Category: home skills / food storage Not only do we want to help you simplify your mealtime with family, but we want to help you do it on a budget. Planning healthy, simple, budget-conscious meals takes a bit of preparation and planning. But it is definitely doable, and we'll show you how.
Planned meals & shopping lists
First, planning meals and having a list of what you need for those meals helps you avoid making multiple trips to the supermarket. Avoiding extra errands isn't just good for your sanity -- it's good for the environment because you're making fewer roundtrips in that SUV of yours (oh, just admit it...you're hooked on the space and just waiting for Toyota to make a Sequoia that gets 45 miles per gallon). Planning your meals and having a specific shopping list also helps avoid purchasing items that you don't need, or items that you already have at home. That's the beauty of SimplifySupper -- we've planned your meals for you and we've created your shopping list for each week, too. Even if you forget to print off your list, you can always pull it up on your Blackberry, PDA, or web-enabled phone when you're at the store.
Stockpile wisely
Second, learn to stockpile! But buyer beware, stockpile wisely. Stockpiling ingredients used on a regular basis can be a great way to cut time and costs. This can be done at a warehouse, like Sam's Club or Costco, or at a case-lot sale at your local grocery store. Purchasing non-perishable items in bulk can often be a great buy, as long as they are items that you use regularly. (Items such as cream of chicken soup, dry onion soup mix, spaghetti sauce, canned beans, and canned olives are all great choices). Even perishable items can be purchased in bulk, if you're willing to take a bit of extra time after purchasing them. For example, I like to buy large bags of grated cheese, but I learned that the cheese started to mold when we were less than halfway through the bag. Now when I purchase this cheese, I open it up, divide it up into smaller baggies, leaving one in the refrigerator and freezing the rest. When the cheese in my refrigerator is almost gone, I pull one out from the freezer and it is thawed and ready to use the next time I need it. I also like to wash, cut up, and freeze fresh produce that can be such a bargain at a warehouse but may spoil before they can all be used. Bell peppers, broccoli, and cauliflower all freeze well, and are great thrown into a casserole or when sauteed. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, grapes, and even peeled bananas freeze well in baggies, and can be thrown into a blender with some milk or juice for a great smoothie.
Go vegetarian...a little
Third, try going vegetarian...one night a week. Meat can eat up a large portion of your grocery budget. Going meatless one dinner a week can help you try new things, and you may be surprised at how the savings add up. When you find a great sale on meat and poultry, stock up and freeze what you can use within the next six months. Just be sure to use freezer bags to avoid freezer burn.
Use what you already have
Finally, use what you already have. Do you have some leftovers from last night's dinner? Pack them into a tupperware container and send them to work or school with your husband or kids. Or add last night's leftover side of carrots to tonight's beef stew. Sneak yesterday's steamed broccoli into tonight's spaghetti sauce. Get creative, and you may surprise yourself at how you can manage to throw less away and cut down on costs.
