Stretch that Grocery Budget Part 4- Menu Planning

Ever come home from a long day at work, starving? So you rummage through your cupboards and everything seems like it is going to take forever to cook. So you break out a bag of chips to tide you over and grab your take out menus. About $20 or $30 later you have a meal that not only cost you what several meals cooked at home would cost but no control over the content of ingredients. So how to remedy this very common situation? Get out your calendar, take a look in your pantry and refrigerator and gather your grocery store sale flyers. Doing about 30 minutes of work can save you money, time and make sure you have a healthy meal on the table.

Menu planning is really basic. Make sure you know what items in your pantry and fridge that you need to use up and plan meals around those items first. Then add in other family favorite meals. While you are adding meals to your calendar, keep your grocery list close and add any needed ingredients. Don’t forget to build in a night for leftovers as well, or make sure they get packaged up for easy lunches. Looking for a great menu planner printout? Check out Faithful Provision’s at http://faithfulprovisions.com/resources/downloads/.

So next time you are starving and can’t figure out what to eat, remember that a little time spent menu planning can save you time, money and keep you healthy.