Feb. 2023 meal plan

Easy ways to save on your grocery budget.

1. Buy store brand. There are very few items that I've found that I prefer the name brand over.

2. Go with a shopping list and stick to it.

3. I always have $5-10 wiggle room in case I find something not on my list that's a great deal to stock up on.

4. Try not to go shopping when you're hungry/tired or it's harder to stick to the plan.

5. If possible, get your family on board. During the summer while the kids don't have school. They help plan the menus and have a cooking day.

6. Always look ahead to those busy nights and have an easy meal. If it's in the freezer, it will be your go-to instead of fast food. For example, chicken tenders and fries. Yes, not your healthiest choice. But cooking it in the oven rather than deep fried makes it a lot lower in fat and will save you money

. 7. Have a reward for your sacrifice. We always have a small trip or something planned. Whatever we'd normally spend on groceries or the average family spends on groceries goes into a fund for that trip. We usually get pizza twice a month, but we're planning a trip in March to visit my mom in North Carolina. We are opting to not eat out at all for three months. The money that is usually spent on pizza goes into our food budget for the trip.

8. Another idea is to help kids see the cost of food. (I got this from a friend) Give your kids an amount of money to spend on food for the week. I'd do $50. They can buy single eggs, salt, flour, ect. From the family. We're going to try that this summer. I'll let you know how it goes.

9. One other thing is to pick a meat for the week. For example, you'll notice in week 4, the meat is mostly ham. You can buy one for about $2.29 a pound. Mine cost me $21.00. That sounds like a lot, but it ended up making a lot of meals, including sandwiches for lunch. What tricks do you have that save you money?