If spending your Sunday night chopping veggies isnt your thing, not to worry.

Spend a few minutes several times a week planning meals.

And thats another way to incorporate some savings into your food budget.

A woman jokes around with her daughter at the grocery store.

Stock up onpantry essentialsand make cooking home meals easier and more economical.

What do you and your family enjoy eating?

Can you make a double batch of a favorite recipe and save the rest for lunches?

No Interest Til Almost 2027?

Article image

Balance Transfer = Credit Card Cheat Code

1.

Dont Miss:

Get Paid $225/Month While Watching Movie Previews

3.

Use the carcass to make broth and any leftover meat for soup.

Article image

The same often goes for many of your staple pantry goods, dairy products, or even fresh legumes.

But making bigger batches of your staple meals means youre probably going to need more of your go-to spices.

Buying in bulk is also convenient for those spices you rarely use.

Eating a different thing for breakfast every week means buying more ingredients.

Pick one or two snacks you know you love and stick to them.

Homemade popcorn is an inexpensive option that can easily be madesweet,saltyorsavory, depending on your craving.

If youre looking for some protein-filled snacks you might make on the cheap, tryhummus.

Just double or triple the ingredients and youll have enough for a week of snacking.

you might also try makingpinwheels, which are super easy and very tasty, too.

In addition, repurposed jars are a great way to transportsalads,pastaor many other dishes.

Bonus: the aesthetic is very Pinterest-friendly, too!

Dont get takeout just because you didnt plan anything.

Dont promise to do three and then give up totally.

Baby steps, not no steps at all.

Factor in your familys lifestyle.

Are there multiple kids at sports, music or dance practice around the dinner hour?

Plan ahead for slow cooker food on those nights and get them home as quickly as possible after practice.

Contributor Larissa Runkle frequently writes on finance, real estate, and lifestyle topics for The Penny Hoarder.

Writer Anna Brugmann also contributed to this article.

It sounds appealing right?

Check it out here!