Meagan Gets Real

Real Talk for Real Moms - Orlando Mom blogger shares parenting tips, travel tips, recipes, and more for moms who want life a bit more real. Don't miss this Orlando mommy blogger's fresh take on things!

Welcome!
It's time to get real. I am a Central Florida mom of two with a love for authenticity. Don't do this mothering journey alone. Find out how and connect with me: {more...}
  • Home
  • Contact Me
    • About Me
    • PR & Event Policy
  • Parenting
    • Mom Encouragement
    • Mom Tips
    • Character Training
    • Education
      • Preschool Learning
      • Dyslexia
      • Homeschooling
        • Encouragement
        • Geek
          • Doctor Who
          • Harry Potter
        • Homeschool Tips & Tricks
        • Homeschool Resources
    • Educational Printables
      • All Printables
      • Doctor Who
      • Math Printables
      • Reading
      • Science
      • Seasonal
      • Writing
    • For The Home
    • Gift Ideas
    • Money Saving
    • Tips for Dads
  • Florida Fun
    • Family Travel
    • Disney World Park Tips
      • Animal Kingdom
      • Disney Springs
      • Epcot
      • Hollywood Studios
      • Special Ticketed Events
    • Beyond the Parks
      • Attractions
      • Shows and Events
    • Central Florida Theme Parks
      • Busch Gardens
      • Legoland
      • Universal Studios
    • Restaurants
    • Florida Field Trips
    • Plan Your Trip
  • Crafts
    • Christmas
    • Disney DIY
      • Disney
    • Easter
    • Educational Crafts
  • RECIPES
    • Breakfast
    • Crock Pot
    • Desserts
    • Dinner
    • Instant Pot
  • Reviews
    • Disney Movie Reviews
    • Homeschool Products
    • Toys & Games

Meal Planning on a Budget

Jan 11 by Meagan 1 Comment

There may be affiliate links in this post. Please read my disclosure policy for more information.
Spread the love

Recently I started a new job from home. This means that I am now a working homeschool mom and I have to be more disciplined with meal planning. This time of year is always our tighter time of the year as we come out of the holiday season. I knew that we would have a full schedule so I decided it was time to focus on meal planning on a budget. I wanted to share some of what I have learned in the last few weeks in case you are in the meal planning mindset right now.

Meal Planning on a Budget - #mealplanning

Meal Planning on a Budget

These tips may or may not work depending on your family size and what you are cooking. I suggest looking at these tips and taking what you can from them.

Start with a realistic number.

I know finances can be incredibly tight. When you sit down to make your grocery budget make sure to be realistic about your number. Do you eat organic? Do you have to buy gluten-free? Will you be buying a lot of produce? It is important to look at your purchase habits and set a number that fits those.

Crock Pot Mojo Pork Recipe - Quick, easy, and freezer cooking friendly! Great way to start dinner and forget about it!

Be realistic about busy days.

Do you have days when you know you are out most of the day running for different things? Plan for those with a good crock pot recipe that will be ready when you get home. We are big fans of crock pot mojo pork. Put things into your meal plan that will be either quick to make or easy to throw in the crock pot. This will save you money in the long run.

Plan around sales.

I typically wait to put our meal plan together until I have seen the weekly flyers from the stores I like to shop at. I used to coupon but I no longer do. Now I just try to cook based on sales. This may mean that you eat chicken instead because it is on sale or work on recipes that work around what is on a good deal each week. I find that this helps us to make the money stretch.

Know what to buy in bulk.

Some things are better deals in bulk. It is completely ok to set aside part of your meal planning budget to pick up staples that will help with multiple meals. I would suggest making sure the price really is better by buying it in bulk. Not everything is really a good deal. That said, items like rice could be good to have a large supply of. I would say the same for pasta.

Budget Taco Meat

Don’t be afraid of beans.

One of the things I love to do is use beans to offset how much meat we eat. For instance, in our taco meat I will add black beans and flavor it the way we like it. You can hardly notice them in the taco and it helps to use less meat. I suggest experimenting with recipes where beans can help offset your protein or working with your meat to bean ratio.

Don’t go to too many stores.

It can be tempting to hop around to multiple stores to try and get all the amazing deals. Remember that that is costing you gas and time. Instead, pick a couple quality stores that have sales you know are valuable to you. We like Harveys and Aldi for most of our grocery shopping.

Take advantage of fruit stands.

