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Saving money when meal planning

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Meal planning seems daunting at a though and most people have a lot of questions; how do I start? Will I actually save money? How will I save money? So, to give you an idea of how to save money when meal planning, we’ve put together a list of tips and tricks for you to follow.

Create a week-long meal plan:

First things first, sit down and create a week-long meal plan. As tedious as this sounds, this can be made a fun activity for the whole family. Instead of one person picking all the meals, get everyone to pick at least one meal they want. Whether it’s their favourite or one they want to try this is a great way to get all the family involved and happy for at least one meal. Once this is done, you’ll be able to see what ingredients you will need and which ones can be used in multiple meals.

If you have kids/teenagers which need to lunches to take to school, rather than giving them money for the school canteen, get them to pick what they would like for lunch each day. That can be any leftovers from dinner the night before or meat from the roast dinner to fill their sandwiches. This way you’ll know your kids are getting a good healthy lunch, plus you’ll be saving yourself some money.

Write a shopping list from your week-long plan:

Once you have worked out what meals you want to make over the next week, search the internet for ingredients you will need. Write this down into a list, sectioning it into meats, bakery, tins etc. if this will help you shopping in the supermarket. If there are ingredients which you can use in multiple meals this will mean there will be a way for you to save money. Whether it’s buying a slightly bigger chicken joint for the Sunday roast so you are able to have sandwich fillings for a few days or getting that bigger portion of mincemeat and some beans to turn a spaghetti bolognaise sauce into a chilli. That brings us on to our next step.

Use ingredients which can be used for more than one meal:

When it comes to creating a meal plan, writing all the meals for the week down will help you see what ingredients you will need. Trying to buy ingredients which can be used throughout a number of your meals will help keep your costs down. For example: one family member wants to spaghetti bolognaise and another wants to have chilli. Instead of having one at the beginning of the week and one at the end, why not have them one day after the next. This way you can purchase a large pack of mincemeat (which will work out cheaper than two smaller portions) and use one lot of tomato sauce and puree. Once you have portioned out the bolognaise mix, simply add one tin of baked beans and this will thicken up the left over sauce giving you enough for sauce for the chill the next day.

Stick to your list when you do your shop:

Everyone can be tempted by those extras you walk past in the supermarket. It’s important though you try to stick to your list as well as possible if you want to save money when food shopping. The occasional extra or a good multibuy is great everyone once in a while but constant throwing of extras in the trolley is where the money really adds up. If you want to give the kids some treats, ask them what one chocolate bar/ice cream flavour they really want but try not to by any more than that. This way your shopping bill will stay love but your family will stay happy and full.

Buy cheaper brands:

It’s really easy to be sucked in by high branded products with a well-known name. However, by simply going to a store’s own brand products rather than popular brand products. Also researching into which supermarket near you is best priced is another great tip. By doing this and all the other tips on this list will save you some money when it comes to meal prepping.

Produce Storage Guide For Meal Planners

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Meal planning is a great way to save money AND time, especially if you have a busy lifestyle. Buying food in bulk is a great way to help in this process, though it can seem a little daunting when it comes to storing the food correctly. We’ve put together a few lists for you to make those shopping trips less often and less worrying when it comes to prepping your food for the next few weeks.

Produce which will last over a week:

Bulk buying food which will last you more than a week makes the rest of your shopping trips quicker for you and lighter for your wallet. Below is a list of food that can be used in a wide range of meals but that will keep in your cupboards/fridge for a respectable amount of time.

Vegetables:

  • Potatoes
  • Sweet Potatoes
  • Onions
  • Celery
  • Parsnips
  • Carrots
  • Lemons
  • Limes
  • Turnips

Dairy:

  • Butter
  • Eggs
  • Hard Cheese

Meat:

  • Chicken
  • Sausages
  • Burgers
  • Cooked sandwich meats (chicken, beef etc.)

As well as lasting well in the cupboards, all these ingredients are a great basis for a large mixture of meals not forgetting being full of great nutritional value. Don’t forget – you can also bulk buy the meats and cook them up, ready to each for lunches over the week.

