Meal prepping is a great way to save time, reduce stress, and save money while also creating delicious and healthy meals. These are my best tips to help you meal prep on a budget.
Meal prepping can be hard to get accustomed to, but once you do, it will make your life so much easier.
Create a Budget
By determining how much you can spend on groceries, you will have a better idea of what all you can buy while you are meal prepping.
Creating a budget will help you save more on your groceries than you have before because it will help you be intentional with your spending.
Check out this Easy Budget Planner I created to help you stay on track with your budget.
Plan It Out
It is always a great idea to plan out meals that use the same ingredients, this allows you to save money because you aren’t wasting ingredients that are only supposed to be used for one recipe.
This is also another reason you should structure your meals during the week in a way that allows you to use the leftover ingredients from prior meals in the next meal.
Be sure to check your calendar before you start planning for the week. The last thing you want to do is to make a plan for the entire week when you are going out of town, or are celebrating an occasion and going out to eat on that day.
Shop Smart
Don’t Be Afraid To Try New Stores and Products
There might be stores in your area that have better deals than the stores you currently shop at. Every so often, it is a good idea to try out these other stores, especially if you are someone that is open to trying new cuisines as well.
Shop the Weekly Ad
The weekly ad is a great way to see what is on sale that week so you can plan out the meals you are going to make. By basing your meals on what is available on the weekly ad, you are able to save a lot of money on groceries because you are getting a better deal than you would if those items weren’t featured in the weekly ad.
Make sure that you are comparing the prices at all the grocery stores you plan on shopping at to each other. Make sure that you compare the prices and sizes for the items you are looking at.
While you are comparing the weekly ads, you’ll also want to be able to plan out your trip so you don’t have to back track and so you will know where else you can go for any items that are out of stock at the grocery store you are currently shopping at.
Make sure that you are stocking your fridge and freezer based on what your family eats the most and will go through the fastest. You don’t want a bunch of stuff crowding the fridge and freezer that your family won’t eat.
Use Ibotta
Ibotta is a great way for you to save money on the name brand grocery items you are buying. You select the offers you are interested in on the app and purchase the items from the stores. You scan your receipt and it will confirm that you purchased the items you have already selected in the app. Some stores will allow you to add your membership account to the app so you don’t have to scan your receipt.
You can redeem your cash back for gift cards or deposit the money in your PayPal or bank account.
They have recently been charging an inactivity fee to accounts that aren’t adding and redeeming offers often, so just be aware of that.
Click this link to get $5 free, just for signing up.
Coupons
Using coupons is a great way to save additional money on the things you buy everyday. You can use them even if there is a sale on that item, and sometimes even if there is a clearance or other markdown on that item.
Some stores require that you print out the coupons in order to redeem them, others don’t have a problem with you scanning them directly from your phone.
Coupons.com is a great place to find printable or scannable coupons. If you download their app, they will only let you redeem the offers for cash back, but if you go to the site from a web browser, you can see their printable coupons there.
Make a Shopping List
Once you have your meals planned out, it is a good idea to make a shopping list. This helps you so you won’t forget anything, but it can also help prevent you from overspending on items you don’t need.
A shopping list will also help you reduce food waste because you will only be buying items that you know your family will use.
Shop the Discounted Produce Section
Harris Teeter is my favorite store for this very reason. I love getting to the store about midmorning and getting the produce that they markdown. Especially in the summertime, I’m able to get at least half of the vegetables and fruits that my family will eat in a week.
Check the stores near you and see if they have a discounted produce section. If your store doesn’t, they might just leave the discounted items in their original spots on the shelves.
Shop Seasonally
Take advantage of the lower cost of items that are in season. If you have the space, consider stocking up on these items so that you won’t have to pay the higher out-of-season prices for these products.
By shopping seasonally, you are also able to make sure that the items that you are feeding your family are fresh and taste the best they possibly can, this can help you save money too because you aren’t throwing out food that doesn’t taste good.
Compare Prices, Sizes, and Quality
Make sure that you compare the prices between similar items to each other, but don’t forget to compare the sizes as well. Companies will try to trick you into thinking that the containers are still the same size even when the price is the same or more expensive than it was before.
If you are trying to eat healthier, make sure you are checking the ingredients on the products you are buying. It is a good idea to check and see if there is a label saying “This Product Contains Bioengineered Ingredients” as well. Even items that previously haven’t had this label can have the label now.
Buy in Bulk
For some items, it is a good idea to just buy them in bulk. This is especially true for dried goods and other non-perishable products that your family frequently eats.
It is always good to double check and make sure that the bulk items are the best deal. Sometimes companies will make some of the smaller sizes a better deal than the bulk container, so keep any eye on the prices and sizes.
Make sure you are checking the expiration dates. You don’t want to buy a bulk item if you aren’t going to use it before it expires.
Consider Frozen Foods
Frozen foods retain the same nutritional value as fresh foods, but they are more convenient than fresh food because you don’t have to worry about them spoiling in the freezer.
During the off-season, frozen foods can be cheaper than fresh foods and might be more readily available too.
Try a Dehydrator
Consider getting a dehydrator, especially if your family eats dehydrated foods often or you don’t have much fridge or freezer space, but you have plenty of cabinet space or other space where you can put dried foods.
A dehydrator is also a great way to take advantage of sales and clearances on produce without those items going to waste. This is especially handy if you keep your fridge and freezer full year round, so you don’t have much space for random sale items.
I love using dehydrated ingredients when I forget ingredients while grocery shopping or if I just don’t feel like going out and getting that one ingredient that I ran out of.
