To avoid blowing your budget, have a Plan B in place. Here's one idea for a Plan B: create a backup list of your easy, go-to recipes and ingredients. Store it on your phone, or somewhere readily accessible. When you don't have time to plan, you can simply head to the grocery store and shop using your backup list. All too often, we think we need to go shopping, when really all we need to do is shop our own kitchens. Using what you already have saves you the money you’d spend if you went shopping.
Take a real close look at what you have in the cupboards, fridge, and freezer. I bet you’ll be surprised that there’s more there than you think. That’s usually the case. Most of us tend to overbuy. Save some money this week by planning meals around what you already have. If you don’t have a great way to keep track of your supplies, download this inventory sheet to make it easy.
