Not sure if this has been asked before but couldn't find a post specifically about this.
I'm from Germany and here we have this thing where Aldi and Lidl (discount supermarkets, pretty much everywhere here) release new deals every week, different products go on sale Monday and change again Thursday. A lot of people here are really deal-aware because of it, it's kind of just part of the culture.
I've been trying to keep my groceries under €40 a week and I started planning my meals around whatever is cheap that week instead of buying the same things every time. It actually saves money but doing it manually is kind of a pain. I'm opening the flyer, noting what's discounted, then figuring out what meals I can realistically make from that.
For those of you who do this, what does your actual process look like step by step? Do you check deals first and then decide meals, or plan meals first and then find the cheapest ingredients?Feels like I'm saving some money but probably not as much as I could be.
How do you plan meals around weekly store deals? (Asking from Germany)
byu/Change_TheStats1217 inFrugal
Posted by Change_TheStats1217
4 Comments
U.S. consumer here. Start by looking to see what you have on hand that you need to use up. Leftover meat, veggies, rice, etc. Then go through the weekly ads to see what’s on sale. Then
decide what to cook that week. Write your grocery list down. Always shop with a list!
I don’t plan for more than 5 days in advance because I want to be sure I use up my leftovers. Plus sometimes I just don’t wanna cook. YMMV.
Hi, your neighbour in the NL here! I usually see what’s on sale first, then try to plan meals around that. I use AlleFolders app to check deals at all stores at once. From this I make a meal plan for the week, and a list every day for the shopping. Idk if you also have this app in Germany. Not only for grocery stores too.
For meats, if something is a good sale, I will buy 1 or 2 extra if I have the freezer room. We have also been eating more vegetarian meals, which also saves money. Easy meals like soups and hearty salads. I usually only buy fruit that’s on sale, except for bananas. Eating in season is much cheaper. For vegetables, I buy what’s on sale or cheap (like broccoli and green beans).
I use the bottom drawer of my freezer for meals I’ve made and frozen, so that when I’m too tired to cook I don’t have to get takeaway. It saves money and time. I usually keep one container of chicken broth and a homemade soup or spaghetti sauce in the freezer. And I use remaining veggies, if there are any, to make a broth for soup so it doesn’t get wasted. We usually have 1 or 2 fend-for-yourself dinners too, eating leftovers, which ensures less food waste and we’re not using gas for cooking.
I look at circulars and plan what’s on sale. If it’s chicken, I’ll make chicken and I will stock up if it’s a really good sale. If grapes are on sale, we’re eating grapes and not the $6 container of blueberries. You need to be flexible and creative to meal prep.
The very first thing I do is see what I have on hand.
Then I look through the flyers.
But once I go to the store, I look through the meat section to see what is marked down. I like keeping meat stocked in my freezer so I’m not buying it every week. This will depend on your freezer size.
The best time to buy produce is when it’s in season.
There are also mobile apps that compare prices for you.