Meal Prepping on a Budget

When you have a limited budget, even the grocery store can pose a challenge. That is why meal prepping has become so popular. Shopping for and preparing meals at home, as opposed to eating out, allows you to limit your food expenses easily. Plus, your food will be healthier.

 

 

 How Much Money You Spend on Dining Out May Shock You

Most people spend a lot more money on eating out than they realize. That is why meal prepping is such a great way to reduce your expenses. You pay for more than just the food when you eat out.  It is the labor of preparation, service, and the overhead of the resturant’s facilities that add so much to the cost of the meal, let alone taxes and tips.  In fact, many restaurants try to limit the cost of the ingredients to just 33% of the menu price.

Easy Way to Calculate Your Expenditure: 

Most families spend several thousand dollars a year on eating out. If you would like to know how much you spend eating out, we have an easy equation for you. Take the amount that you spend eating out each week and multiply it by 50. That will give you a rough estimate of how much you spend in a year.

 Benefits of Cooking and Meal Prepping 

Are you ready to begin mill prepping now? Hopefully, you realize that eating out is a great place to lower your expenses. There are other benefits to cooking your meals as well.

 

Healthier Meals:

Food made in restaurants may taste good, but that does not mean it is right for you. Most of the food prepared in commercial settings are full of preservatives. The food that you cook at home will be more natural and healthier.

 

Learn Something New:

When you begin cooking, you get a chance to learn something new. Savor the opportunity to expand your skill set and start cooking soon.

 

Lowered Expenses:

Finally, lower expenses are the biggest motivator for meal prepping. If you are motivated to begin cooking so that you can save money, you might be motivated to lower your expenses and other areas. By investing in efficient cooking gadgets such as instant pots or air fryers your could cut your cook time in half which can save you time, energy and money off of your Inspire Energy bill.

 

 Cooking and Meal Prep Tips 

Cooking can be a little complicated when you first begin. However, after you learn the basics, it is relatively straightforward. We have a few pieces of advice to help you get started.

 

Cook Enough for Leftovers:

One of the biggest challenges people have is their time constraints. Most adults work full time, which leaves little time left over to cook. The best approach to counter this would be to cook enough for leftovers. That way, you do not need to cook each night. You can cook one time and then eat the same meal for several days.

 

Follow a Recipe:

There is no need for you to get creative if you are not confident in your cooking ability. When you are a beginner, following a recipe will help you make quality meals.

 

Create Meals You Enjoy:

You will not stick to meal prepping if you do not enjoy the food you cook. You will begin to look at it as a burden. On the other hand, if you begin to cook the food you enjoy, you will look forward to cooking. Do not force yourself to cook meals that you know that you will not like. It is counterproductive.

 

 Budget Meal Prepping for Beginners   

If you think that you spend too much money on eating out, you are probably right. Most people overspend on their food. Learning how to cook is an excellent way for you to limit your food budget. That way, you have more money left over at the end of the month. Remember to use that extra money for something unique.