Guest Post: 5 Ways to Save... Using a Weekly Menu for Your Family

by 

Stephanie Nelson

Savvy coupon shoppers prefer to sketch out their weekly meal plans before they start creating their grocery lists. Here are some steps to go after bargains rather than waiting to stumble across them—and get ready to save over 50% or more on your groceries!

 

1. Scan the week’s calendar to figure out what the family’s plans are. Meals at the table aren’t the only time your family eats. Remember packed lunches, social outings, school events and guests, so that these meals don’t translate into extra trips to the store.

 

2. Keep an eye on your refrigerator’s perishable items. One study reported that a family of four ends up throwing away an average of $590 of perishable groceries per year such as meat, produce, dairy and grain products. Avoid overbuying perishable items.

 

3. Check the pantry and freezer for adequate staples on hand for easy convenient meals. Simple meals like pasta, soup, chili, or chicken pot pie, made with items you already have on hand, can save you the expense of that last-minute pizza delivery.

4. Don’t snack on dinner ingredients! Keep munchies around so your family doesn’t graze on the ingredients you plan to use for the main course. Stock up on popcorn, pretzels, fruit, popsicles or crackers.

5. Celebrate “Leftover Night “once a week. Keep any leftovers on one shelf of the refrigerator in clear containers, so you can see what you have to use up.

Stephanie Nelson is the Coupon Mom. Her web site, www.CouponMom.com, has over 5.6 million members, and she is established as the nation’s top expert in couponing across the country. Stephanie has been on every major national television talk show and taught millions how to save money for the past 11 years. She has been called ‘”the rock star of the recession” by the Washington Post and her book, The Coupon Mom’s Guide to Cutting Your Grocery Bills in Half, is a New York Times best seller.