How the 4×2 Meal Planning Hack Can Save You Money

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American spent about 11.2% of their budget on groceries last year. The cost of groceries seems to have cooled quite a bit, and wages have risen to lessen the financial burden, but many consumers seek new ways to save money on food. One such way is through the 4×2 meal planning hack.

If you want to save money on groceries, here’s how 4×2 meal planning can help .

Check Out: 6 Cheap Frozen Foods Under $20 To Buy at Sam’s Club Before Summer Ends

Read Next: Here’s How To Become a Real Estate Investor for Just $1K Using This Bezos-Backed Startup

Money mistakes the super wealthy never make - that you might be doing now.

How the 4×2 Meal Planning Hack Works

The 4×2 meal planning hack can help you cut costs on food expenses. It can also eliminate food waste and make meal planning easier. And when you combine it with the 4×2 grocery shopping strategy , which was first popularized on TikTok, you get the double the benefits.

Here’s how the 4×2 grocery shopping method works:

• Start by picking out two each of the following: fruits, vegetables, fats and proteins. As an example, you could grab bananas, apples, carrots, broccoli, nuts, avocados, beef and chicken.
• Stick to the perimeter of the grocery store so you don’t get tempted by all the goodies in the middle aisles. This can help limit impulse buys and save you money. It also helps ensure you get the main things you need for your meal planning.

And here’s how the 4×2 meal planning hack works:

• Plan four dinners. Start by planning four dinners you want to have for the upcoming week. You can make this plan whenever you want, but the weekend before generally works. Stick with easy-to-prepare meals so you don’t get overwhelmed on those especially busy days.
• Make your grocery list. Write up a quick list of all the essential ingredients you need for those dinners. As you do this, check what’s already in your kitchen pantry, refrigerator and freezer to make sure you don’t get something you already have. This also saves money and reduces waste.
• Shop two times a week. The more often you go to the grocery store, the more likely you are to spend money on things you don’t need. But going only once might not be enough either, especially if you’re worried about ingredients going bad. Limit your shopping trips to two times a week so you can get what you need and keep things fresh.
• Cook two nights’ worth of dinners at a time. When you cook your dinners, make enough to last for two nights. This makes it where you don’t have to cook the next day — and cuts down on how often you go out to eat. It also frees up time on the second day since you’ll have leftovers and won’t have to cook or clean more dishes.

If you really want to maximize your savings and cut down on food waste, consider combining both methods. As long as you can stick to these strategies, your wallet will thank you.

See More: 8 Best New Trader Joe’s Items That Are Worth Every Penny

How the 4×2 Meal Planning Hack Alone Can Save You Money

A typical household also spends $9,343 a year on food, as per the latest Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data. That’s about $778 a month, or a little under $200 a week. Families with kids or special nutritional needs or diets tend to spend more.

With the 4×2 meal planning hack, you can save money in the following ways:

• Using what you have rather than buying extras and letting your current ingredients expire.
• Making conscious decisions when meal planning and shopping to minimize food waste and maximize nutritional value.
• Saving time on grocery shopping and meal planning, which can also cut down on fast food runs or dining out.
• Cutting down on stress as you try to figure out what to make or eat for dinner as you have everything planned in advance (this can also cut down on how often you go out to eat or get takeout or delivery).
• Reducing how much time you spend at the grocery store, which can also limit impulse buys (and save you money).

This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com : How the 4×2 Meal Planning Hack Can Save You Money