Easy Meal Planning for Busy Couples
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Does your food bill blow your budget every month? Learn easy meal planning tips that are designed for busy couples who want to eat well and save!
How to Save with Meal Planning
One of the biggest bills couples have – especially busy ones – is their food.
If you've done the Zero Day Challenge you may have been surprised at just how much you spend on food.
We discussed saving money when eating out a few episodes ago. Now we’re looking at the other side -mastering your groceries and meals at home.
I asked my buddy Jen Smith to come on board.
She’s the creator of Saving with Spunk and the author of the new book Meal Planning on a Budget.
In this episode we discuss:
- how meal planning doesn’t mean leftover every night
- the magic of slow cookers
- how seasonal and sales eating is lower your bills and be better health wise
Hope you enjoy!
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Easy Meal Planning Resources for Busy Couples
Want to cut your spending on food without sacrificing quality? Here are some resources to check out.
- Grocery Price Books: Slash Your Food Bill and Save Time!
- Reduce Your Grocery Expenses by 1/3
- Easy and Smart Ways to Eat Well and Cut Your Food Bill
- Frugal Friends Podcast
- How to Use Meal Planning to Slash Your Food Budget
- Kill your $1,000 Grocery Bill
- Free Weekly Meal Planning Sheets
- Meal Planning Made Easy
The Need for Smarter Meal Planning
Jen's inspiration for her new book Meal Planning on a Budget came based on feedback she received from her first book, the No Spend Challenge.
What kept tripping up many couples was their food expenses.
Jen's not a chef (actually she says she doesn't enjoy cooking), but she saw a need and she wanted to help.
She was looking for ways to make meal planning practical for busy couples. She had a few key tips that can help you break through so you guys can eat well, save time, and slash your food bill.
Meal Prep at Your Level
Wouldn't be great if you could snap your fingers and you suddenly find the desire to whip a few meals ahead of time?
It would be wonderful, but for most of us, it ain't going to happen. Instead of beating yourself up, Jen suggests starting small.
On weekends if you don't have the time or energy to do a meal or two, go ahead and just chop some veggies and knock out some prep work.
Prepping and freezing a few things can make a huge difference on those busy nights.
Slow Cookers and InstaPots are Magical
If you take nothing else from this episode, please remember this – slow cookers are your best friends.
You can do some much with them and I'm not just talking about chili (though that's an awesome meal).
With a few ingredients and some spices, you can have a fantastic dinner ready without much prep work on your end.
Shop with Seasons and Sales in Mind
When produce is in season it's going to typically be cheaper.
Another benefit to buying local and you're getting it within season is the flavors are usually a lot better.
It's almost like a cheat because with better, fresher ingredients you don't have to do as much when you're cooking. It's more flavorful.
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Jumpstart focuses on the big wins including earning more. Get LIFETIME access to a four-week course design to help you:
- Stop fighting about money and create a budget that you BOTH LOVE
- Automate your money
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You can get lifetime access here.
Music Credit
Like the music in this episode? Our theme song is by Gentle Regime. Additional music by Lee Rosevere and Logan from Music for Makers in this episode.
