Planning Meals on a Budget

Find Sale Items

When planning household meals on a budget, you need to find out what items are going to be on sale. There are several ways that this can be done. The first thing to do is to buy the local newspaper. Sunday newspapers typically always have stores advertise their sales for the week. The small investment of $1 to $2 will provide savings of up to several dollars from that week's grocery bill. Visiting the websites of local grocery stores will allow consumers to see online only specials and store specials not advertised in circulars. By matching up collected coupons with store sales, substantial savings can be utilized. Using coupons on items that are already on sale can save money and even allow for obtaining some items for free. Visiting coupon sites, such as Coupon Cabin, will allow for printable coupons to be used as well. Visiting stores that have double or triple coupons is also an advantage for finding inexpensive sale items.

Plan Meals for the Month

Once sale items have been located,meals can be organized and planned more easily. For example, if biscuits and beef stew starter is going to be on sale and there is a coupon available for the items,this would be a good meal to plan for the week or for later in the month. Stocking up on Hamburger Helper for 50 cents a box will make several meals for the remainder of the month. When stores are having meat sales on chicken or hamburger, be sure to buy plenty. Meat can always be bought in bulk and then individually frozen to make additional meals week to week. Planning meals, making a list and sticking to it will prevent overspending. Making sure to list all items for a recipe on the shopping list, including quantity and location, such as dairy or canned food will help save time and make the shopping experience more efficient.

Shop for Items

When it comes time to shop for all of the sale items, it is wise to come prepared but also allow enough time to get the job done. Make sure that the shopping list is easy to read and follow. Shopping first thing in the morning when the store opens will assure fewer distractions from other customers and fresher produce. Checking to see what items are on sale at all local stores will assure that they can be purchased at the best cost in town. Having to go to multiple locations may be required in order to get the best value for the money. Be sure to bring a cooler if necessary for perishable items if traveling to several locations.

Resources

• Coupon Cabin
• Sunday Saver website