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So let's start with the basics. Shopping trips are less chaotic when they are planned out in advance. I used to keep a running list on the fridge but now I use my handy-dandy pre-printed grocery list instead. It lists all of the products I normally buy and provides space for specialty items too. You can use the one I provide, or make your own. It's a small matter to check off the things I need as I run out of them or notice I am running low. I also try to think ahead so I know what will be coming up in the next few weeks. Will I need to make something special for a church potluck or do I need to prepare for an upcoming holiday? As I think of these things I jot them down on the list and when it comes time to visit the grocery store, I am all set. For those of us who work with a strict budget an accurate grocery list is even more important. This is where the Price Book really earns it's keep. When preparing my grocery list I can refer back to my price book to estimate the prices of each item I intend to buy. Then I calculate a total to see how much I have potentially spent. If I've gone over my budget then I still have time to adjust my list, paring it down as needed to meet my budget. This takes a lot of self control and is almost impossible to accomplish without forethought and careful planning. It is the only way I know to stick to a tight budget. Another example is Seasonal Planning. Certain times of year require specific supplies which are cheaper if purchased ahead of time instead of spur of the moment. When canning time is around the corner, I keep my eye out for jar bands and lids on sale, and also pectin for making jelly and jams. In May or June I scout around for picnic supplies, like low-fat hot dogs and preformed beef or turkey patties for the grill. I know ketchup goes up in price around the fourth of July, so I try to lay in a stock of it, to get me through till September, when it's dirt cheap again. Sugar often becomes more expensive when strawberries go on sale. I look for sugar well before strawberries are ripe, so that when they are, I can make as much jam as I like without worrying about the cost of sugar. Seasonal planning becomes easier with time. I had to buy the expensive sugar for making jam before I knew to compensate for it in following years. Don't worry if seasonal planning takes more time to understand or develop than other types of planning. Within a couple years of looking at and living with the situation, you'll find that you've become an expert seasonal buyer.
Finally we come to perhaps the most important reason to plan ahead. We save time, yes. We save money, yes. But even more significantly we give ourselves the opportunity to set and achieve specific dietary goals for ourselves and our family. This involves weekly menu planning. Over at the Hillbilly Housewife we provide an entire article on Menu Planning Made Easy. For this page though, I'll go over the basics. First determine exactly which dietary goals you need to achieve. Do you need to reduce your sodium or cholesterol? Are you trying to eat a low-calorie diet so you can lose some weight? Are you a heart patient who needs to make drastic changes to lengthen your life? Is diabetes your challenge, or are you just making a general move towards limiting processed foods and increasing your use of whole foods? After you have a good idea of exactly what you need your meals to do it's time to make a list. Think about all of the foods you like to eat that fall within your dietary limitations. There are more than you think. Give it a lot of thought. Ponder it until you have a nice fat list of items from which to choose. Now divide the foods up into categories: Main Dishes, Sides, Breads, Breakfasts, Lunches and even Desserts. This is your Master List. It will save you time and money and help you get a handle on your health needs. Don't skip this part because it is vital to the process. Now get out a sheet of paper or print out this handy menu-planner and go to work. Taking into account the foods you already have on hand, and the items advertised on sale in your weekly newspaper, fill in your menu with meals from your Master List. Think about which days you have time to cook or bake and which days need meals that don't require much work. Does your family get together on Sundays after church? If so then you'll want to plan something extra nice for that day, that hopefully can be prepared ahead of time. Does your diet require you to snack at certain intervals throughout the day to keep your blood sugar levels even? Then be sure to allow for snacks that meet your nutritional requirements. Are you happy with the same breakfast day in and day out? If it makes you happy, and it meets your needs, then don't bother changing it. Do your lunches need to be packable or can you reheat leftovers instead? Customize your menus to meet your schedule and the needs of your family. They don't have to be perfect. They just need to suit your lifestyle. In case you find that you don't have enough healthy meal ideas to fill out your menu plans then you need to find some. On this website you'll find recipes that my family has enjoyed. Other healthy recipes can be found all over the internet. Use your skills to determine which ones your family will most likely enjoy and which ones are economical enough for your budget. Make substitutions where you can and give some new dishes a whirl. Another option is to check-out your local library. It is chock full of healthy recipe books that are free for the borrowing. Jot down any recipes that your family likes and return the books when they're due. If you find a book that is so good you want to own a copy then see if it's available used before you plunk down your hard earned cash for a new one. Do buy the books that are most helpful for you. I find the American Heart Associations books to be very good. The recipes are reliable and for the most part use commonly available ingredients.
After growing accustomed to menus I find that I am lost without them. They simplify everything so much that it hardly seems worth the effort to do without them. That is the benefit of planning ahead of time. It's like investing your time now for a larger payoff tomorrow. When we don't have extra cash to buy our way out of a situation that we haven't made accommodations for, we have to exercise the forethought to prepare for the situation before it occurs. This keeps our most limited resource, cash, available for more important things like heat and gas. Spending money that you could have saved if only you had been prepared is an expensive price to pay for an unwillingness to plan.
Copyright Hillbilly Housewife 2005-2007
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