I just want to let you know that no matter when I watch your videos, I am always encouraged. You are such a happy young lady. Even when you are tired or maybe not as enthused about cooking. You are still a little bright light. And I want you to know that you are encouraging people to do what they can with what they have. And that is a big blessing. You were doing what God wants you to do and that is where you need to be. And I love your boys. They are so sweet. I raised boy so I know they're not sweet all the time but that's okay. They're boys. And I can see the love you and your husband have between each other. And that's a great sign. What a happy family

One of the things I do to stock up on my own pantry is to volunteer at the local food bank once a week and what is going in the trash from there at the end of the week that is going bad but not bad yet, I bring home and preserve it. It saves it from going in the trash and it helps you fill your own pantry,. freezer and makes a few meals that week. DO IT! You help the community and stock your pantry at the same time!

One thing I hear from my family is that they're tired of the same old thing. So I look for things like a jar of banana peppers or jalapenos or some sauce I've never used or heard of . Something under $2 under a dollar. Then when I make that mac and cheese and set aside a few bites and I try a few drops of the juice from the banana peppers on it. Doing this gives it a different flavor. Everyone gets to try it. If they like it then they can use that juice on their mac and cheese when they feel like it or on their mashed potatoes or baked potato or on their rice. And it just gives them something a little different, a little kick. If we don't like it we get to stand there and make faces and laugh about it and just have fun in the kitchen and as a family. It's cheap and it's just fun.

#6 is your best tip. Only go to the store once a week. Stay out of the store is the best tip for me. Otherwise, sending my husband works because he is shopping ninja. He can whip right past all those sales and great deals and get in and get out with just the single item I sent him for. My back up meal plan if something doesn't thaw out in time or if I am in a blah mood, is grilled cheese. I always have american slices and bread on hand. Fried egg sandwiches are good and easy too, when you want a fast meal with no effort.

I work in a grocery store in Texas, and our meat market will mark meat down every morning and every evening. In the deli this past week, all the store brand turkey & chicken was marked down, and every day, the price went down more because it all had to be sold by 1/31/2023. Yesterday, the price was $3.99 a pound. I'm also a Lyft driver, so I do stop at those convenience stores for gas and RR breaks. I've downloaded all the apps for the convenience stores I go to, and I get a lot of discounts & even freebies from my gas purchases. At one, I just have to check in 12 times in a month, and I get 3 cents of every gal of gas for the whole next month. If I buy a snack or drink, I try to get one that rewards me with cents off my gas. I'm in Texas, so we can stack our cents off rewards, and I've been able to get 15 cents off per gallon.

One thing I have noticed that I don't even think you realize, is that you know off the top of your head the prices of things. In fact you seem to have memorized the prices of things at each of the stores you go to. I don't have very many, if any prices memorized, so I don't know when a price is good or not. Now, partly that is because I have a way more varied diet than you have, but partly it is because I never got into the habit of doing so because I have to really pick one store to go to any given week because we live so far from stores, and they are so far from each other. You have made me more aware of the concept of stocking up when prices are cheap, so I am starting to learn prices.

A snack for us is popcorn...the old fashion kind not microwave. Cheap and easy.

One thing I do to keep milk fresher longer is to pour it into a smaller container when it reaches half a gallon. Air in the jug makes it spoil faster. If you go through milk quickly this may not help you but sometimes it may take my husband and me 3 weeks to a month to go through a gallon of milk. Milk typically only stays fresh for a maximum of 2 weeks. I double that time by pouring it into a smaller container limiting the amount of air exposure. A washed out half gal juice bottle works perfect. Plus you'll take up less space in the fridge and reuse, recycle some plastic. Keep up the great work! We live in East Tennessee too. Maybe I'll run into you somewhere and can say hey 😊

When I fractured my shoulder I sent my daughter,33, to the store with my card. When the kids got home they got so excited. They said "Crystal went shopping ha?" There were cookies,chips,ice cream etc...I am better now so I go to the store again!

love the separate snack budget.

