Food apps and take-outs are easy and convenient, but they can sure burn a hole in your pocket. Not to mention that they’re often unhealthy foods that can make you put on a few pounds. Therefore, having a course of action is essential for people who are on a budget and need to save money, since we tend not to stick to cooking healthy meals every day. Here are six tips on how to plan meals on a budget.

Cook in Bulk and Freeze

One of the most known, and yet very effective ways to save money on food is by batch cooking all the food for the week and freezing them. However, you have to be smart with what you freeze to avoid wasting food and money. For instance, you can freeze soups, oatmeals, bread, fruits, chili, pies, among other things. But on the other hand, it might not be a good idea to freeze cooked rice, hard-boiled eggs, and cream-based soups. 

Avoid Complicated Dishes

You may be tempted to try to cook that new recipe you saw on Pinterest or Instagram later for a special occasion. You should avoid doing so, as you might not have a specific ingredient which might cost you time and money.

Use Leftovers

A good way to avoid waste is by repurposing leftovers. You can turn your leftover meat into a sandwich, for example. Other ways to repurpose food is by forming a patty, cooking a casserole, or turning it to fried rice. You should also take advantage of everything your ingredients have to offer instead of throwing them away, such as making jelly out of apple peels, or chips  out of potato peels. Use your creativity.

Buy Online

Are you one of those people who go out to the grocery store with a list, but ends up buying twice as much? A good way to avoid impulse buying is by ordering groceries online and request for them to be delivered to your home.

Use Your Slow Cooker

There are many ways in which you can save money by cooking with a slow cooker. One way is by cooking beans from scratch, with fewer additives, and for cheaper. You can also put whatever you have in your fridge into it and make a great stew or soup. You can even make fancy coffee drinks and pumpkin spice lattes in it. If you don’t have one yet, it might be very advantageous to invest in one. 

Consider Using a Meal Prep Service

Last but not least, if you’re not a fan of cooking, or when you end up cooking you mess up every time, it might be a good idea to use a meal prep service. Not only is it convenient, but it will allow you to save money and time. To give an idea, Home Chef has an average price per serving of $4.95 and Veestro, which costs $5.99 per serving on average. Both services deliver in the US.