My grocery bill went from $140 to under $80 a week after I started planning around one cheap meat.

I used to just grab whatever chicken or ground beef was on sale, but my spending was still high. About three months ago, I decided to build my whole week's meals around a single, big pack of pork shoulder I got for $12 at the Food Lion. That first week, I made a big pot of pulled pork in my slow cooker, used some for tacos, mixed some into pasta sauce, and froze the rest for a soup later. The change was crazy. I stopped needing to buy a different protein for every single dinner. My veggie and pantry spending stayed the same, but that one cheap cut did all the work. Now I pick a different 'anchor' meat each week, like a whole chicken or a big thing of lentils. Has anyone else tried this method of planning from one main ingredient?

2 comments

2 Comments

gray_nguyen225d ago

Lol this is the kind of genius move I need to actually follow. My meal plan is usually just staring into the fridge until I give up and order pizza. Seriously though, that pork shoulder trick is smart. Makes total sense to stop buying six different meats. Might have to copy this idea before my bank account starts crying.

zarap1425d ago

Remember my friend who used to do the same fridge stare-down? She finally bought a big pack of chicken thighs on Sunday, cooked it all with just salt and pepper, and ate different meals all week. It saved her so much time and stopped the last-minute takeout panic. Honestly, seeing her do it was what finally convinced me to try.