Use what you have on hand
I know a lot of people prefer to plan their meals for the week ahead of time. I like to prep proteins, but I always base weekly meals off of what we have on hand. On Sundays I do a fridge clean out and check out what proteins we have in the freezer. I'll pull out a few and prep based off of what we have. I also jot down what I need from the store to essentially "fill in the gaps" that week for whatever veggies or side items I may need.
Pay Attention to Sales & Price Compare With Flyers & Apps
I take advantage of the grocery store advertisements and stock up on meats when there are sales. Winn Dixie is a store I watch a lot. They usually run meat sales Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. I'll stock up on the roasts they have on sale and buy multiple so I can freeze them ahead.
Browse store flyers to find the best deals for what you definitely need. You can find out what's on sale on stores' websites or apps ( Aldi, Whole Foods, and Wegmans have them) or via app Flipp, which gathers many flyers in one place). Some show specials, and others allow you to clip coupons digitally. The Ibotta app will give you cash rebates for certain larger brands at big box stores by scanning your receipt after.
Bulk Buys of Protein
We also buy bulk in chicken breast and ground chuck from Sam's Club. I've compared pricing around for quite a while and on those two items, Sam's really can't be beat. I also buy the bacon in bulk from Sams. It does have a bit of sugar in it, but I find that little amount doesn't affect me.
We usually buy our deli meats there as well
Shop Local Spend time getting acquainted with your local produce markets. Oftentimes the little shops have organic and locally grown vegetables at 1/2 if not more reduced cost compared to Publix or other large grocery stores. Yes, it puts you a little bit more "out of the way" but you end up with higher quality, spending less, plus it's better overall to support small business!
You may even be able to sign up with a local farm to receive their weekly or monthly seasonal vegetable boxes. For us locally we have a store that has you sign up and you get their local farm produce. I haven't done it personally, but it seems like a really great idea! Plus it's always good to continue to keep your local farmers in business. If things were to go south with food supply, you would want these close relationships formed.
Pantry Stock Items
Keep your eye out for BOGO on pantry style stock items. If you are looking to plan ahead, having canned vegetables on hand is good along with staples like lentils, rice, and gluten free pasta (or regular if thats what you eat) They're easy staple items to have to rotate as sides for your family plus they have a long shelf life. I personally always keep extra cans of tomato sauce on hand because a meat sauce is always a quick and simple meal idea.
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