7 Easy Meal Planning Tips to Save Big on Grocery Shopping

Having a meal plan is the number one way to save on grocery shopping. I am constantly trying to find ways to save both time and money. Last year, I experimented with a bunch of different meal plans and I came up with an easy weekly meal plan that really works.

There are some things you will need to get started. You’ll need a notepad or a piece of paper. At the top of the page make 3 columns; Fridge, freezer, and pantry. You also need a pad of paper, for grocery lists, and a calendar.

2. Shop at home

Shop your refrigerator, freezer, and pantry. I take a notepad and look through everything I have and I come up with a quick inventory of what I have that I can use to make meals. This doesn’t take long and it makes a huge difference on your savings.

For example, I looked in my freezer and found a package of chicken. In my pantry, I found a jar of sauce and some breadcrumbs. I already had most of the ingredients I needed to make chicken parmesan. All I needed was some mozzarella, so I added that to my grocery list.

Then I took out my meal planning calendar and scheduled a chicken parmesan dinner for Monday night. I also found some kale and beans, so I put down kale and bean soup for Tuesday.

3. Cook once, eat twice

Another thing that I found while shopping in my kitchen was a 3-pound package of ground turkey. Cooking in bulk is a major time saver. I will take the package of turkey, season it, and brown it up on the stove. Then I will split it in two so I can get two meals out of it.

I found some taco shells in the pantry, so I will put tacos on my calendar for Wednesday night’s meal and use half the turkey for that. I just had to add sour cream to my shopping list.

I also found some veggies in my fridge and some brown rice in my pantry, so I scheduled a meal of ground meat, veggies, and rice for Thursday night. I already have 4 days of meals scheduled and only had to add 3 items to my grocery list.

4. Shop the front and back of all your circulars

Supermarkets are savvy in their marketing. They put the biggest sales items on the front and back of their circulars to entice shoppers. Now that you know what the best deals are, you can use that to help you plan the rest of your meals for the week.

For example, I noticed that sirloin steak is on sale. I know from doing my inventory that I have potatoes. Now I can schedule a meal of sirloin steak and potatoes for Friday night, and add sirloin steak to my grocery list.

5. Leftovers day

Make sure to schedule a day of the week for leftovers. Designating a meal to leftovers will help make sure you don’t waste food. It will also help you clean out the fridge.

What I like to do is just heat up all the leftovers and lay it out buffet style. My family actually enjoys leftover nights because they have choices. I enjoy it because it gives me a break from cooking.

6. Have a snack

It takes a lot of willpower to stick to your grocery list when roaming the aisles of the supermarket. There is a lot of temptation.

Don’t go to the supermarket hungry or you will end up buying things that are not on your list. A friend of mine told me that she spends an average of an extra $35 a week when she goes to the supermarket hungry. This is why I recommend having a snack before going grocery shopping.

7. Stick to your list

It is so important to stick to your list. I’ve gone to the store with that intention and then I see a great deal on something and I am tempted to purchase it. I think about the ways that these deals can help me save money in the future, but I know they will end up putting me over my present budget.

Stay focused and stick to your list. You will find yourself overwhelmed and wasting food if you buy too much at once without a plan. It’s important to be rigid with your meal plans if you really want to save.

Meal planning tips

I hope that you try these meal-planning tips. A simple meal plan could be the only thing standing between you and major potential savings.

If you have tips I didn’t mention here, please leave them in the comments. I love exchanging ideas so we can help each other learn and grow.

Next, learn How to Stretch Your Food Budget & Save Money.