Meal Planning on a Budget: Save Money on Groceries, Master Meal Prep, & Reduce Food Waste to Reach Financial Freedom

by Jen Smith

Are you struggling to lower your spending on food? Are you tired of entering the grocery store only to leave with food you'll eventually throw away? Do you want to finally get your food budget under control?

No matter how busy your schedule is or what grocery store options you have, you can tighten your grocery budget and achieve your financial goals faster.

Across the board, our spending on food is second only to housing. Whether you want to pay off debt, become financially independent, or have more money to travel, minimizing your spending on food is the single most effective way to increase your disposable income.

From Jen Smith, Amazon best selling author of The No-Spend Challenge Guide and creator of the debt-freedom blog Saving with Spunk, comes Meal Planning on a Budget, a beginner's guide to easy meal planning, weekend meal prep, simple techniques for saving money on groceries, and how to reduce food waste.



This book will teach

How to assemble a simple meal planadvanced techniques for meal planning weeks at a timethe most effective ways to save money and time at the grocery storeHow to do weekend meal prep that will increase the likelihood of fitting cooking into a busy scheduleHow to store your food to preserve it's freshnessTips for reducing food waste to keep your hard earned money out of the garbage

This information will give you the confidence to cook more, eat out less, and make eating at home a habit you actually like. You'll find joy in eating less unhealthy fast food, more variety in cuisine, and cultivating new skills in the kitchen.



If you want 2018 to be the year your eating aligns with (and advances) your financial goals then scroll up and click Buy Now to begin your meal planning master journey. 

Genres: Nonfiction, Food

77 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 13, 2018

Reviews

[Liisa Aavik · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is written by an American woman shopping at Aldi who admits she did not know how to cook before adulthood. It seems that the book is useful to similar people so the title should include "for an American who learned to cook as an adult". A lot of the advice is either too generic to be useful or too specific to her own life (like the recipe ideas based on what is on sale at Aldi in the USA). I am a Northern European gal who started filleting fish and making pancakes for my family at the age of 4. I cannot relate to buying a lot of things packaged in plastic, living off frozen store-bought meals etc. The sustainability advice is only about not wasting food, but not about excess packaging prevention, seasonal food etc.

What could be done better in my personal opinion:
1. more specific examples to the generic advice
2. consider more generalisable recipes: overnight oats, mason jar meals with the recipe laid out with switchable ingredients;
3. examples of quick simple meals with switchable ingredients (homemade bread etc)

Of course, there were a few tips or thoughts I got: FB pages to follow, themed meal days, what foods make you feel fuller, her favourite recipes, how long to blanch something. But the problem is, the author does not go in to further detail and I still have to google/youtube most of the ideas. So what did I purchase the book for?

Where I would send people like me for advice:
- Pick up Limes
- Zero waste chef
- Max La Manna

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very short and quick read that, alas, does not fit into any of my remaining 2021 reading challenge categories . . . but I whipped through it in one sitting, so this is a bonus book that is not detracting from my reading challenge goals in any way. The focus of this book is squarely on saving money by cutting grocery budgets, planning meals, and cooking at home. Although a few sample meal plans are offered, there are no detailed recipes and this is not a cookbook by any means. However, I did enjoy the practical tips for food storage, keeping food fresh longer, and navigating Aldi sales like a pro. I would recommend this book for people who are just starting out looking for ways to cut their grocery/dining out budget and who don't have much experience meal planning/cooking at home. Those who are familiar with the basics of meal planning/home cooking may still find some illuminating tips, but on the whole the book seems to be geared more toward an audience of those who are brand new to the whole concept.

[Stacey Hatfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author is very informative on this. I like the idea of not using coupons for saving money. You can shop at Adi. Actually, the key to saving money is actually the ability to can and freeze food. To buy in bulk. Also, to be sure to not waste any of the food you buy. She was suggesting to cut back and buy less. You just need to have at least five meals per week. You are allowed one occasional meal.. But sometimes life can get in the way. You have to work accordingly.

The author gets this rating because book is used freindly.. It gives you examples on how to do things. For example, it can teach you the basis for canning. It a great reference if you want to learn how to keep your grocery bills down.

[Valeria · Rating 2 out of 5]

This small book is very, very basic. If you are completely new to budgeting, frugal living and meal planning, it will be helpful. If you know a bit about it (like buying in season veggies and fruit, shopping at Aldi, selecting recipes and sticking to a grocery list) then you’ll probably won’t learn anything new from it.

[Chris · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not enjoy this guidebook

Too short like a blog. Too specific to the author's life and not generic to a wider population. Promoting products and services useful to herself but not necessarily to a general population.

[Holli Keel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m guessing I’m not the audience for this book, since she talks about millennial a lot and even has an avocado on toast meal. 😂 For anyone not a millennial, the advice is way too basic to be useful.

[Shana White · Rating 4 out of 5]

Practical Tips with Real Scenarios

I really enjoyed this quick read. Has lots of helpful tips and practical application examples. Loved all the extra ways to eat out on a budget for special occassions.

[Leisa Tremul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such great value

Signed up for Kindle unlimited and read the no spend guide and meal planning on a budget for just $0.99 as the introductory monthly subscription price. This book was a quick, easy to follow, no nonsense guide to getting the most out of your food. Love it

[Annye · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical guide for saving money on groceries and meals! Lots of useful tips for busy people.

[Eileen Sivak · Rating 5 out of 5]

Meal planning made easy

This book was helpful. It gives a lot of options. And a lot of resources. I especially like the pantry planning.