How to Make a Menu on a Very Strict Budget
Whether they've lost their job, got hours cut at work or are simply trying to save money for an uncertain future, many people have less money to work with in their household budget than they did before. While certain bills, such as rent and insurance, can't be changed, you can make cuts in your food budget and save a significant amount of money every week. Eating at home instead of restaurants is a good start, but if you have a very strict food budget, an overhaul of your entire menu is in order.
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Instructions
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Look through the ads from your local grocery stores each week and create your menu from what is currently on sale. Food prices go in waves and what is expensive one week may be significantly cheaper two weeks later. Plan multiple meals around foods that are on special each week. Check more than one store and comparison shop every week. Don't shop without a list and stick to it to keep from making expensive impulse purchases.
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Cut out all prepared food that you possibly can from your weekly menu. Boxed and frozen meals are significantly more expensive than the same number of calories prepared with fresh ingredients. Make oatmeal instead of eating boxed cereal, add bullion or broth to rice to make flavored rice dishes and make your own simple biscuits instead of buying them in a tube.
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Include vegetarian meals every week. Proteins such as eggs, cheese and beans cost a lot less than beef or even chicken. Look to international cuisines for tasty menu ideas that incorporate non-meat entrees. Pasta dishes, stir fries, casseroles, chilis and soups are all good and inexpensive main dish items that cost a lot less to prepare.
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Make your food do double duty. Roast a chicken one night, save the leftover meat for enchiladas another night and finish the week by making soup with the bones and scraps. Look for creative ways to make each main dish turn into another one by adding extra ingredients, such as pasta or rice.
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Cut out snacks completely. If your food budget is very strict, all of your grocery money needs to go toward basic nutrition for yourself and your family. Snacks such as cookies, ice cream and chips add nothing to your diet while costing a lot of money. If you feel as though you absolutely have to have snacks in your diet, keep it simple and inexpensive by buying bags of apples and oranges, popcorn that you can pop at home and peanut butter for sandwiches.
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Add dishes to your menu from your pantry. Many people have a great variety of food in their home, but not a lot of completed dishes that they can serve. Make a point of doing a complete inventory of every food item in your kitchen. Create dishes for your menu that incorporate these orphaned food items. You'll be shopping for free in your own home instead of at the store.
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