I want to be very transparent with you all during this period in time we are in. It is scary. I want to share with you some of the tips that my family and I have put together. This is years and years of planning. It started when we were on SNAP. We only had a certain budget to afford food for a month. So I understand how to put together a monthly meal plan. 

1. Eat something filling before going shopping.
2. Before you go shopping, look at all of the ingredients in your pantry and fridge. Organize what is good and what isn’t. Look at all of your spices. Know what you have in your kitchen. Grab a piece of paper and actually write it out. When I do this, it helps me remember. 
3. Plan your meals based on what ingredients you already have. For example, if you see that you have some pasta sauce but don’t have any noodles. You can either put pasta on your shopping list or you can use it for something else. For instance, pizza. 
4. Talk with all family members when discussing dishes. You will be surprised to know. One person has a recipe that sounds good to them. That recipe is doable.
5. If you know that you celebrate during that week, put that into your planning. If you are getting something like ground beef, or your protein of choice, plan suitably. This way, you can stretch it through multiple days. What I mean is, if you know that someone’s birthday is coming up and they love hamburgers. Buy the larger ground beef than you normally do and plan a few meals around the ground beef. Know that you are going to be making the birthday person’s favorite meal, and more. 
6. Don’t be afraid to buy those spices. Because most recipes call for 1 or 2 teaspoons. You will use these spices for a long time. I have been using Great Value Spices for years now, and I love them. 
7. Store brand products are just as good as the name brand. There are times when I actually prefer the store brand products. 
8. Remember that you are not alone in this scary time. If you need help buying food, there are always food pantries available.