10 Tips for Frugal Meal Planning

Wondering how to meal plan on a budget? My 10 tips for frugal meal planning help you craft a healthy meal plan without breaking the bank.

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Key Takeaways:

• Always start by taking inventory and using what you have in your pantry / fridge / freezer.
• Keep your meal plans simple and your grocery lists flexible to keep costs down.
• Include lower cost meals like vegetarian options in your frugal meal plan.
• SO many Prep Dish subscribers have told us they save money with our meal plans. You can snag a free trial here.

When it comes to meal planning, it sometimes seems like you have to choose between healthy and budget-friendly. After over a decade of helping families with meal planning though, I promise you, you don’t!

It is possible to eat healthy food, even if frugal meal planning is your top priority. You just have to be a bit flexible and a bit strategic when doing your weekly meal planning on a budget.

Whether you’re a veteran frugal meal planner or looking to become one, here are my top 10 budget meal planning tips:

10 Tips for Frugal Meal Planning

1. Take Inventory

While it can be tempting to start your meal planning by scrolling Pinterest for whatever recipes look the best, start instead by taking inventory of what you already have.

One of the best ways to become a successful frugal meal planner is to shop your own pantry, fridge and freezer, writing down any ingredients you need to use up. Incorporate that half bag of quinoa or frozen spinach into the week’s meal plan to save money and avoid food waste. You’ll likely be surprised at how far using what you already have goes toward a frugal meal plan.

2. Batch and Freeze

Batch cooking and freezing leftovers save money in a couple of ways:

1. It allows you to take advantage of sales. Buy one get one free on lasagna noodles? No problem! Make a double batch and stick one lasagna in the freezer.

2. Batch cooking reduces unused items, which is essential for a frugal meal plan. Instead of using half a bag of beans and sticking the other half in the pantry, cook the whole bag and freeze half.

3. The other huge advantage is that having a stocked freezer removes the need for last-minute takeout. A few extra nights of unplanned takeout or purchased lunches can easily kill your monthly food budget. Batching and freezing means you always have something healthy, easy and budget-friendly at the ready in your own freezer!

3. Order Staples Online

You can often save money by buying staples online, rather than at your local supermarket. My go-to resource for this is Thrive Market (affiliate link).

Not only does ordering staples save me money, it cuts down on time each week when I make my grocery list and order groceries or go shopping. Instead of buying marinara each week, I simply add it to my order every couple of months.

Of course, you do have to be careful to only order what you actually need if your goal is to save money. It’s easy to get sucked in by the fun extras!

A good strategy for a frugal meal plan here is to create a pantry inventory (you can see my system here!) and stick to it. Rather than browsing Thrive Market each month, simply type in the items on your inventory spreadsheet and order only those.

4. Buy in Bulk

Everyone has certain items that they use almost every day. Many of these products are much less expensive when you buy in bulk. Identifying the foods you should buy in bulk and finding great sources will help you become a frugal meal planner.

I talk more about this in this episode of my podcast, Meal Prep Monday, but for me, these items are spices, tea and meat.

I save so much money by buying these in bulk and I don’t have to worry about running out!

For you, it may be coffee, a certain type of flour, or nuts. Think about the items you use the most and spend a few minutes looking into the potential cost savings from buying in bulk.

If you’re interested in buying meat in bulk, check out my post on Buying a Whole Cow.

5. Keep it Simple

If you use cookbooks or recipe blogs, it can be tempting to choose a bunch of complex recipes, each calling for its own set of specialty ingredients.

This causes two problems. One, it clutters up your pantry and fridge. Two, it can get quite expensive.

If you buy an exotic spice you’ll probably never use again, it will likely be costly and it will likely sit in your pantry until it expires. Just one pricey item can thwart your frugal meal planning efforts!

Instead, look for simple recipes that rely on herbs and spices you already have.

Our signature Super Fast menus at Prep Dish really highlight how delicious simple recipes can be. (You can read more about exactly how our Super Fast meal plans work in my post, 5 Meals in 1 Hour for $100.) We began offering simplified recipes to help people save time on meal prep, but these meal plans are often more budget-friendly too as they require fewer ingredients.

You can sign up for a free trial here if you’d like to try them out!

6. Flexible Grocery List

An organized grocery list is key to successful meal planning but maintaining a bit of flexibility in your grocery list can really help with sticking to a budget.

For example, instead of “cod,” you might write “white fish” on your list. This way you can compare the available types of fish and choose the best looking one that fits your budget.

Instead of “walnuts” you might write “walnuts or pecans” and choose whichever is a better deal that week.

Try writing “3 types of fruit” instead of specific fruits if you’re just using them for snacking.

Incorporating this type of flexibility into your grocery list will encourage you to look for budget-friendly items at the store. If you’d like help with staying flexible on your grocery list, check out my post on recipe substitutions!

I also find that ordering groceries online is a great way to stick to a frugal meal planning budget. It’s easier to compare prices from home and you