Free Meal Planning Worksheet

I am sure you’ve heard about meal planning and have even considered trying it, but maybe you were worried that it would cost too much money, or would be too much work.

Meal planning is an amazing way to cut down on food expenses if done right.

It can be difficult when you are on a tight budget, but it’s not impossible. You just need a little time and preparation ahead of time.

Meal Planning on a Budget

Before you get started, you can print a copy of my free meal planning template to help you stay organized and keep track of each meal you will be making throughout the week.

Click the image to get the instant download ⬇️

When I first tried meal planning I made the mistake of just randomly picking some meals that I wanted to make for dinner for the week without taking anything else into consideration.

All I did was end up spending MORE money at the grocery store.

Instead, I needed to look at what was on sale and what ingredients I already had on hand.

Meal planning is supposed to help save you money NOT make you spend more like I did.

Once I realized my mistake I made it my goal to do better next time and actually save money. Its one of the reasons why I made this weekly meal planner printable I needed to get on track.

When you are first getting started, try to keep it simple. This might mean planning one or two meals until you get the hang of it.

Tips for Meal Planning on a Budget:

#1 - Take stock

When you are ready to plan your meals for the week take a few minutes to see what food and ingredients you already have in your pantry.

You don’t want to waste money purchasing items you already have, and making an inventory list will help you create recipes where you don’t have to go buy a lot of the ingredients.

This will also help you to come up with recipes that use the ingredients that are already in your refrigerator or pantry.

#2 Think about leftovers + your schedule

When you are planning out your meals for the week, think about making a little more to have leftovers the next night. Not only will this cut down on cost, but it will also cut down on prep time.

One thing I like to do is look at our schedule for the week and see when we have which activities for the boys. I like to plan the leftovers for nights when I know we are super busy and I won’t have a lot of time.

#3 - Plan your meals based on sales

In order to save money on meal planning, you need to plan ahead and purchase ingredients that are on sale at your local grocery store. You don’t want to sit down and just choose meals that you want to cook that week because this is how you will end up spending more money.

Once you have your inventory list you can then look to see what is on sale at the grocery store to come up with your meals for the week.

You can use this really cool site called SuperCook that lets you put in the ingredients you have to come up with recipe options.

This will make it simple to see what you can cook with the ingredients you have on hand and what is on sale.

#4 - Check for discounts

Now that you know what is on sale at your local store, is there a way to get it even cheaper? Look for coupons and discounts to see if you can cut your expenses even more.

Clip coupons or see if your store loyalty card has bonus coupons you can apply to your groceries.

#5 - Make your list

Now it's time to plan your shopping trip. Make a list of all the items you need from the recipes you picked.

The key to meal planning on a budget is sticking to this list at the grocery store. Try to avoid making impulse purchases and spending money on ingredients that you don’t need.

You may even find out that it is cheaper if you stop at two different stores to buy all of your groceries. Make a separate list for each store to help you stay on track.

Meal planning doesn’t have to be hard and it doesn’t have to break the bank. Make sure you download my free meal planning worksheet so that you can stay organized.