I'd add that when buying produce in season some of it can be frozen so when you get a desire for things like Strawberries off season you can defrost them. Yes the texture is different but it can be made into Strawberry Shortcake or something and satisfy the craving. Also change your leftovers up to avoid burnout. Make a roast, eat part of it, turn part into sandwiches, and another into bbq and load on a potato. One item 3 ways.

I get progresso soup and pasta. Usually spaghetti, and cook the noodles, drain, and pour the soup over the pasta. And that's a good meal. I love using the clam chowder soup to make a meal for us. I also make beans, and cornbread or cornbread fritters for a meal. We love it.

Once you have a pantry started, you can meal plan from it, I always stay under my budget that way. The extra money I have left from my grocery budget for that week, I put into my pantry budget or my household budget. I stock up on discount meats and usually can them. We always have Meatless Mondays, usually the protein is some type of beans, we love homemade black bean burgers. Thanks for all of the great tips, I will definitely be using a few of these! You did not mention one thing I ALWAYS do is make sure I am NOT hungry when I go to the grocery store, otherwise I will blow my budget, lol

Frozen produce is flash frozen and worth buying; especially for off season purchases.

I use my calculator in the store, but I also write it down in a small notebook that I keep in my purse. That way if I need to put something back, I can deduct that price. Also when I’m shopping my budget, I write down things by meal (ie, all ingredients for spaghetti, all ingredients for stroganoff,etc) that way if I KNOW I have sauce, I don’t need it

I always try to keep convenience items on hand. You mentioned the soup you keep on hand. A few weeks ago I made a big batch of vegetable soup and canned it. I now have around 20 cans of veggie soup in my pantry. I also canned chili. I like to keep Ravioli and other canned pasta on hand, as well as simple things such as potted meat (I hate it but my daughter likes it occasionally), Vienna sausage, and all kinds of soup. This way if it is one of those days that we are in a hurry or if I forget to lay something out, or if I just don't feel like cooking, we have something to fill our bellies. I also try to only buy canned items from the store when they go on sale. Another way I save money is buying my meat in bulk when possible. For me, it is just easier. I set aside a set amount of my budget each week to go towards bulk meat. So, when we run out of a certain meat, I already have the money available to buy more. For my ground beef, when I separate it, I put in quart size bags (we are only a family of 3) and I smoosh it flat. That way, if it is a day I forget to lay something out, I can have it thawed in about 15 minutes!

Growing up in the Philippines, we use meat as flavors then add more veggies and lots of rice. You can also stretch rice if you make rice pudding. Just add more water, sugar and milk or cocoa to make it chocolate rice pudding. Also for snacks, it's not necessary. Here in the US I think people are eating way too much every meal. No need for dessert unless you want to be sick with diabetes.

I did a pantry challenge for January and I spent roughly $50 for the whole month.. those spoonfuls of meat and veggies you would toss I put in a freezer bag.. and once the bag is filled with all kinds of meat and veggies I turn into a big pot of soup and freeze in quart containers..if it last that long it’s one of my daughters favorite and she has loved it as a toddler and she is 28 now.. but will not touch one slice of cake..never has liked cake .. or jelly …

Knowing your store layout and sticking to grocery list helps. I make meals in jars (just add water), make emergency meals in a bag, I can and dehydrate and pretty much preserve anything I get my hands on.

My biggest tip for me is eat your dang leftovers~ and dont' let food expire. Use what you have!

My one tip that saves me several thousand dollars a year is to only buy one-ingredient foods in the largest size possible. Then cook everything from scratch and waste mothing. I'm always interested in more tips.

I live in a smallish town. My friend and I go about once a month to a larger city and shop together. We take turns driving and split the gas. We have been doing this for about 7 years. We shop for some of our other friends as well. Because of this, we know what each other likes/buys. This comes in handy, because if I'm at Aldi and I see that the organic butter is on sale, I know who to text and let them know. Last week our Aldi finally marked down their turkeys, so I texted another friend. They do this for me as well. So my suggestion is to find someone to join forces with.