Produce that will last a week (5-7 days):

Another great way to make your shops lighter is buying food that will last the whole week. Whether that’s sandwich fillings for lunches, fruit for snacks or meat to have with dinners, this list will have you sorted and full for the whole week.

Vegetables:

  • Broccoli
  • Cauliflower
  • Cucumber
  • Brussel Sprouts
  • Aubergine
  • Mushrooms
  • Leeks
  • Bananas
  • Oranges
  • Apples

Dairy:

  • Cottage Cheese
  • Milk

Meat:

  • Steaks
  • Chops
  • Bacon

The great things about these foods is the fact that they are super easy for snacks, great extras for bigger meals or even meals themselves. Some of these are even great to cook up ready for next day lunches, so you get two meals for the price of one!

Produce which will last a few days (3-5 days):

Vegetables:

  • Spinach
  • Kale
  • Tomatoes
  • Asparagus
  • (Cut) Onions
  • Strawberries
  • Raspberries
  • Blueberries

Meat:

  • Uncooked meats (usually 2-3 days)
  • Cooked meats

Freezing/Freezable:

Another great way for saving time and money is freezing different foods. This is great for if you have had a hectic week and haven’t had a chance to go to the shops. If you have a few essentials in your freezer, it means you don’t have to worry if you don’t make it to the shops one week.

Vegetables/fruits:

  • Frozen vegetable packets
  • Frozen fruit packets
  • Fruit smoothies

Meats:

  • Chicken
  • Fish
  • Bread
  • Soup

Tips and tricks:

  • Buying meat such as chicken, turkey, pork chops, lamb chops at the beginning of the month and freezing them will mean you will always have some ready for you to eat. Simply grabbing the meat out of the freezer the night before or the morning of and letting it defrost ready for dinner means no trip to the busy supermarket. Freezing the meat doesn’t change the taste and lightens any other shopping trips you have to make.
  • Keeping produce in the fridge is also another great way of keeping it fresher for longer. The normal things such as most fruits and vegetables are probably things you put in the fridge without thinking, but next time try putting in your bananas, carrots, berries and avocados and you may just find you get a few more days out of them.
  • Bread is a staple for most houses, whether it’s for toast in the mornings or sandwiches for lunch. Sometimes though, if there is only one or two of you living in the house, the bread does seem to turn bad quicker than you can eat it all. So, why not split the bread into portions in freezer bags and just grab the right amount when making sandwiches? This is a great way to save the bread and your money. If you do find you get through the loaf but it goes a bit stale towards the end of the week, try popping it into the fridge. This helps keeps the bread fresher for longer, just make sure you don’t push it too far to the back so it freezes!

Meal Planning Staples

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Meal Planning Staples:

The whole point of meal planning is to make your life easier by making this process quicker. So that means using ingredients which can last or create a number of different meals. So, to make your shopping list an easy list to create, we have put together our top 10 ingredients that you can use to make multiple meals.

Extra-virgin olive oil

This is the only cooking oil which is made without the of chemicals and industrial refining. Due to this, it is one of the healthiest fats you can find. So, if you like making homemade fries make sure you purchase some of this oil.

Tinned Beans

Tin beans and a really helpful and easy way to bulk up a meal, from chickpeas to kidney beans, there are so many you are sure to find one you love. With a load of protein and fibre in them, beans are also inexpensive yet filling.

Eggs

Eggs are super diverse, whether you want them scrambled for a breakfast, boiled to pop into a salad for lunch or fried for a dinner. They a delicious way to get protein into your diet, and when you bulk buy them they’ll last in your cupboards for a few weeks.

Sea salt

Sea salt is another easy way to spice up a dish, making them more favourable. Though it is suggested to limiting your salt intake, ‘excess sodium’ this is usually a problem in processed foods.

Fresh herbs (or dried)

Herbs are what make a dish. Whether it’s basil in a spaghetti bolognaise sauce or rosemary on top of a roasted lamb joint. If you’ve got green fingers, then fresh, home-grown herbs are a handy way to make sure you always have your meals tasty perfect. If not, then dried homes do the job just as well.