Dehydrated ingredients work especially well in soups, casseroles, and crockpot meals. I really loved them because if your power goes out, you don’t have to worry about them spoiling like you will with the things in your fridge and freezer.
Your Setup Matters
Create a Workspace
It will be easier for you to meal prep if you have a designated space to prep and pack everything. Having a workspace will also make it easier for you to stay in a habit of meal prepping.
Have a Designated Snack Space
Having a designated snack space will make it easier for you to pack lunches. It will also make it easier for you to provide snacks for your kids while they are at home.
If you feel comfortable with allowing your children to pull from the snack space, you can make sure that it is in their reach. You might also need to make another child-friendly snack space that you refill each day, so they know that those snacks are the only ones that they will get for that day.
Maximize Your Freezer Space
Your freezer space is valuable real estate in your kitchen. Make sure you are organizing your freezer in a way that allows you to easily know what you have and pull meals together quickly and easily.
Metal baskets work as great organizers all over the house, but especially in the freezer. Some plastic and acrylic materials will crack and degrade over time if you expose them to freezer temps, but metal tends to hold up a lot better especially if you have a normal freezer and not a industrial freezer that can get to extreme negative temperatures.
I use the baskets to separate different types of meats and veggies from each other. This helps me meal prep faster because I can quickly see what our options are and grab something for each meal. It also helps me grocery shop better because I’m quickly able to see what we are running low on or are completely out of.
With metal baskets, you are also able to easily make dedicated sections in the freezer, so when your husband or kids wants a dessert, they don’t have to destroy your organization while looking for what they want.
Get Some Organizers
Fridge organizers can make it easy to cook meals, put together snacks, and prevent food waste. Organizers can also work well in your freezer depending on the type of organizer you have and how big your freezer is.
I prefer using metal baskets for both my fridge as well because they are sturdy and you can still see through them even though they are metal. You can also use them for other things all throughout the house, and I often find myself swapping the baskets around depending on my family’s needs.
These baskets are also very easy to clean, which makes cleaning them up to swap around so much easier as well.
Organizers can help you keep track of the meals you have already prepped versus the ingredients you have prepped that can be used for multiple meals.
You can also easily explain where things are in the fridge and freezer, especially if you are planning on making them a designated snack and meal space.
Get Everything Ready
Pre-Chop
It is a good idea to pre-chop some or all of your foods, especially if you plan on cooking the meals that week or putting them in the freezer within a day or two.
Some foods don’t last long if they are chopped ahead of time, and others will still last a good amount of time. It is a good idea to put the food you are chopping up in an air-tight container, such as a mason jar.
Pre-Portion
You should consider pre-portioning your ingredients so that it will be easier for you to throw the meals together.
Pre-portioning is especially important if you buy a large pack of meat or you buy a lot of vegetables. This allows you to make sure that you have enough food for the week while also making sure that you aren’t cooking too much.
Put It All Together
Cook in Batches
Cooking in batches will make it easier for you or others in your family to just heat up a meal.
You will cut down on your utility costs by cooking in batches because you won’t have to preheat your oven each time you need to cook something, plus you will be utilizing more space in your oven than you would if you were just cooking each meal separately.
Meal Prep
By having your fridge cleaned out and organized, you will be able to have an easier time making breakfast, especially when you are trying to be efficient with your time even though you aren’t rushing out the door.
Transform Your Leftovers
Use your leftovers to add to another meal or create a completely different meal.
For example: the same ingredients you are using for your tacos on Tuesday, you can use to make into nachos or fajitas on Friday.
Improve Your System
These are Some Good Food Storage Containers
Pyrex and Anchor Hocking are two of the most popular and prevalent food storage containers on the market. They have a storage container set that you can take from the freezer to the oven. It makes life so much easier when you are a busy mom on the go. They are a bit of an investment, but as long as you take good care of them, they will outlast you.
They are a great option if you are looking for a way to store all the food you are meal prepping in the fridge or freezer.
Are You Struggling to Chop Things Up?
You will have a hard time chopping up food if your knives are dull. It is also dangerous to chop with a dull knife because you have to exert extra force to cut the food and it is easier for the knife to slip off of whatever you are cutting and cut your finger.
I like these serrated knives especially because I’ve had them for years and haven’t felt the need to sharpen or replace them. They look just as good as the day that I got them out of the packaging.
You’ll Want Some Airtight Containers
These wide mouth mason jars are my favorite because you can stick your entire hand in the jar so you can easily clean the bottom of the jar just with a regular washcloth. They also stack really well, so you don’t have to worry about them falling over in your cabinets and breaking.
I also like these 8 oz mason jars and these 24 oz mason jars because they all stack well together with the 16 oz mason jars I mentioned before. If you are interested in getting the 32 oz mason jars, just know that you can’t stack two 32 oz jars together because they don’t stack well.
So if you want to stack things with the 32 oz mason jars, you need to let the 32 oz jar be on the bottom and just stack everything else on top of it.
I love using these mason jars because it makes my cabinets much neater and prevents pests from getting into my food, which is especially important if you live in an older house that isn’t sealed as well.
They also help food stay fresher for longer because new air isn’t helping decompose the food.
Summary: How to Meal Prep on a Budget
The best way to meal prep on a budget is to make sure that you save the most money on the groceries you are buying. You can do this by shopping around, couponing, buying clearanced items, and a number of other methods.
Make your food last by putting it in Pyrex or Anchor Hocking food storage containers or mason jars if you are looking for a container that is air-tight.
Cooking in batches and reusing your leftovers will also help make your money stretch and save you a lot of time.
