Supermarket Steals: Menu Planning

In my last post in the Supermarket Steals series, I discussed creating a preliminary shopping list working with weekly circulars and your coupon collection. Once you’ve done that, it’s time to plan your menu for the week. After you’ve created a meal plan, you’ll go back and tweak your grocery list one last time before heading to the store.

Menu planning isn’t difficult, but it does require some creativity. Start by doing a quick inventory of your refrigerator, freezer, and cupboard, and asking yourself the following questions:

1. What can I make using only the items I have on hand?
   
   
2. What can I make using the items I have on hand, plus items on my preliminary shopping list?
   
   
3. What can I make using the items I have on hand, items on my preliminary shopping list, and one or two additional item?

Focus first on meals you can prepare using only items you already have. You can probably come up with two or three ideas fairly quickly. For instance, if you have chicken broth, any type of pasta, some leftover chicken, and frozen vegetables, you’re all set to make chicken noodle soup—it doesn’t take a gourmet chef to see that! Other combinations won’t be as obvious, but with experience you’ll be able to come up with tasty dishes using a wide variety of ingredients. A little bit of leftover soup, stew, or chili can be poured over biscuits, or mixed with rice to create a whole new meal. Just about anything tastes good stuffed into a tortilla, topped with salsa, and baked. A little leftover meat goes a long way when it’s sautéed with some sliced potatoes and topped with cheese. Use your imagination!

You may be able to think of seven meals you can make with ingredients you have on hand, but don’t put them all on your weekly menu. You don’t want to deplete your larder! Plan for two or three dinners using what you already have, but no more. The rest of your meals should ideally be made from a combination of ingredients you have on hand, and items on your preliminary shopping list. Try to come up with new and interesting uses for items you can get at a good price. For instance, you can sometimes get packaged foods for next to nothing by combining coupons and sales. These items aren’t delicious by themselves, but can be transformed with a little know-how. I write more about this subject here.

By now, you should probably have a full menu plan. If you don’t, start thinking about recipes you can prepare using foods you have on hand, the items on your preliminary shopping list, and one or two additional items. If the total cost of the items on your preliminary shopping list is below your weekly budget, you have a little wiggle room to focus more on what sounds good to eat and less on how much things cost. Just make sure you still stay within your limits! If your total is almost equal to (or above) your budget, eliminate any items from your list for which you don’t have an immediate need before planning to buy additional items. Stocking up on basics when they’re on sale is great, but not if it means going over your weekly grocery budget!

Now that you have your weekly meal plan, it’s time to go back to your list one last time. If you’re in the lucky position of having everything you need to feed your family, and extra room in your grocery budget, you may want to pick up some staple foods for your pantry or splurge on an un-frugal treat. You can also choose to redistribute the extra cash to some other area of your budget, put it into savings, or give it to charity. If you’re still above your spending limit, even if it’s only by a few dollars, you’ll have to compensate by taking some money away from another area of your total budget. We’re all going to end up in that position every now and then. The more experienced a shopper you become, the less frequently it will happen to you!

Now you’re ready to head to the grocery store. Make sure you stick to the items on your list. Try not to window shop! If you come across a really terrific unadvertised special, and you have (or can make) room in your budget, then by all means, put the item in your cart. Other than that, steer clear of impulse purchases.

So far we’ve talked about saving money on your weekly food purchases. Don’t think I forgot about personal care items, over the counter medications, cleaning supplies, and the like. The next post in this series will teach you how to get these items for next to nothing. All you have to do is remember the frugal fabulous shopper’s three favorite letters: C-V-S.