• Google Buzz

Families are constantly being told to track their spending and stay on a budget but many will fail at doing so because they don’t really take in to consideration what constitutes spending. To get an adequate picture of what you are spending requires tracking EVERY CENT SPENT. That means spending at convenience stores, spending at the lottery counter, and spending at fast food restaurants.

People may say that eating at fast food places is essential because of busy schedules. Parents need to feed their brood on the run and they tend to think the value menu is really that expensive. But the reality is – it adds up. While it may seem convenient to swing through the drive in and pick up a cheeseburger for less than a buck, it is not really financially-savvy to do this, especially when it happens several times in a week. Not only is it not cost-conscious to eat at the fast food joints, it is also an unhealthy choice for your family.

Sure, we all live busy lives but the reality is that saving money and sticking to a budget requires sacrifice and actual work. Your family will not find financial freedom without effort behind it.

Funny enough, the solution to the ending the fast food cycle is pretty simple and will only require an afternoon of your family’s time. Plus that time spent together is quality so you can kill two birds with one stone. By incorporating a food prep day into your week night or weekend day, you’ll find you can save lots of trips to the fast food places you frequent and keep your family on a better schedule, eating a healthier diet.

A food prep day constitutes pre-preparing meals that you can grab on the way to the soccer game or cheerleading practice. A good time to do the preparation is after your big trip to the grocery store. Start making a point to buy foods that freeze well. There are probably tons of recipes on the internet for foods like this and by copying or printing out some of your favorites you will begin to see how easy it can be to save money.

Here are 3 quick ideas to get you started – one for each meal of the day:

Breakfast

Burritos – Scramble some eggs and fry up some bacon or breakfast sausages. Add the basics to a plain tortilla and have the family add their favorite burrito ingredients, such as shredded cheese, salsa, and whatever else they can come up with. Do not add condiments yet. Once the burritos are completed, they will be wrapped adequately for freezing and when ready for eating, they will need to be microwaved or reheated in the oven. After heating, go ahead and add some mayo or ketchup.

Lunch

Bagel Sandwiches - Create a regular sandwich on a bagel, which may hold up better when defrosting than sandwich bread. Pile on your favorite meats and cheeses. Since you don’t have to heat up a sandwich when you want to eat it, go ahead and add the mustard, mayo, or any other condiments you like.

Dinner

TV Dinners – Save sectioned containers you may get from other dinners and fill them up with leftovers. Toss them in the freezer for a fast dinner when you have no time to prepare. Preparing foods that reheat well like spaghetti, rice, chicken, and potatoes will help reduce the amount of food thrown out each week.

While there is some initial work involved, you will be happy to have foods you can take on the run to ball games, to work, and at night when you finally get home and you are too tired to make food. Plus, you’ll be saving money each week that can go into a savings plan for the family’s future.



 Related Content: