When I was a young adult (and not so organized) I used to go grocery shopping about once a week. I’d spend a reasonable amount of money, but many times those shopping trips ended with me going home, putting everything away and then going out to dinner. I was a little crazy to shop without a plan and then come home with nothing to eat for dinner. I soon learned that by planning meals before grocery shopping can save you BIG MONEY!
Ten Tips to Save Big Money on Your Food Budget
- Cook at home. This will be your biggest savings. Americans spend some 50% of their food dollars on restaurant meals. Cooking at home is always cheaper. Planning a week of meals at one time can make it easier to follow your plan.
- Stretch your budget by making a meal out of left-overs. Omelets, quesadillas, stir-fries, soups or pastas can incorporate many different ingredients.
- Eat left-overs for lunch or freeze for another meal.
- Know what’s in your freezer. Have a running inventory of what you have stored and plan when you will use it. Make sure you use each meal within a year.
- Use less meat. Make a meal once a week that focuses on beans, tofu or eggs.
- Incorporated frozen vegetables into recipes. They are healthy and inexpensive.
- Grow your own garden. If you have a yard use some of it to plan some herbs and seasonal vegetable. It’s healthy and a great project for the kids.
- Buy some items in bulk. Check prices, but sometimes buying in bulk and freezing for later can save lots of money.
- Stock up on staples like beans, rice, canned tomatoes, oil, pasta and frozen veggies. Having basic items will help you through something together for dinner in a flash.
- Buy when it’s on sale and use coupons when able.
You can save big with a little organization.
Basic Organization 
Rather than “leftovers,” I prefer to think of them as “plan-overs.” There’s not much difference in the time and effort required to make a big pot of stew versus a small one, and it’s so nice to have an extra meal or two in the freezer for those times when you don’t have time to cook, or just don’t feel like it.
I totally agree. My family won’t eat a “leftover”, but if I rap the extras into a tortilla or serve over rice they seldom realize that it’s something they have seen before. Planning makes all the difference. It can save you time and money.