Have you overlooked this simple way to save money on groceries?
I scraped the remains of yet another failed recipe into the trash. I’d been pretty excited about trying the new dish I’d found on Pinterest. It looked delicious!
Although it did have a few odd ingredients.
And the recipe didn’t end up being quite as simple as I’d expected.
Turns out the family wasn’t into it. My experiment meant more time and money down the drain.
I knew there had to be a better way to put together a meal plan. I was tired of planning elaborate meals to keep things interesting. I was even more tired of wasting money every week.
Something had to change. Luckily, that “something” turned out to be a rather simple solution.
When we’re trying to save money, the first thing we do is start giving our grocery budget the side eye.
It’s one of those budget lines that takes up a lot of money. But we have more immediate control over it than a mortgage payment or other bills.
If that’s how you’re feeling, good news! I’ve got some great tricks that helped us save money on groceries right away.
Be Unoriginal
Truthfully, most of us have a few favorite “go to” meals. Our family will always eat them, and they don’t bust the budget.
Here we eat some form of tacos every week. We love them! As a bonus, they’re easy to throw together, they’re economical (you can use any form of meat you find on sale), and it’s easy to keep the ingredients on hand.
Maybe you don’t love tacos like we do. That’s ok!
Just find your own popular (but frugal) meals to save both time and money.
We’ve enjoyed a lot of picnics and delicious homemade foods this month!
Need Help?
Some ideas of easy and yummy meals for your family might be:
- spaghetti
- tacos
- macaroni and cheese
- baked potato bar (use whatever toppings you have on hand…great way to use up leftovers!)
- pizza
Be Flexible
Yes, the recipe calls for butter, but (sad trombone) you ran out yesterday!
Instead of running to the grocery store, do a quick google search to see if you have something on hand you could substitute (like oil or applesauce).
That recipe requires nuts, but do you really need them this time?
Your family loves sour cream on their baked potatoes! But is it really necessary every time?
Cut Back on Snacks
Most of us snack more than we really need to. Those little snacks here and there can really eat up a food budget in a short time.
Find an acceptable snack schedule for your family, and keep it simple.
Your child might not like being told that they can’t snack every 30 minutes. But if you’re consistent, they will get used to getting one snack per afternoon. (It’s another one of those lessons in disappointment they actually need in their life!)
You can also save on snacks by controlling portions.
Pass out small bowls of chips rather than leaving out a full bag that will probably just disappear in 2 minutes. (Ok, I have 5 kids. Your bag may last a bit longer.)
Related: Easy Snacks For Trips
Be Creative
Our family prefers to eat sliced fresh veggies at our meals. But sometimes we run out of the fresh stuff!
If we are down to just the bag of frozen veggies I found in the back of the freezer, well then that’s what we have to eat.
I know that my family won’t like a pile of cooked veggies, but they don’t mind them mixed into a casserole or noodles.
Try to find a way to incorporate things in a new way so your family won’t object!
Be Honest
On the other hand, some nights there is just no easy way to hide the less favored foods.
That’s when I try to be honest. I tell them that while this food isn’t my favorite, I am going to make the decision to eat it.
Sometimes we lose sight of the fact that we eat foods to make our bodies strong, not just because they are a party to your taste buds.
Keeping it simple is a great way to save money on groceries!
These days I’m writing up a meal plan that looks a little more boring. But I’m saving tons of money, and scraping a lot less food into the trash!
Get your free meal planning help!Got a great tip for keeping foods simple? Let us know about it!
I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. 
LOVE the baked potato bar idea…they are so yummy and nutritious…thanks for the idea
Tacos is a go-to for my family as well! Easy to customize for each person, and simple to throw together after a long day!
Great Tips. Mac and Cheese and Spaghetti Bolognese on high rotation with us
Thank you for linking up with #ShowcaseTuesday
Mac & cheese is a great one. I’ve never had Spaghetti Blognese, I’ll have to look that one up!
I have to admit that creativity in the kitchen is not my specialty, but I’m slowly getting there.
We choose bio and gluten-free options as much as we can. I cook a lot more with coconut oil as well.
#TipTuesday
Hey Jamie,
I came over on Waiting on Wednesday, and I”m glad to find your site.
We are simple eaters at our house. Less fuss = less expense.
Love all of your tips for saving money. One of mine – leave the kids at home. They always put extra stuff in the cart!
Hope you have a blessed day,
Melanie
Wow, thanks for the kind comment! I totally agree with leaving the kids at home. I sometimes shop late at night to avoid taking them with me!
Thanks for the awesome tips! I’m always on the look out for ways to save. I have a few on my site. Here’s one I love, rice and beans. Both you can precook and freeze. When you’re ready, toss them in a heated pan with EVOO. Add garlic, seasoning. And rice and beans are so inexpensive. I have a great recipe here http://blueblanket21.com/recipes/beefed-up-rice-beans-sans-beef/ I hope it’s ok to share the url for it. Saying hello from #OMHGWW
Kristine 🙂
That’s a great recipe! I love any recipe that you can throw your leftovers into. Thanks for visiting!
Some great tips! I definitely agree with you on the favourites front. I always buy meals that I know work and can be put together easily, and then might buy ingredients for one new meal each week.
I could probably do better with mixing new things in to our meal plan. Thanks for visiting!
All those food choices say home to me. Nothing wrong with that!
Oh, I love that! That’s how I want my family to think of it, too. Thanks for visiting.
I have just a few “go to” meals that I rotate. Nothing wrong with sticking with what you know you like! I’ve found another way to be flexible: be open to different brands and go with what is on sale!
It is true sticking to simple menus and simple ingredients really does help keep the bills down – Thanks for linking up to Pin Worthy Wednesday, I have pinned your post to the Pin Worthy Wednesday Pinterest Board.
Hi Jamie,
This post will be featured on this week’s Tip Tuesday link party.
Thank you for your contribution!
Awesome, thank you!
Good Morning Jamie! Just popping in to let you know your post has been picked as a feature at the Welcome Home Wednesday Link Party! Stop by this morning to see your feature and link up!
Great tips! I love the tip about honesty when not eating something you would normally approve of!