Meals on a Budget

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Trying to plan meals on a budget may seem like a tricky task, but it's not impossible. With a bit of preparation, you can easily save 10-to-20 percent on your grocery bill.

General Budget Cooking Tips

According to the USDA, an American family with two adults and two children can expect to spend anywhere between $118 and $267 per week on food. Examples of factors that can influence spending include location, special dietary needs, frequency of restaurant meals, and the amount of time available to devote to meal preparation.

If you're interested in trimming your grocery bill, keep in mind the following budget cooking tips:

  • Don't be afraid to ask for help. You'd be surprised by how many people are looking for creative ways to save money, so don't be scared to ask your friends and family for their favorite budget-friendly meal ideas. Elderly relatives are an especially good source for meal planning suggestions; Grandma's frugal recipes are time-tested classics!
  • Be flexible. Try a different brand of breakfast cereal if a sale or a coupon makes it cheaper than your usual choice. Try to plan your meals based on what deals are being offered at your favorite grocery store. When shopping for produce, stick to what's in season instead of paying a premium for products shipped in from elsewhere.
  • Be organized. Before you head out to the grocery store, make a shopping list and figure out how much money you can afford to spend. This will help keep impulse buys in check.
  • Go meatless. You don't necessarily need to commit to a full vegetarian lifestyle to save money, but having meatless meals one or two days per week is a simple way to reduce your grocery bill. Check out the LoveToKnow Save article on frugal vegetarian recipes for suggestions to help you get started.
  • Strive for a realistic balance. Instead of forcing yourself to eat beans and rice for every meal, feel free to splurge once in a while on something special. You can always make up the difference in your budget by having cheaper meals for the rest of the week. Constantly feeling deprived will make it hard to stick to your budget.
  • Have a backup plan. It's admirable to want to save money by cooking every meal from scratch, but it's going to be a difficult goal to accomplish if you already have a jam-packed schedule. Try to get in the habit of keeping your freezer stocked with an extra casserole or a prepackaged skillet dinner purchased on sale so you're not tempted to call the pizza delivery guy when things get hectic at your house.

Online Resources for Planning Meals on a Budget

The Internet is a fabulous resource for anyone interested in frugal cooking. If you're looking for ideas to help you plan meals on a budget, LoveToKnow Save recommends visiting the following helpful Web sites:

  • LoveToKnow Recipes has meal planning ideas for all occasions, including many thrifty choices.
  • The USDA Web site offers a downloadable e-book with recipes and general tips for cooking meals on a budget.
  • All Recipes, a popular site for both beginning and experienced chefs, has a special budget cooking section. You can also try searching for recipes by what ingredients you want to use in order to make the most of what's already in your pantry.
  • At $5 Dinners, one clever mom shares her family's favorite frugal recipes several times per week. The maximum price for each meal is $5, but many can be made for less.
  • Better Budgeting, a site devoted to personal finance and general money saving tips, has a small assortment of cheap and easy recipes for you to try.
  • The Dollar Stretcher has a number of articles relating to how to save money on food.
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