post. That photo was way too distracting and may have won my attention…