Garlic

Fresh garlic keeps really well, plus it tastes amazing and is super versatile. Whether you’re making home-made garlic bread or want to give your roast potatoes a bit of a kick, then garlic is all you need. Not to mention it’s amazing health benefits, which including; reducing blood pressure and improving cholesterol levels.

Rice

Another money saver, rice lasts in the cupboards for a really long time, it’s super feelings AND is good for you. From providing energy to helping controlling blood pressure, rice is definitely a food you should have in your cupboards.

Wholegrain Pasta

Having pasta in the house is a great food to have in the house for those days you forget to get the frozen meat out of the freezer or if you’re simply in a rush. Using wholegrain pasta, over regular pasta gives more fibre, so is a lot healthier. It’s also really quick to cook and great to have for lunch or dinner. So, if you know you’re in for a long day, cooking up some pasta is definitely a great choice

Frozen vegetables

Getting vegetables into your diet is a really easy first step to a healthier life style. Having a packet of frozen vegetables in your freezer at all times is super cost effect and makes healthy eating really simple. This is a quick way to get your five-a-day.

Dried fruit:

Dried fruit is, whether it’s banana chips, dried apricots or raisins are another good handbag/school snack. Simply having a little storage box with a small selection of them in means that where ever you are you have a healthy snack. They are also a tasty extra to put into home-made treats.

When you start meal planning regularly and if you have the money, try and do one big shop of all the dry and tinned food essentials we have suggested (or make a list of yours) and you’ll be all set. Once a month check what your running low on and simply top up your cupboards to make sure you’ll always prepped for those unexpected guests or those days when you haven’t been able to get to the shops. Keeping your tins as healthy as possible i.e. vegetables, fruits etc. will mean it will be easier for you to keep your healthy lifestyle, even in the busy spells of life.

Meal Planning Accessories

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When it comes to meal planning, prepping and organizing the meals is a really big, important factor. Storage accessories are a really important factor to making the process super easy and convenient. So, we’ve curated a list of all the meal planning essentials that you should add to your kitchen. Not to mention that using reusable storage means you’ve done your part to helping the planet.

Check out our list of our top 10 kitchen must haves to make your meal planning routine even easier than you thought it would be.

Lunch boxes:

Lunch boxes are a great way to store the food that you want to eat the next day or later on in the week. You can find sets for a really good price in most supermarkets and homeware stores. If you can, try and get the leak-proof ones. Most of these will have a seal which will stop liquids from spilling out, so whether you’re having a fresh, chicken salad or last night left over chili-con-carne, you can be sure the inside of you bag will stay dry.

Freezer bags:

Freezer bags are a must have when doing meal planning. These are an easy and convenient way to keep left over food and store it in the freezer. Using freezer bags rather than boxes takes up less room which means more meal planning and freezing for you.

Measuring cups:

If you want to make sure you’re getting the right portion sizes, making sure you get the correct ratio of milk to porridge oats or just don’t want the hassle of using scales, measuring cups will be your new best friend.

Storage containers:

Storage containers of different sizes are another helpful piece of equipment to have in your cupboards. Whether you use them for freezing, breakfasts, lunches or as snack holders for your bags, they’ll always come in handy.

Tin foil:

Tin foil is one of the greatest but most forgetful cooking accessory. When cooking fish, chicken, chops or vegetables, wrapping them in tin foil keeps the moist and flavorful. It’s also great for when it comes to storing food. Simply wrap your half cut onion or tomorrows sandwiches in some and pop them in the fridge and you’ll be sure they’ll stay fresh and yummy.

Mason jars:

Mason jars are great for cereal. If you find yourself in a rush in the morning before work and sometimes skipping breakfast, look no further. Mason jars are a great way to store homemade granola and overnight oats. Simply prep the night before or a few days in advance and all you have to do is grab and go.

