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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.

Save Money On Groceries: Keep It Simple. I was totally overlooking this easy way to save money on groceries. Now that I'm doing my shopping this way, my family eats more and we save a ton of time and money.

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?

Bowl of snacks for on the go families

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!

I’ve got a ton of FREE tips, ideas, and even a free monthly meal planner to make your meal planning easier than ever!

Get your free meal planning help!

Got a great tip for keeping foods simple?  Let us know about it!