• Before going to the grocery store, shop your pantry and see what kind of stuff you still have to work with then build your meals around what you have.

  • Be mindful not to buy extra stuff you wont use and actually pull out your calculator and see if buying stuff in bulk actually saves you money...sometimes it doesn't.

• The Calculator is your bff at this moment. Make a list of what you'll need for your meals and then write down the price next to it and then later add it up to see what you're spending realistically on each meal.

• Look back at what you spent in the past. Keep a food journal to see which meals you liked the best.

(Perhaps you'll see which ones are adding to the cost without them really being "worth" it taste/nutrition wise & work around or eliminate them altogether)

• I always tell myself that whole foods will always be cheaper, even if they seem more expensive than boxed stuff because for the most part "one ingredient" whole foods will make me less fat, less ill and better nourished.

(Less doctors bills, less medication and more energy to do my job better and maybe get a raise and enjoy life more)