Thanks, Ellen! My husband and I plan dinners for the week ahead, and we even decide who is cooking on specific nights. We keep a few frozen options for nights when neither of us is up to cooking--Costco frozen cauliflower crust pizzas make an inexpensive dinner. We also keep some pantry staples like tomato basil soup and ingredients for grilled cheese or tuna melts. We also save money by eating less meat--a tofu or tempeh stir-fry with frozen veg is a regular in the dinner rotation, as is pasta puttanesca--we take a jar of marinara sauce and add anchovies, olives, and capers. Side benefit of more beans and veggies: at my last checkup my lab results showed improvements in my cholesterol and HDL/LDL numbers.
The research in this area is a bit counterintuitive sometimes. I recently heard Carol Smathers talk about her work on what it takes to live on $6/day. One thing that stuck with me was that those on a tight budget often can't afford to buy in bulk and buying only what you need keep you eating only what you need, thus saving money!
Great perspective, thank you for sharing! Grocery budgeting has always interested me because it's so personal and variable. My approach has changed drastically with each stage of life and I'm always curious to learn more.
Thank you for sharing my piece Ellen! I'm glad you mentioned it on Notes because I didn't get any notification from Substack.
You’re welcome! It’s a great read.
Thanks, Ellen! My husband and I plan dinners for the week ahead, and we even decide who is cooking on specific nights. We keep a few frozen options for nights when neither of us is up to cooking--Costco frozen cauliflower crust pizzas make an inexpensive dinner. We also keep some pantry staples like tomato basil soup and ingredients for grilled cheese or tuna melts. We also save money by eating less meat--a tofu or tempeh stir-fry with frozen veg is a regular in the dinner rotation, as is pasta puttanesca--we take a jar of marinara sauce and add anchovies, olives, and capers. Side benefit of more beans and veggies: at my last checkup my lab results showed improvements in my cholesterol and HDL/LDL numbers.
Having a backup plan is a great idea! All good strategies, thank you for sharing.
The research in this area is a bit counterintuitive sometimes. I recently heard Carol Smathers talk about her work on what it takes to live on $6/day. One thing that stuck with me was that those on a tight budget often can't afford to buy in bulk and buying only what you need keep you eating only what you need, thus saving money!
Great perspective, thank you for sharing! Grocery budgeting has always interested me because it's so personal and variable. My approach has changed drastically with each stage of life and I'm always curious to learn more.