Great tips! I do typical meal planning and shop through Ibotta, online at Walmart. For me, ordering my groceries online and picking them up keeps me out of the store, which saves me from those impulse pick ups. I also use my grocery store apps. Last week I saved $42 on my $83 order by using the coupons, deals, and rewards in the app. I love your channel!

My husband works nights and sleeps days so we have our main meal early afternoon. It's sorta like his "Breakfast" and then send him off with soup or a sandwich. If I'm peckish later I'll just have a small snack. It saves so much money on power bills as well.

Brooke you never cease to amaze me. And, I always have a smile on my face after watching. Our breakfast meals are usually $.50 burritos or leftovers(we are a strange couple here). We love traditional breakfast for dinner. Thank you and be blessed always! xoxo

We do reverse meal planning all the time with mark down meats from Krogers. Also, one thing that Brooke didn’t mention is learning how to can your home grown food from your garden or learn how to make desserts, pasta or breads from scratch. They are time dependent of course and can get costly buying the seeds or the canning supplies but it’s always good to learn how to make your own bread or preserve your food, at least you know the ingredients and it’s healthier for you and your family. We have become so dependent on the grocery stores that we really don’t know how to be self reliant.

Hi Brooke this is Sue, another good tip is never do your groceries when hungry, you tend to spend more, Also go with a list, or have a list on your phone, and do your best to stick to it,

I understand not being organized. I try I really do and sometimes it works. However, with ADHD it is like someone yelled " squirrel " around a hunting dog ! I start a project, go to something else, go back to the first one and so on - the struggle is real ! But I enjoy your videos. Keep being yourself.

Brooke,this is a wonderful video. My mom always told us to put your needs before your wants. You're so helpful.Thank you for your kindness.

Hey Brooke! I love your content. Your tips are useful and work. 1 thing I started doing years ago as a single mom that also helped was buy my meat in bulk. Like as in a whole beef at a time. Better meat and a lot cheaper. I would but aside a portion of my income tax return every year just for that purpose. Also have a garden even if it is a tiny space on a apartment patio, grow something you love there.

Out of one bag of Italian meatballs....I can do spaghetti and meatballs, meatball sandwiches with provolone cheese on top...and put five meatballs in a blender to chop up and make a base for shepherds pie chopped up meatballs plus sloppy Joe ingredients....grind up meatballs can be base for Elpaso taco base all seasoned and ready to go....cheaper than hamburger and goes a lot farther...three meals out of the week or five! Family size lasagna Rao s or store brand cheaper to buy then all the ingredients ..same with chicken pot pie.. 6.99 pot pie feeds 4 or 5 persons plus salad fixings....I open a large can of tuna....toasted bread with tuna and curry to elevate your dull tuna sandwiches....same with chicken add dill to mayo...sometimes I use Ranch dressing instead of Mayo to boost chicken salad flavor....a can of beef roasted vegetable Campbell's soup over a baked potato is another quick easy meal!

One of the best things I have found.....eat before you go shopping....then you are not hungry and everything doesn't look so good!!!! We also shop discount grocerystores....like grocery outlet and the $ store....and the online is a big help too....that is where I buy my milk to make yogurt and cream cheese.

great tips! one more is buying in bulk. For example 1 lb of rice in our Walmart is 0.88c, 20 lb of rice is 10.24$

My favorite app for groceries is Flipp! It has all of the sales flyers for the stores in your area. At this time of year, frozen fruit can be cheap and tasty...sliced strawberries, peaches, even pineapple and pears. A few pieces dress up a bowl of oatmeal or a piece of homemade cake.

Are grocery stores on the first Wednesday of the month they give you an extra 10% off your food if you are 55 or older plus they have discount cards.

Brooke I just started watching your videos. I am learning so much from you and your Facebook page. All the nice people on their. Are so helpful. Thank you everyone

These are really good tips. I have one more for you. If you have a "pick your own" farm, it is cheaper than at the store. My family and I go to a pick your own blueberry farm once a year and put them in the freezer.

