Get Your FREE Weekly Meal Planner Here

Get it NOW!

GSFF

  • Start Here
  • Budgeting
  • Organization
  • Making Money
  • Shop
  • Free Printables
  • About
You are here: Home / Finance / How to Meal Plan Like a Pro and Save Money on Groceries
 Post may contain affiliate links. Click to read Disclosure . Click to read Privacy Policy. 

How to Meal Plan Like a Pro and Save Money on Groceries

in Finance, Meal Planning, Saving Money Tips on 05/29/24

  •  shares
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Twitter

With prices on the rise, most of us are looking for the best way to save. But saving money on groceries isn’t hard work and doesn’t always mean skimping on delicious and healthy meals.

A bunch of food with the words "Meal Plan" below.
Learn how to plan your meals for the week and save money on your groceries by reading on!

Meal prepping is a great way to save and eat healthily at the same time. With a busy schedule, it seems like menu planning takes a lot of time, but, it actually saves you way more time in the long run and the perks are worth the effort.

How to Meal Plan Like a Pro and Save Money on Groceries

The good news is you don’t have to compromise on your favorite recipes to save, and here are easy ways to save money with a weekly meal plan. 

Let’s get started!

Build a Food List

Each of us has different recipes enjoy and many have different diets. Properly planning your meals helps you make a master list of the ingredients you’ll need for what you enjoy.

This way, you’ll have a grocery shopping list to stick to and, at the same time, easily mix and match ingredients in your recipes.

Put an end to dinner-time stress with this genius Family Meal Plan – it’s a life-saver for busy families, offering easy-to-follow recipes that are guaranteed to make dinner a breeze!

Family Meal Plan With Recipes Spread

Having a food list on hand also helps you budget your groceries better, as it’s easier to track how much you spend when you know the cost for each item. You can plan for a whole month, starting with the first week.

You Might Also Like: The Meal Planning Planner

The Meal Planning Plan

Prepare a Shopping List

Not being organized can make you spend more and, in turn, making it harder to stick to your grocery budget. 

Make a shopping list from your new meal plan and stick to it. Avoid just walking up and down every aisle browsing, as seeing more variety of food might distract you.

Get in and get out. Make it a chore or job instead of a leisurely activity. Don’t be distracted, because stores live to get you to buy things you don’t need, but make you want them.

Going to the grocery store after meals or a filling snack is also a good idea since the last thing you want is to buy more food than you need because you’re hungry. It’s just like your Mom used to say “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach”, that applies to the grocery store, too.

You Might Like This: Meal Planning Services You Should Try

The Best Meal Prep Services

Use Simple Recipes

In planning your meals, choose healthy meal prep recipes with readily available and affordable ingredients.

Keep your meal ideas simple and quick. This meal plan idea is supposed to help save you money and time on busy week nights, so avoid fancy long cook time meals with expensive ingredients.

It also helps to search for new recipes with similar ingredients to keep your list short. Mixing and matching your produce and spices for a week’s worth of meals is an easy way to save.

Plan Your Meals According to Seasons And Sales

Produce in season is often sold for less, so stock up on in-season produce and sale items now.

Plan your weekly menu according to what ingredients are in season and are more likely to be on sale to get more value while spending less.

For example, pumpkins are often on sale after Halloween, as turkey meat is after Thanksgiving, so it helps to use recipes with these ingredients while stores sell them for less.

Swap Ingredients

If your perfect recipe asks for pricier ingredients, you can still enjoy your favorite meals and stick to your food budget. Almost every ingredient or spice has alternatives, so it helps to familiarize yourself with what you can swap expensive ingredients out with. 

If a cheaper alternative isn’t available, you can still enjoy easy recipes by using a smaller amount to keep your supply as long as possible. Also, check if the recipe can be made with fewer ingredients to shave a few dollars off where you can.. 

You Might Also Like This: 5 Meal Planning Mistakes And How To Avoid Them

5 Meal Planning And How To Avoid Them

Store Your Groceries Properly

You’d be surprised how much money you waste when you let greens wilt and whole grains go bad. One of the easiest ways to save is not to waste food.

Store your produce and meats in safe ways that help prolong their freshness in the coming weeks. Food containers, freezer bags, and other storage can help food stay fresh longer, so you’ll buy less with less food waste.

Meal Plan for More Savings

Meal planning keeps your diet healthy for a long time and helps you save more when done properly. Strategizing your shopping and being creative with recipes can help you stick to a healthy lifestyle and stay on budget. Happy cooking!

Meal prepping is a great way to save and eat healthily at the same time. If this piques your interest, click through NOW to learn how to plan your meals...
  •  shares
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Twitter


Dian1

Add a Comment

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

More You Might Like:

A stainless steel saucepan on a stovetop filled with simmering water, orange slices, cinnamon sticks, and herbs—creating a homemade air freshener.

5 DIY Natural Air Fresheners That Actually Work

A shelf full of Dollar Tree grocery items including peanut butter, dried cranberries, and canned goods arranged against a perforated green background.

The Smartest Dollar Tree Grocery Buys (That Actually Taste Good)

An assortment of grocery items including canned goods, cereal, produce, and packaged foods spread across a kitchen counter—showing the mix of brand-name and budget-friendly options.

5 Things You’re Probably Overpaying For (and How to Stop)

A variety of fresh groceries and pantry staples—like lettuce, pasta, carrots, apples, and jars of sauce—arranged on a kitchen counter with a neutral-toned backdrop.

Budget Meals That Don’t Feel Cheap (Your Family Will Actually Want Seconds)

Welcome to GSFF! I’m Dian, a wife of over 30 years, Mom to 4 grown kids… Read more about Dian and GSFF

 

Shop Printables

Printable tools to simplify your day.
Budgeting, meal planning, organizing — all in one place.

Browse Now →

Join the List

Get weekly tips, printable freebies, and first dibs on all the good stuff.

Sign Me Up →

This Week’s Freebie

Snag the featured printable of the week before it rotates!

Browse The Collection →

It's Christmas In July.

Back To School Prep Pack

But, first: School

The December Box

December Box

Holiday Chaos Control Kit

Holiday Chaos Control Kit

Plan Your Perfect Holiday

Plan Your Perfect Holiday

Follow on Pinterest

Get smart money tips, printables, and everyday wins — straight from Pinterest.

Follow Us on Pinterest

Dian is a mom of four grown children, Nana to 7 beautiful grands, wife of over 30 years to an amazing husband, social influencer, and blogger. I love all things gardening, saving money, tips & tricks to make life easier, ANY cool new gadget, and feeding my Reality TV addiction (it's real y'all, you have no idea!) Dian has been featured in person, in print, and on sites like Huff Post, CBSNews, Blog Talk Radio, NBC DFW, Babble, Woman's Day, All You Magazine, Super Market News, Clark, & Pinner's Conferences. Want to know more? Check out the full bio here!

Featured On

  • AFN
  • All You
  • CBS
  • Holly Homer Live
  • Huffpost
  • LCFG
  • NBC
  • NQS
  • PRNetwork
  • Project You
  • Savings
  • Supermarket News
  • Thread MB
  • UT Arlington
  • ValPak
  • Womens Money
  • CBS DFW
  • NBC5
  • Daily Moss
  • Savings Guides
  • Making Money
  • Gift Guides
  • DIY
  • Family Living
  • Recipes

GSFF Transparent© 2009–2025  GSFF All Rights Reserved.
No content on this site may be copied and reused in any form or fashion without express written permission.
Privacy Policy