Slow cooker:

If can afford it, purchasing a good slow cooker is a great investment. You can pop all your ingredients for a few days’ worth of meals in one go in the morning before you head to work or university and then you’re done. Using a slow cooker like this means you don’t have to worry about cooking your dinner after a long, hard day of work. With the extra food cooked you can either save it by popping it in the fridge for the next few days or using your freezer bags to save for a few weeks’ time.

Thermal flasks/containers:

Investing in good quality thermal flasks/containers is another useful investment. If you enjoy and want to make homemade soup to take to work but don’t want the hassle of having to use a microwave or don’t have one in your staff room, these will be your life saver. Simply heat up your soup in a bowl the morning before you leave, then place the hot soup into your thermal flask and you’re good to go for up to 12 hours.

Mini cooler bags:

If you want to have cooked meats or meals that need to be refrigerated but don’t have a fridge or work or going on a long trip, mini cooler bags are what you need. Coming in different sizes and cool patterns, you’ll be able to keep your delicious food at an even more delicious temperature.

Nutribullet:

Though a little more on the pricey side, buying a Nutribullet (or any other smoothie maker) is a really good idea. You don’t just have to use this to make smoothies, they are really useful for making homemade soup, hummus and many more. So for a one-time purchase piece of equipment, it’ll definitely show you it’s worth.

Saving time with meal planning

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Meal planning saves a lot of time throughout the week. From not having to rush around the super market thinking about what’s for dinner and not having to going to shops every single day to getting an extra 20 minutes sleep in the morning because you prepped your sandwiches. It also means rather than spending time rushing around, you can use this time to get some extra work done, hang out with your family or spend some time focusing on yourself. We’ve put together a list to show you how you’ll really save your time.

Shopping trips made quicker with a list:

By simply writing a list of the meals you are going to have each evening that week and what ingredients you will need will mean you have more time to do fun things with the family rather than running around the shops. Knowing what you need means you can go down the aisles you actually need things from and avoid the ones you don’t. Rather than walking down every aisle wondering what you should have for dinner, what you may or may not have in the cupboards will definitely cut down your time in the supermarket.

One trip to the supermarket week:

Keeping a meal plan and writing a list of all the ingredients which you will need for the week means you’ll only need to shop once. Just make sure you double check your list and the ingredients you’ll need before heading off. You may of course have to pop to the local shop for some extra milk or some extra bread if you run out of any spares in your freezer, but this will save a lot more time than going to a big supermarket every night rushing on a decision of what meal to cook for everyone.

Knowing what you’re having for dinner means no last minute panics:

Though for some, waking up and knowing what you are having for dinner may seem a little bit of a bore, when you live a busy lifestyle this will be a bliss. Whether you decide to wake up and put all of your ingredients into your slow cooker so your dinner is ready to serve as soon as you walk through the door or if you have a quick, fresh stir fry to whip up it will mean you don’t have to go through rush hour traffic (on the roads and the supermarkets) stressing about what to create with leftovers in the aisles. Instead, you’ll have a delicious meal that took you a matter of minutes to create.

Having essentials in your cupboard means you’ll always have a meal in your cupboards:

If you’re at the end of the week or you didn’t get the chance to run to the shops when you usually would, having some basic essentials in your cupboards will mean you will always to whip up a quick and easy meal for you and your family to enjoy. Don’t be afraid to have frozen vegetables and healthy canned beans etc. These are really quick to cook, great at bulking up meals and still full of healthy benefits. It also means if you have unexpected guests you won’t have to rush off to the shops to grab some extra food, you’ll be prepared for every situation.

The night before:

If you can prep your food the night before, this will give you some extra time in the morning and throughout the next day. If you fancy an extra few minutes in bed before a long day of meetings or want extra time to make sure the kids have their bags packed and won’t be late to their classes, prepping lunches will really help with this. Meal prepping means the 20 minutes you would usually use to make the sandwiches you can now use to eat breakfast together or get yourself a shower. If you don’t have kids and you just want to catch some more sleep, making sandwiches the night before and even breakfast (something like over-night oats where you just put all your ingredients in one container) will mean you grab yourself a lie in or extra time getting ready.