Planning for a grocery trip is a great way to save money and cut down on unnecessary purchases. Taking time to plan ahead can also help you make healthier eating decision and gives you a chance to take time to think about what changes you would like to make for your diet. With this great tool from the United States Department of Agriculture's MyPlate program, you can go through three simple modules to help develop your grocery game plan for upcoming weeks.
Module One: List Your Weekly Meals - Using the grocery game plan calendar, write down what meals you would like to prepare that week. This step is a great opportunities to go through cookbooks, cooking shows, pinterest boards, and friends for new recipe ideas. The downloadable PDF file allows you to write in your meals directly into the calendar.
Module Two: Make A Grocery List - This step of the tool helps to cut down on buying items you don't really need or have a purpose for. Think about what you already have in your kitchen and what you will need to carry out your meal plans from module one. Don't forget to include other basics, like milk, fruit, and vegetables, that may not be directly included in recipes but are still part of snacks and healthy eating choices.
Module Three: Save More At The Store - This module provides several tips for saving money while shopping. In addition to providing information about coupons, you can also learn more about sales techniques grocery stores use to increase sales, such as putting the most expensive items at eye-level. By learning about these techniques, you can become more aware while grocery shopping.
What strategy do you use for grocery shopping? Is meal planning something you'd think to try more of?
