How To Meal Plan On A Budget
Grocery and food shopping are some of the most common expenses we face on a daily basis. If you add up how much you spend on food over a month or year, you’ll notice that it is certainly a significant expense. The amount we spend on food is particularly higher when we buy without a plan, pick up from restaurants, or use delivery services.
If you’re considering reducing your spending on food, you need to make an effort to plan your meals in advance and shop for the ingredients accordingly. This will help you save more, stay full, healthy, and reduce the stress and time spent on cooking and grocery shopping. To help you plan out meals more efficiently and cost-effectively, Bar None Fitness Studio has listed below a few tips on how to meal plan on a budget.
Create a monthly or weekly plan for all of your dinners
Write down your dinner ideas (you can add breakfast and lunch too), and cook them in bulk to save money and prep time. When choosing meal ideas, try to pick those with a few key ingredients that can be used for multiple meals in different ways (for example, chicken, rice, veggies, etc.).
Keep it realistic and simple
If you’re planning extravagant meals that take a lot of time, you may be less likely to follow through with your meal plan after a long day. Keeping things simple will allow you to get creative, maybe once per week, with a new recipe that you can make a staple for the future. But, if you’re reinventing the wheel each week, it may be too much in the long-term.
Make a grocery list
Plan out what you need, where you’ll be getting the items from, and actually write it down! You can use the notes section in your phone or the reminders list option so you can check off each item as you get it and save it for future grocery shops.
Go grocery shopping when you’re full
Try not to shop for groceries on an empty stomach because things can get out of hand fast when your eyes are doing all the picking. Try to stick to your list as best you can so the process is efficient, less time-consuming, and less expensive.
Make your meal plan visible
Keep your meal plan where you and everyone in the household can see it. Put it on your fridge or write it on a whiteboard or chalkboard, so you know the plan each day.
Do a monthly pantry and fridge inventory
Taking stock of your groceries will help you make sure you use up foods that you still have. This is kind of optional but does help a lot. You’ll waste less, avoid buying things you already have, and of course, save money because you’ll be actually using up the things you’ve previously purchased.
Purchase groceries on sale
Buying groceries on sale is a great way to save money, and so is buying in bulk. When at the store, also try to look at the ingredients listed on the packaging (if applicable), as generic brands are often cheaper and surprisingly healthier! Headings and labels can be a bit misleading, but the actual ingredient list will give you a better idea of what is in the food item.
Take it one week at a time
Don’t plan your meals for an entire month, instead take it a week at a time. See what is going to work best for you and be as efficient as you can. You can plan and create interesting recipes by trying new things and having set pizza, pasta, or create your own meal nights, so you don’t find yourself getting bored and annoyed with the whole meal planning process. Just avoid eating out or getting takeout too often. This will save you so much money over time and prevent you from sabotaging your health goals altogether. Small efforts each day, week, and month add up to make the difference between setting goals and actually achieving them!
For more tips on how to save money when managing your diet, reach out to us at Bar None Fitness Studio. Besides personalized training and health programs, we’re happy to advise you on healthy diets and meal plans. After all, our goal is to optimize your life through exercise, nutrition, and positive energy. We are open to people of all ages and fitness levels.
We offer private one-on-one personal training sessions and several personalized benefits, so you get the attention you deserve. We even offer group sessions if you’re more comfortable with this setup. We have a fully-equipped fitness studio to serve clients from across Burlington, Brampton, Brantford, Cambridge, Guelph, Halton Hills, Hamilton, Mississauga, Milton, and Oakville, ON.
To learn more about our services, please click here or get in touch with us by clicking here.