Summer always flies by quickly. Here we are, somehow approaching another school year. Let the hustle and bustle begin.
With school back in session come hurried mornings, grabbing book bags, shoes, and breakfast before heading out the door, and busy evenings full of homework, sports, and family time. Finding time to cook nutritious breakfasts and dinners can be challenging. The rising cost of groceries doesn’t help matters either. Meal planning is a great way to plan and cost-effectively prepare your family’s meals. Here are five tips on how to plan meals to help ensure your kids have healthy meals to start and end their day, all while saving you time and money.
- Make a menu: Several free apps allow you to create a menu at your fingertips. Know and keep track of the ingredients you will need for each meal instead of running to the grocery store to grab the one ingredient you thought you had on hand but didn’t! This is also a great way to involve your family and kids in the process; meeting together at the end or beginning of each week to pick your meals.
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- Are you looking for a good menu app? Check out ➡️ this one.
- A great non-tech option for creating your menu is to order a dry-erase magnet for your refrigerator like this one linked here from Amazon. This also earns bonus points because it’s front and center for everyone to see.
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Coupon. If you don’t already, utilize your local grocery store’s coupon program. They often run weekly specials. Many stores have a store app that you can download on your phone to clip coupons digitally, making shopping much more convenient.
- Participate in grocery pick up. You can use grocery store apps to shop in the comfort of your own home and schedule a date and time that’s convenient for you to pick them up. There are no extra fees for this service and it is also a great way to save money—we can avoid the impulse purchases we make while strolling through the aisles.
- Bring out the crock pot. Choose meals you can throw together before leaving the house and they’re ready to eat by the time you get home in the evenings. Fall and winter are the prime times for crock-pot season. The crock-pot also allows you to make larger quantities. You can save leftovers for lunch the next day or pop them in the freezer to heat and go on a busy night or if you don’t feel up to cooking.
We love a great crock-pot recipe! Here are a few favorites to get you started:
- Prep freezer meals. Planning meals and preparing them ahead of time is a great way to make your weeknights run more smoothly. Use some free time to make and freeze meals that would be easy to heat and eat in the evenings. You can do the same for breakfast as well.
Pre-planning your meals helps lower your grocery bills, enabling you to purchase only what you need, and get your families involved. The busy season is upon us. We hope that these tips and tricks make it easier for you to slow down and enjoy the upcoming fall season with your family.
If you’re interested in reading more about how you can make your money stretch further, check out our previous blog post: Worried About Inflation? Here Are 10 Simple Ways to Lower Your Grocery Bill.
Check out our full list of blog posts by visiting us ➡️ here.
Emily Greene
Emily Greene is the Communications and Development Coordinator at The Pregnancy Network.