In preparation for the launch of Noel’s Family Meals, I created a monthly menu for this month and created my grocery shopping list from that menu. I also chose a few meals that could be doubled, frozen and used for another night. By creating a menu, a meal plan and a grocery list, you can control how much you spend on your groceries.
Each month, I try and keep our grocery bill budget to under $400 for a family of six and only needing to go to the grocery store for necessities like milk. Most coupons, I see are for processed foods and I pretty much like to stay away from those. I look for items that I can stock up on to create homemade foods such as bread and pizza dough, greek yogurt, red sauce for spaghetti and meatballs or lasagna roll-ups.
Even though I may find myself going to the grocery store for milk, I try to focus on making more things from scratch and using up the items we have in the fridge, pantry and freezer. There are lots of benefits from Cooking From My Pantry
- Discovering new recipes and meal ideas
- Enjoy more healthier baked goods (I have control over ingredients)
- Rotate items in the pantry and fridge (they don’t sit on shelf, go stale or expire)
- We save money each month
How often do you cook from your pantry? What are your challenges if any?
