$$$$$ feed your family for less $$$$$
By Alyson Bowthorpe
Provident Living Leader- 3rd Ward
Provident Living Leader- 3rd Ward
If you want to feed your family for less, the very first thing-
the very cornerstone of saving money is…..PLANNING OUT YOUR MEALS.
1. DO WHAT WORKS FOR YOUR FAMILY- if they won’t eat broccoli- don’t plan a lot of meals with broccoli….
2. Look at your week- what activities are going on. Make your menu choices knowing what nights will be quick, sit down or leftovers.
3. Shop at your own house first- Look to see what you already have in your fridge, in your pantry and your freezer. (Knowing what you have, what needs to be used or what is almost gone helps factor into your shopping list and budget.)
4. COOK/ PREPARE ONCE—EAT three meals. Part of the strategy as a cook is to do it only a few nights a week. Double recipes and freeze ½. Double the meat cooked and save it for another meal later in the week.
For example: Turkey breasts on sale? Roast up ALL the meat, potatoes, carrots, other veggies on Day 1. Eat a "turkey dinner" on Day 1. Day 2 it's Shredded BBQ Turkey sandwiches with crispy oven fries. Day 3 it's Turkey Veggie Noodle soup. SOOO easy! You don’t need to eat these meals in three consecutive days –that’s what your freezer is for! But only cooking once =3 meals is a fabulous idea!
5. CHECK OUT YOUR WEEKLY ADS- This might help you choose your menu’s. Clip coupons for the things you need and use. Lots of blogs and internet places to teach how to do this. If canned beans are on sale and your family loves beans buy 12 cans and stick them under your bed! **
6. STICK TO YOUR SHOPPING LIST- Master form? Remember we shop with our eye’s.
How to shop- Let’s talk about it. Super Markets are designed to funnel traffic to the produce section---
Start with meats/proteins. Next pantry items, shelf stable items. Then dairy-so they won’t be in the cart to long. End with produce-fragile items will be on top.
