Meal planning on a budget: a simple weekly method
Meal planning is the single habit that saves the most on groceries, because it decides what you buy before you walk into the store. It does not need to be complicated. This method takes about 20 minutes a week.
Step 1: start from what you already have
Open the fridge, the freezer and the cupboard first. Plan the first meals of the week around what needs to be used soon. This is where most savings come from, because nothing is thrown away.
A pantry app such as Maliqo keeps that list for you and shows what is running low, so you do not have to check every shelf.
Step 2: choose flexible, low-cost meals
Pick meals that share ingredients and work with whatever is on offer:
- Soups, stews and curries with seasonal vegetables
- Pasta, rice or lentil dishes
- Omelettes and frittatas to use up leftovers
- One batch-cooked dish that covers two dinners
- A 'clear the fridge' night at the end of the week
Step 3: write one shopping list
Turn the plan into a single list, grouped by store aisle. Only buy what the plan needs. If an offer is good, swap an ingredient rather than adding extra food.
Step 4: check the result
Scan the receipt after shopping. After a few weeks you will see how much a planned week costs compared with an unplanned one, and which meals give the best value.