9 Simple Ways to Save Money on Your Groceries
It never fails, we budget for our groceries, but the bill always ends up being more. We underestimate, run out of things faster than expected and overall, everything is becoming just too darned expensive! To make things a little bit easier, here are 9 simple ways you can start saving money on your groceries.
1. Go with a List: Yes, I know…it’s a pretty obvious suggestion, but it’s amazing how effective it can be. You can purchase only what you need and avoid all the other yummy distractions of the grocery store.
2. Meal Planning: Planning your meals in advance makes it easier to get your list together and ensure you buy only exactly what you need. You can get help with your meal planning at Dine Without Whine AND they actually put your grocery list together for you too.
3. Eat Before You Go: Another classic tip. If you’re hungry, you’ll want to buy (and instantly eat) everything! Have a meal or good snack before you go to avoid impulse purchases.
The Importance of Family Meal Planning
What has happened to us? There once was a time when we would all come home from school or work and sit down with our families and enjoy the ritual of family mealtime. It was the best meal of the day, offering a wide variety of nutrition and family conversation.
Today, less than half of American families eat dinner together and when they do, these meals last less than 20 minutes and are lacking in proper nutrition.
The fact is our life styles have changed from those magical days of Ozzie and Harriet. Thanks to the Internet, cell phones and palm pilots, business is conducted on an almost 24/7 basis. Even conversations with our children are often times through text messages or cell phone.
10 More Reasons to Gather Around the Dinner Table
I received a lot of compliments on my post about “24 Reasons to Gather Around the Dinner Table” – well, compliments and a challenge: come up with even more reasons families should sit down to dinner together.
But first, if you find the idea of family meals daunting, take a look at Dine Without Whine. It’s a monthly subscription, which gives you weekly meal plans, recipes and grocery shopping list. Dine Without Whine definitely simplifies meal planning and preparation.
Ok, now back to my challenge. It’s been hard, but here you go, 10 OTHER reasons to gather around the dinner table:
1. You’ll have a ready audience for your jokes.
2. You can get instant feedback on new recipes you’ve been wanting to try.
Diabetes Meal Planning Made Easy
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Menu Plan Monday – Vacation & Baseball Edition
Hubby is on vacation this week, and we are finally catching a baseball game (first this season) on Friday. Should be a fun week! Here’s our menu plan for the week…
Monday – hubby is grilling ribs, baked beans, corn on the cob
Tuesday – spaghetti and meatballs, salad, garlic bread
Wednesday – grilled chicken, mac & cheese, corn
Thursday – chicken enchiladas, Spanish rice
Friday – baseball game… hot dogs & beer at the ball park!
Saturday – brisket on the grill
Sunday – headed to family’s for dinner
Don’t forget to head over to Meal Plan Monday for even more meal and recipe ideas!
Menu Plan Monday – Busy Week Ahead
This is going to be a super busy week, so I’m shooting for a simple meal plan.
Monday – meatloaf and homemade mashed potatoes, corn, rolls
Tuesday – grilled chicken thighs, salad, garlic bread
Wednesday – leftovers (chicken enchiladas probably)
Thursday – tacos, Spanish rice
Friday – steak, baked potatoes, salad
Saturday – going out to eat!
Sunday – bbq ribs, beans, potato salad
Don’t forget to head over to Meal Plan Monday for even more meal and recipe ideas!
Why Meal Planning is so Important During These Bad Economical Times
Can Planning Meals Save You Money? You Bet!
OK….let’s see a show of hands. How many of you know how much money you spend on groceries per month?
A recent unscientific survey conducted outside a grocery store in San Francisco offered some surprising results. It doesn’t seem most people keep track of how much money they spend on groceries, because trips to the grocery store usually include non-food items such as health and beauty products, pet products, etc., and there are usually several trips per week. Who scrutinizes receipts? Do most of us go to the grocery store armed with a list of just the essentials? The answer is a resounding “NO!”
Weight Loss Meal Plan for Those on the Go
Here is a nice weight loss meal plan for those on the go who can’t plan a meal or anyone that has to leave home for a day or two at a time but still needs to eat healthy.
I am in outside sales so it is sometimes hard to plan my meals when I am going to be away from home for a day or two. I don’t want to bring a million things from home or have to eat out. Ideally it would be great if I could bring a few things from home and pick up a few things from a local convenience store when I’m out.
After many months of doing this effectively here is a weight loss plan you can follow when traveling.
This is based on a 1400 calorie day which is what my goal was when I was away from home, driving, and not very active.
Breakfast: 300 calories Lunch: 500 Calories Evening snack: 100 calories Dinner: 500 Calories
Breakfast: Since you are usually on the road in the morning I did not have time to sit around and cook or waste time. This is why I went with a bagel in the morning. You can pick it up on the way out or bring a few from home. I do put crème cheese on it but VERY light.
