I Heart Frugal - Page 33 of 52 - Spend Less. Live More

Best Meal Planning Tips Series to Make You a Pro – Food Budget (Day 3)

Best Meal Planning Tips - Day 3 Budgeting
Best Meal Planning Tips – Day 3 Budgeting

What is your food budget? How much do you spend on food per month?

If you want to save money on groceries, the first thing you need to know is how much you spend on groceries regularly.

If you do not know this number, that is okay. You can start tracking your grocery spending or you can do a reverse grocery budget. (Use credit card bills or receipts to see how much you spent last month or you can always do a rough estimate.)

Most likely, if you are new to this whole budget thing, you probably haven’t been paying close attention to where your money is going.

Yet, if you are in debt, cutting food costs is an easy way to save. You can pay off your debt with your extra money and still have plenty of delicious meals.

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Best Meal Planning Tips Series to Make You a Pro – Frequency Day 2

Budget Meal Planning Tips Series - Day 2 Frequency
Budget Meal Planning Tips Series – Day 2 Frequency

One great meal planning tip is to plan your frequency. This means how often you will meal plan.  Your meal planning frequency will determine how much food you buy, how often you visit the store, and your food budget for the meal planning cycle. There are people who meal plan every week or bi-weekly and some plan up to an entire year of meal prep (even I’m not that organized!)  I recommend bi-weekly meal planning because it is easier to stay organized and you only have to go to the store twice per month.

Remember, the less you go to the store, the less chance you have to throw “impulse buy” items into your cart.

Keep in mind, you can double the bi-weekly meal plan to create a month’s worth of meals while only eating the same meal twice per month.

Day 1 –  Best Meal Planning Tips Series to Make You a Pro – Introduction Day One

Day 3 – Budgeting

Day 4 – Shopping and Food Prep

Day 5 – Stay Sane

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Best Meal Planning Tips Series to Make You a Pro – Intro (Day 1)

 

Meal Planning Tips Series - Introduction
Budget Meal Planning Tips Series – Introduction

There are many reasons I meal plan but my favorite is ALWAYS to save money! Here at I Heart Frugal it is my mission to help you pay down debt and live within your means. Yes, you can live that debt-free amazing life you have always wanted! Nonetheless, many do not realize one of the easiest ways to slash your budget is to cut your grocery spending. Meal planning is an easy way to do just that! So today I am offering you a five-day Meal Planning tips series to help you meal plan with the best of them.

However, meal planning may not be at the top of your list of “fun” things to do today, but if you LOVE to plan, like me, then this will be super simple and easy.

Yet, if you are more of spontaneous momma, no worries! You can still create a meal plan and day by day, decide what you would like to make for dinner. Then you still have all your ingredients on-hand but you can eat whatever you have a taste for. This keeps you happy and away from the take-out menus.

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3 Spring Cleaning Tips That Will Make You Money

Spring Cleaning Tips to Earn Extra Money
Spring Cleaning Tips to Earn Extra Money

Is your house full of clutter? Could you use some spring cleaning tips but are also looking to make some extra money? Then this is the post for you!

Spring is a wonderful time to start purging all of your unwanted and unnecessary belongings! During winter we tend to hoard things and build up piles of unwanted “stuff!” I mean, what else is there to do in winter but shop online? No one wants to leave the house to go out on the snow-covered messes of slush we call roads here in Michigan.

Subsequently, there is NO motivation to clean because – SERIOUSLY – when we are done what will we do with all of this “stuff?”

Due to the weather, porch pick-up from Facebook groups is not an option because no one wants to truck through mounds of snow to pick up a toy. And dragging bags of clothing and trinkets to the goodwill seems like such a chore in the winter! You have to bundle up the kids with snow gear to do something you don’t necessarily want to do in the first place. So the “stuff” sits and accumulates all winter long.

In fact, after having several days of below-freezing weather here in Michigan, I don’t want to go outside to do anything let alone carry a bunch of bags to my car to drop off at an outside location.

Sorry for the rant, but thank the dear Lord spring is finally here and I can start my spring cleaning!

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11 Insanely Cute Frugal Easter Crafts for Kids

Easter Crafts - paint - paint brushes
11 Insanely Cute Easter Crafts for Kids

Hey All! Easter is right around the corner and we LOVE holidays in our house! My boys are little artists and they will take part in any craft I put out, let alone Easter Crafts for kids.

I find the biggest issue with crafting is you can literally spend a small fortune making all the things you see on Pinterest or the craft stores! People are SO creative and it is SO hard to resist if you are into crafting!

My goal at I Heart Frugal is always to save you money and since crafting is expensive, I’ve come up with a list of Insanely Cute Easter Crafts from my fellow blogging friends that I promise you, will not break the bank!

If you are into Easter decorations, painting, and coloring eggs, this list has something for you! Be sure to check out all the crafts listed and scroll to the bottom to find the ultimate list of Easter crafts for kids!

Start Easter anticipation a week or two before and let your kids decorate your house with these super cute projects. Sure they will be asking you all week, “When is the Easter bunny coming?” but at least they will have something else to keep them preoccupied! Give these frugal crafts for kids a try!

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