In my area, there are multiple fruit stands and flea markets. We love to take a certain part of our weekly meal plan budget and visit one of these. The kids love the freedom to pick different types of produce to try each time.

Pay attention to what is in season.

You are going to spend more if you put something on your meal plan that is not in season. Stores pay more to ship it in which means you will pay more for that item. I learned that one the hard way this week when I was craving boiled peanuts.

Involve the kids.

I am a big believer in teaching the kids thru life experience. I have started including the kids in meal planning. My oldest loves to make her own oatmeal packets for breakfasts. Find ways that you can include options in the meal plan that will let the kids handle their own meals or snacks and take something off of your plate.

What do you do to make meal planning on a budget less stressful? I would love to hear your ideas to tips.

Looking for more?

Easy Home Made Chicken Pot Pie recipe 10 Things Homeschool Moms Wish They Could Say an honest post from a homeschool mom Easy Crock Pot Chicken and Dumplings
Easy Homemade Beef PIe Recipe - Low cost recipe you can make from scratch in a hurry 10 Things Homeschoolers Don't Need to Buy this Schoolyear No Soak Crock Pot 15 Bean Soup Recipe

 

 


Spread the love

Don’t Miss the Latest

Best Miniature Golf Courses in Orlando - Visit Orlando and enjoy a mini golf adventure with the family. Find out which courses are the best and how to save on mini golf.

Over the last few weeks, our family has had a lot of fun visiting some of the Orlando mini golf … [Read More...]

An emergency binder filled with your vital information can be so important! Plan for an emergency with this binder with all important information. Includes Free Printables! #EmergencyBinder #Parenting #EstatePlanning #PlanAhead #Organization

Putting together an emergency binder can be a game-changer for any family. It is a fantastic … [Read More...]

Eating with food allergies can get frustrating! There are so many foods you have to give up. I have … [Read More...]

Teaching Kids About Emotions - Real tips for parents. Help children understand emotions in a healthy way.

Children can struggle with larger than life emotions. Not only are they feeling big feelings, but … [Read More...]

4 tips for getting kids crafting. Includes crafting tips for moms who don't love crafting!

Crafting can be a great way for kids to have a creative outlet, share the way they see the world, … [Read More...]

Chocolate Cream Pie Recipe - Gluten Free - Dairy Free - Egg Free - Allergen friendly chocolate cream pie recipe free of 8 common allergens!

The holidays are upon us and with them come all the sweet treats you can eat. With food allergies, … [Read More...]

Filed Under: Money Saving

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  • Home
  • Contact Me
    • About Me
    • PR & Event Policy
  • Parenting
    • Mom Encouragement
    • Mom Tips
    • Character Training
    • Education
      • Preschool Learning
      • Dyslexia
      • Homeschooling
        • Encouragement
        • Geek
          • Doctor Who
          • Harry Potter
        • Homeschool Tips & Tricks
        • Homeschool Resources
    • Educational Printables
      • All Printables
      • Doctor Who
      • Math Printables
      • Reading
      • Science
      • Seasonal
      • Writing
    • For The Home
    • Gift Ideas
    • Money Saving
    • Tips for Dads
  • Florida Fun
    • Family Travel
    • Disney World Park Tips
      • Animal Kingdom
      • Disney Springs
      • Epcot
      • Hollywood Studios
      • Special Ticketed Events
    • Beyond the Parks
      • Attractions
      • Shows and Events
    • Central Florida Theme Parks
      • Busch Gardens
      • Legoland
      • Universal Studios
    • Restaurants
    • Florida Field Trips
    • Plan Your Trip
  • Crafts
    • Christmas
    • Disney DIY
      • Disney
    • Easter
    • Educational Crafts
  • RECIPES
    • Breakfast
    • Crock Pot
    • Desserts
    • Dinner
    • Instant Pot
  • Reviews
    • Disney Movie Reviews
    • Homeschool Products
    • Toys & Games

It’s time to get real. I am a Central Florida mom of two with a love of authenticity. You don’t have to do this mothering journey alone. Find out how and connect with me: {more…}

 

Recent Posts

  • Best Mini Golf Courses in Orlando
  • Emergency Binder
  • Allergy-friendly Potato Soup Recipe
  • Teaching Kids About Emotions
  • Getting Kids Crafting
Copyright ©2021, Meagan Gets Real. All Rights Reserved. Design by Pixel Me Designs
This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled

Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.

Non-necessary

Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.