For lunch I usually have a little more time and can stop at subway or even make a sandwich of my own. Personally I usually stop at subway. Stick to the basic sandwiches. I go for a turkey breast with wheat bread. No mayo but I do use mustard and all the veggies. The foot long is 600 calories and although its 100 cal more than what I planned for lunch its ok.
Snack: I usually go for an apple or other vegetables. I want something that is good for me yet will fill me up. An apple is actually exactly 100 calories.
For dinner I can sometimes stop by a restaurant for my 500 calories and still eat something healthy. If you can find a restaurant that will bake you a fish and you add some broccoli with light butter it is the perfect finisher.
You can eat to your heart’s satisfaction and still lose weight, provided that you plan your meals ahead and keep the calorie restrictions in mind!
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How to Find a Vegetarian Meal Plan to a Hearty and Yet Healthy Meal
Food has long been a way of deriving comfort as well as having the energy to do what you want for the day. While you will find many different types of foods that you can eat, sometimes you will find that eating a vegetarian style meal is more satisfying. In order to take full advantage of a meal like this you should have a complete vegetarian meal plan already made.
These different meal plans that you can make can encompass different varieties of foods. You will also find that by having a vegetarian meal plan on hand you can see the areas of your meal that needs help. For instance you will be able to see if you should have a second salad included into your meal.
You might on the other hand decide to include two additional main dishes to your vegetarian meal plan. These main dishes can be fully vegetarian or they can have some form of meat added to them.
Once you have decided to have a full vegetarian style meal you will need to choose the foods for this meal. Since each person has different tastes in foods you will need to take these into account when you are looking at the different foods that you can make. Once you list down the vegetables which are not eaten at any meals you can start looking at some tempting recipes.
From these recipes you should choose a vegetarian meal plan. The different foods that you choose should complement each other. Also the colors of the foods in question should look appetizing not just to the eye but also to the mind. Since you will need to make sure that everyone has more than enough to eat you should ensure that you have a goodly selection of vegetarian dishes available in varying quantities.
Your vegetarian meal plan should have a main dish and several side dishes as well. To this you can add a green leafy salad. If you feel that you need some meat in this meal plan you have two choices open to you. One option will be to use some meat substitutes like tofu or soy meat dishes.
The other option is to use a single type of meat dish as a side dish. The only other item that you will need to take into account when you are looking to your vegetarian meal plan is that of the nutritional value that you will find in your total meal. When all of the vegetarian meal plan details and cooking are finished, you will only need to sit back and enjoy this hearty and yet healthy meal.
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3 Tips for Easy Meal Planning
Where has the family dinner hour gone? There once was a time when we would all come home from a long day and sit down with our family for a nice home-cooked meal. In today’s fast paced world, we need more bonding time with the family. One might say that in today’s day where people pile way too much on the plate of life, that it is impossible to have a family dinner everyday. I disagree. Wouldn’t you like to get back to the way it used to be?
One way to make family dinners easier to prepare is by planning ahead. Often times I find myself going to the grocery store every other day to pick up needed items, and this is how family time gets lost. Spend a little time planning out dinner ideas for the coming week. Pick meals that are quick and easy for your dinners during the week and save the more time consuming recipes for the weekend. Did you know that software has been developed that makes meal planning a breeze? With a click of the mouse you can organize your recipe collection into daily meal plans complete with nutrition facts and shopping lists. With the computer generated shopping list you won’t have to worry about forgetting a needed item when you go grocery shopping.
Another great way to ensure that your family eats together most nights of the week is to share the responsibility of preparing dinner. It can be difficult for one family member to be responsible for cooking everyday. Each member of the family can take turns cooking each night. This is also a good way to add some new flavors to your meals since each member may have a different cooking technique. For those family members who don’t cook often, this can prove to be a great learning experience. Review each family member’s weekly schedule and delegate the meal preparation tasks such as grocery shopping, cooking, and clean up. Working as a team is a great way to build strength as a family.
“Not meatloaf again!” I’m sure everyone has heard the complaints from that same meal being served week after week. Keep your family dinners exciting by trying different variations of your favorite recipes. An even better idea would be to test out some new recipes. Surprise your family with a delicious new dinner tonight and they will be sure to come back to the dinner table tomorrow.
Nothing is more important than your family. It’s worth the effort to make sure that your family eats together daily. Besides the needed nutrition, this time spent together will help open the lines of communication and make your family bond stronger.
I recently discovered an online service that saves time and money while providing you with new dinner ideas daily. Get access to powerful recipe management software, daily meal plans, money saving coupons and more at SendMeRecipes.
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