Meal prepping is just one way to reduce your weekly grocery store expenses. However, to take it a step further, follow these tips on how to meal prep properly and maximize your dollars. You dont have to meal prep for every single meal of the week, but even just five to seven meals a week will make a difference on your weekly grocery expenses. If this seems daunting, first choose which meal of the day takes you the longest to prepare in order to save you time. Meal prep for that meal each week.
How to Make a Meal Prep Schedule
If you want to stay on track with your meal prep, set aside the time each week to prepare. We suggest setting aside time on a Sunday or early in the week. This way you will have all your meals prepped for the week ahead. If you dont plan out when you are going to meal prep, you will keep pushing it back and it will never get done. Keep yourself accountable and make time to do it.
How to Plan Your Grocery List
Once you know what meal prep recipes you want, you can start making your grocery list. If you have ever been to the grocery store hungry or without a list, you will know you can walk out of the store with a lot more than intended. Cut back on those unexpected, unneeded purchases by only shopping for what is on your grocery list. Schedule your trip the day of, or a few days before you plan to actually prepare the food.
Dont Be Afraid of Buying in Bulk
Once you have a plan and a list of all the items you will need for your meal prep, determine which items you can buy in bulk that will save you money. Save money by purchasing those items at SAMs Club, Costco, etc. Buying items in bulk may seem like you are buying too much food, but if it is an item you use often then the purchase is worth it. Items like rice, beans, oats, spices, chicken and condiments are great for buying in bulk. If you have a smaller family of 4 people or under, consider shopping bulk once or twice a year. Go with a member, or use Instacart if you dont want to pay for a year-round membership. If needed, you can borrow a little extra cash to cover the bulk items while getting the plan started. It will help you save money in the long run. For more info see https://quickpaydayloansus.com.
The Best Meal Plans Are Simple
Meal preps are supposed to make your life easier and save you money. Keep them as simple as you can. The more you complicate a recipe, the more time it is going to take you to prepare. Not only will it take you more time to prepare, but that also means more grocery items which turns into spending more money. So, keep it simple and stick to the basics to keep your time and cost down!
Dont Pay for Convenience
This one may seem slightly silly, but I think we can all admit sometimes we choose convenience over affordability. So, this time we are choosing affordability when it comes to food prepping. You dont need to spend the extra dollar on buying precut vegetables. Or instead of buying a pre-made salad dressing, choose to dress your salad with lemon juice or oil and vinegar. The short cut to the end goal may seem like a nice track, but go the long way and do it all yourself. Cut out the prepackaged items!
