Monthly budgeting and planning
Healthy eating on a budget can seem quite difficult, but it doesn’t have to be. Meal planning, careful shopping and the types of cooking you do will help you save money on your food bill plus help you eat a healthier diet.
Having a plan is the ideal way to assist you in the quest for healthier more cost effective eating.
- Determine how much money you have for food and non-food items for the month and divide that number by four, so you have the figure that you can spend weekly.
- Check the supermarket mailers to see what foods are on special, as that will assist you in deciding your menu for that week. Although, only purchase what you are actually going to use – it is not a special if you don’t actually need it!
- Remember to match meals with busy nights.
- Then plan the meals and snacks for your family before you go shopping. Write your shopping list and stick to it.
The great thing about meal planning is you can set up a months’ worth of menu’s and then just recycle – often only changing foods because the seasons change.
Keep a master shopping list that you check weekly – ingredients that you always use, cleaning gear and items like toilet paper. If an item is on special, maybe buy two instead of one.
Base your eating on the Four Food Groups, making sure to include the servings of foods from each of the groups over the day along with a variety in each of those too.