Planning Your Meals

Plan Well
Do you wonder how you can save money for meals when you are at work? or at school?

Plan Your Brunches/Lunches

Make your own bag lunches every day. As a parent, you should know your children's favorite foods and add these to their lunch boxes. A small family of four can save around fifty dollars a week or around $2,450 a year.


To pack a lunch for work or school never put the mayonaise on the bread, but instead smear it between the meat and cheese to helps to keep your sandwich from becoming soggy and spongey.

Plan Delicious Homemade Meals - Weekly
Meals made at home fills you up far more better than the food you could get at most eateries. You can even omit or control how much sugar, fats and salts are added to your homemade meals, making your family healthier.


Plan For Traveling
When you go to the recreational park, or visiting family and friends, going to the movies or just getting away from home - Pack your own sandwiches and snacks, cooler with drinks. You will be pleased that you did, and think of the money you have saved.


Plan Dining Out
When eating out, plan ahead. Pick a place where you know your children will enjoy and warn them of their limits. Maybe you can tell them how much you will spend per person. You will able to enjoy yourself more and worry less. Remember eating out is fun, but it can add up. Try to limit how often you can take you and your family to dinner, and stick with it. Some restaurants offer a family night special where you can feed you family on a set amount of money.

Plan For Shopping

Create your list. You do so by planning your meals for the week, and make a list of the ingredients and seasonings. Now there is your list. Stick with you list do not stray. You save yourself from spending more than you intend.

Shop alone. I find the less distractions the better and quicker I shop. Control the impulse to deviate from your shopping list.

Coupons. Use them. You will be surprised how a name brand product can become cheaper than the store brand, when using a coupon.

Avoid pre package convience foods. They cost more. Find the ingredients to make that item yourself and save money.

Compare prices. Sometimes that store brand may cost cheaper, but there maybe a sale on a similar item. Check the sales ads in the newspaper.

Never, Never go shopping on an empty stomach, or if you are depressed. You tend to buy more junk foods than healthy foods. You also end up spending more than you wanted in the beginning. I found myself having to leave check out and go back and place potatoes chips and candies back on the shelves.