Tips for Feeding Busy Families on the Go for Less!
Summer time starts the season of families on the go with kids home from school, less time to coupon and more time for fun activities. As easy as it is to allow couponing to take a back seat during these more relaxing months, don’t let your budget suffer. There are plenty of ways to enjoy savings by eating home instead of eating out all the time. Trust me, that adds up quickly.
No one says you have to cook all summer in order to save but, plan a head, think outside the box and you can enjoy the savings and still make it easy on yourself.
Image courtesy Simply Bites (see link below)
Prep Ahead of Time
Preparing meals ahead of time is a huge time saver for families on the go. There are so many things you can do ahead of time to save time during the week when you are the busiest.
- When you buy meat, add your favorite marinade (homemade or store bought) before you freeze it. This way, all you have to do is pull it out in the morning to defrost and just throw it on the grill or in the oven.
- Prepare full meals that can be frozen and simply defrosted and reheated. Stir Frys, Pastas, Soups and Casseroles are great for this. Be sure to check out Once a Month Mom for lots of great recipes that frozen easily.
- Early in the week, chop up fruits and vegetables for easy meal prep or snacking.
- Make a big salad early in the week and place them in mason jars in the refrigerator. Salads will stay fresh in these jars for up to a week and are quick and easy to serve since all the prep work is done already. Aimée from Simple Bites as some great ideas for salads in a jar.
- Cook in your crockpot! Crockpot cooking is an awesome alternative for families on the go. Get a crockpot with a removable cooking bowl. You can then prepare your meal in the crockpot the night before, place in the refrigerator overnight and simply pull it out and place it into the crockpot to cook. Super easy!
- Plan your meals a week or even a month ahead of time. Keep the list on a bulletin board on the refrigerator for easy viewing. Base your meals on sales for the week or even the month.
Grab Take out on the Cheap
Some times life gets busy and all the planning in the world gets thrown out the window. I get that! That is when take out is a dream! However, you don’t have to break the bank ordering takeout. Like your meal planning above, prepare for it by taking advantage of these 5 tips so you are ready to pick up the phone and say…”Hello, I’d like to place an order for pick up”!
- Sites like GiftCards.com and GiftCardGranny.com offer discounts on gift cards for restaurants and more at up to 20% off the face value of the gift card.
- Take advantage of gift card promotions at the restaurant when available. Some promotions include Buy $100 in gift cards and get a Free $20 Gift Card. It’s like getting $20 in FREE food.
- Watch your grocery stores or drug stores such as CVS, Rite Aid or Walgreens for similar gift card promotions. They may run an offer where you buy $100 in restaurant gift cards and get a $10 or even $20 store reward. It’s like getting FREE groceries!
- Check your local coupon books like Valpak for discounts at your local restaurants. These books usually come in the mail.
- Use books like the Entertainment Book which is filled with hundreds of coupons for restaurants in your local areas.
Apps to help you save on Take Out
With so many apps out there these days, you know there are some that will save you money on take out. And, there are. Check out these apps to help you keep money in your pocket. Note some may not be available in all areas.
- Delivery.com mobile app for Android or iPhone. For every dollar you spend on delivery.com, you earn 25 Delivery Points. Once you rack up enough, you can redeem them for rewards like gift cards, subscriptions and more.
- Foodler mobile app for Android or iPhone. Food delivery from thousands of top-rated restaurants. Earn points with every order! Points never expire. Points can be redeemed for cash, gift cards and more.
- Ibotta mobile app for Android or iPhone. Allows you to submit for rebates by scanning your restaurant receipt for participating restaurants.
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