Eating Better While Spending Less

Since I've been married, I've been pretty good about making meals that aren't full of really processed foods but I'm always looking for the better way to eat. Our meals and foods have evolved over the 4 1/2 years we've been married and I've recently made a big effort to eat mostly fresh food. One of the big arguments for not eating fresh foods is that it's too expensive. I'd say that it can definitely be more expensive but there are tricks you can use to minimize the hurt at the grocery store. Here are a few things I've learned. I'm not an expert and I know some of this is old news but it's what works for my family. (In no particular order)

1. Menu plan and make a shopping list. It's tedious and sometimes boring but totally worth it. First, go to your freezer, fridge and pantry and write down what you have and how much. Then start planning your meals by day, using up what you have first, and taking into account work schedules and such. This is the BEST printable I've found. I love that I write down ingredients needed per day then I can go through and write my grocery list. As I go, I put tally marks to add more of something I've already written. I also like that it plans breakfast and lunch. Just remember to write down snacks so you don't end up buying more than you need. Stick to your list!

2. Eat less meat. I'm not saying cut it out, because we like our chicken. Buy thin sliced chicken breast (usually 3-4 oz per breast) rather than whole breast. Bulk it up with extra veggies. A 4 oz serving of any meat is a good amount, especially if you make the effort to add a fresh salad next to your meal.

3. Separate meats out by meals, then freeze. When you buy a package of thin sliced chicken breast, it will usually have 4-6 breasts in it. When I was first married, I threw the entire package into the freezer, thawed it out and cooked the whole thing for dinner. Waste much? YES! I use ziplock air tight freezer bags (I seriously need a food saver), putting 2 breasts/bag (for my husband and I).

I also use chicken breast tenderloin for lunches. I roast a package the day I go grocery shopping and use it for salads, toasted sandwiches, and wraps for my husband and I. One package runs about $3.50 and will last us a week.

We also eat a lot of pork tenderloin. I had been buying the medium sized ones that run about $6.99 a piece. I recently learned that buying the large package that runs about $10 will feed our family four meals. WHAT?! We never finish off one pork tenderloin package but the large one is actually two pork tenderloins that I cut in half and still end up with 4 oz per person. That works out to $2.50/meal rather than $6.99. Awesome.

4. Don't be afraid to buy produce in bulk. Costco is my friend! I originally had issues with my produce going bad so it wasn't cost effective. But that's all changed :)
Here's the trick. To save things like strawberries, blueberries, other random berries, broccoli, bell peppers, snow peas, and snap peas, DO NOT TOSS THEM IN A BAGGIE AND TRY TO FREEZE THEM! They will turn to mush. Instead, put wax paper on a cookie sheet and spread out your fruit or veggie on the cookie sheet, trying not to let them touch. Put the cookie sheet in the freezer for 30 minutes then transfer the produce to a baggie and place back in freezer. Simple and not mushy.

5. If one product can replace 3, do it. I buy Greek yogurt in bulk at Costco. I use it to make popsicles for Isaac, to replace sour cream, cream cheese, buttermilk, and mayonnaise. That works out to $6 for 2 large tubs (that last us 2 weeks) in comparison to $3 Popsicle,  $2 sour cream, $2 cream cheese, $3 buttermilk, and $2 mayo plus the $4 greek yogurt I would end up getting for snacks. That's a $9.50 savings.

6. Don't be scared of off brands. Not all products are created equal but often enough, the off brand is just as good as a name brand. I recently read in my "Cooking Light" magazine that the walmart brand pickles had the better taste and lower sodium out of about 5 different brands. Who knew, right?

So those are my top 6 tips for saving money without giving up good food. I know it may take a little more time but it's been worth it for my family.  Hope it's been helpful :)