Meal planning in itself is a great way to save some time, money, and sanity. I cannot imagine going through a week without having some sort of meal plan. In a previous post we’ve talked about my method for bi-weekly meal planning, why I do it, and how it works for my family. I still use this method but today we are going to take it a step further, and use a few other tricks to help us save time and money through meal planning.
1. Cook in Batches.
When you’re planning out your meals, especially for two weeks at a time, think ahead on meals that are similar and when you may need leftovers. This way you can double or triple up on cooking meals, or components to meals and have them in the freezer ready to go- saving you time for when you really need it.
For Example: I’ve talked about having *categories in your meal plan, like “chicken”. If you’re planning on having chicken more than one night, you can cook it all at once, use what you need now and freeze the rest for later.
This also works for making sure you have leftovers for a weekend without cooking.
*(Read more about using categories in meal planning here).
2. Have a Prep Day.
Pick a day out of the week or month that you can use to prep some things ahead of time. Take some time to do your baking, chopping vegetables, or use this day to mass produce meats or meals. I really like having a vacuum sealer for this.
While prepping your veggies, keep a gallon size bag in your freezer for scraps you can use for making vegetable broth later.
Taking this time now, can leave you with more free time during busy weeks.
3. Freeze Leftovers in Single Portions
Cooking with the intention to have leftovers is a great way to not have to cook some nights, when you’re too busy or simply don’t want to. Freeze your leftovers in single portions and make sure to label them so that you have them on hand when needed.
Doing this gives you a variety of meals to choose from and enjoy, without spending money on takeout!
4. Stretch Expensive Ingredients.
There are many ways you can stretch out those more expensive ingredients with cheaper ones and still have delicious meals. You can add beans or lentils to meat making it go further, or add veggies and a little extra sauce to pasta dishes to make a few more portions.
Add some rice to soup, to make it more filling, or omit the meat completely and use a variety of mushrooms for protein that night. You just have to get a little creative when stretching out a meal, but you may be surprised how delicious it can be!
Not only is this a great way to save money on groceries, but it’s also a great way to add some extra veggies and variety into your diet.
5. Keep a Kitchen Inventory and Plan Meals Backwards.
When setting time aside to plan your meals, start by looking at what you already have in the pantry, freezer, and refrigerator and go from there. Plan your meals with what you already have so nothing goes to waste.
This is where a kitchen inventory can come in handy! Use this to keep track of what you have so you don’t forget about it and you’ll have a quick reference to refer to while planning your meals.
You can also use it to keep track of leftovers and things you may have prepped ahead of time.
This Kitchen Inventory has a section for each item, the amount you have, its location and a box you can check if you need to restock.
The locations are R=Refrigerator, P= Pantry, and F=Freezer, simply mark whichever one applies to that item!
*Click here to download and use this Free Kitchen Inventory List.
*You may use this printable however you’d like in your own home, or share them with friends and family but you may NOT sell these as your own.*
*For best results print at 100% or full size.
I can truly appreciate my past self for doing these things throughout the week. Nothing feels better than when I go to make a meal after a long day and half of the work is already done or when I don’t have the time to cook and I can just pull something out of the freezer for a quick, homemade meal!
What are some ways you like to save when it comes to meal time?
Love thissss, God is always right on time with help. God bless you and thank you for the printable. This is very wise and helps with stewardship of resources, especially on the really long days where it’s so convenient to eat out. It’s nice to have a healthier homecooked option without the full hassel. Sending love 💕
Thank you so much for the kind words, I really appreciate your continuous support on my blog!