Home Cooking Economics 101 - Be Prepared

Good meal planning can save you time and money.

Here are some tips to help you get started.

1) A well-stocked pantry can minimize unnecessary trips to the grocery store. Pantry stock should center around the types of cuisine your family enjoys and eats regularly as well as your family's nutritional needs.

2) Basic ingredients such as eggs, sugar, flour, sandwich bread, bacon, potatoes, cheese and tortillas are both economical and versatile. They can be used in many combinations alone and/or with other ingredients for breakfast, snacks, lunch and supper. Try to think in a multi-purpose mindset when purchasing ingredients such as these, particularly if the ingredients are perishable.

3) A well thought out meal plan is centered around your family's nutritional needs and what they like. Having a plan can reduce meal cooking stress in addition to saving you money. Favorite meals can be rotated weekly, biweekly or monthly.

4) Plan your meals around sales at the grocery store. Use coupons or buy store brand products during sales to save even more money. Pay attention to prices of items you buy regularly so you will know when your local store is offering the best price on that product. Be aware of price differences between brands. A sale and/or coupon for a name brand product may or may not give you the best value when compared with the store's generic brand and other available options.

5) Bigger isn't always better. Stores know that economy and family size containers give shoppers the perception of value. They usually are a better value, but not always. Larger containers may cost more per unit. They might also contain excess food that will not be consumed prior to spoilage.

6) Leftovers from one night can be re-incorporated into the following day's lunch or supper the following night if they are fresh enough. For example, extra spaghetti noodles and mixed vegetables can be converted into stir fry by adding stir fry sauce and your favorite stir fry friendly meat such as leftover chicken breast or steak. Leftover meats also make great pizza toppings if your family is not fond of oriental food.

7) Pre-cooked, packaged or frozen meal starters from companies such as Bird's Eye, Shake and Bake, McCormick and more can give you the extra push you need to get going during busy days when your cooking time is limited. You can make freeze-ahead meal starters yourself when you have time or find them on sale at your local stores. This hybrid form of cooking allows you to save time and money by doing some but not all of the work yourself.

8) Healthy foods are available in many different forms. Most diets are lacking in fresh fruits and vegetables. These foods are hard to stock in many kitchens for two main reasons: lack of convenience and spoilage. Fruits and vegetables do, however, come in other forms as well. Both healthy foods also come in dried, canned, frozen and juice forms that may help you supplement your family's fresh fruit and vegetable diet with fruits and vegetables containing a longer shelf life.