We eat collards like soup and we eat them a lot.

I like how you pronounce Aldi correctly. Not too many know it was founded in Germany by the Albrecht family in 1961 and didn't move here until 1976. They pronounce it how you did in Europe/UK .. I didn't know that until a few years ago, so I keep pronouncing it the American way because I can't keep remembering to say it right lol. Good tips here!

My husband would love to have meat and potatoes every night. I would like lobster and shrimp every night. Neither of us are going to get what we want. Delicious meatless meals once a week it is!

Lots of good tips. I would add keeping an inventory of what you have in your freezer and pantry.

We've added your one pot asian noodle dish into our rotation....the one where you use a box of spaghetti noodles and don't drain it. OMGoodness, we love this dish! So easy and simple. We just toss in whatever veggies we have. Sometimes we add a tablespoon or two of peanut butter and red pepper flakes for spicy peanut noodles. Thank you for the recipe!!

I love blueberries with my oatmeal and the cheapest I have found is frozen from the dollar tree. They are product of USA and the bag is just 1.25.

I cut back on meat consumption after getting divorced. About 5 years later I went full vegetarian. It is much cheaper although the price of eggs right now is hurting!

My husband works for a gas station and he supports us on that income completely so for those of you that do go to stations thank you for shopping and helping the employees support their families ♥️ Great video and tips Brooke ♥️

You Look very organized to me!! I Am a Mess!! My best tip is , have an idea what a good price on an item is? That way you know what a great price is. Grapes are a really good deal right now.

Love what you're doing sweetheart. You are a blessing. ❤

WE LUV U & Family more. 💚

Oh look for small town stores like an IGA because even though a lot of their prices are crazy, they have great meat sales and worth looking into

One thing I do is make a double of something if I’m cooking anyway then it can go in the freezer for a night when we are super busy or just not feeling well or just want to relax. Meals like chili or soup or anything like that because you can do them with or without meat and a stocked pantry really help when doing those. I use the apps and store coupons as well. Great video

On in-season produce: you can preserve produce for a bit of out-of-season variety. Jams, sauces, canned fruit/veg, frozen berries and dehydrated, pickled or frozen garden produce gives occasional variety. I even stew apples and freeze roasted winter squash for occasional use in summer. Aids in food fatigue.

We have a tri-state convenience store near us and their monthly sale prices are cheaper than grocery stores in our area ie. Eggs are on sale this month $2.19 granted medium but still cheaper than Aldi, Walmart and Tops which is our only choice within 30 miles.

I try to stock up on the BOGO items at our local grocery stores. It is almost ALWAYS cheaper than going to Walmart or Aldi and buying one.

Our local grocery store (the one that's only10 miles) occasionally has a good sale but I can usually get the items they have on sale for less at Aldi's or Walmart. But we have a "convenience" store here in Wisconsin and some other nearby states called Kwik Trip or Kwik Star. They are in many rural towns and are a definite asset. They have the basic milk, butter, eggs and bread for reasonable prices and they even have sales on those items. They also have potatoes, onions, bananas, etc. for good prices. The Dollar General stores are in a lot of our rural areas also and they save a 10 to 30 mile or more one way trip for a quick forgotten item or treat. I have a small pantry and I'm working on it but sometimes you do just need to get a loaf of bread or a can of something. And if we don't support these stores, they won't be there when we need them. Brooke, I really enjoy your videos!! You are very entertaining, making it so fun to watch you and your family!! Keep the videos coming!! God Bless you and your family!!

I save by buying meat on sale and canning it. I can carnita pork, bbq pork, chicken, beef, bacon, buttitos in a jar. Fajitas in a jar i use turkey on sale to make Thanksgiving in a jar and meatballs for sweedish meatballs and meatballs in marinara sauce for subs. I can beefstew, hamburger soup, chicken veggie soup and more. Makes it so easy to just open a jar or two and dinner is served!

Not everyone can have a garden, if you can even a container garden give it a try! Our garden is almost 1 acre, I FREEZE, CAN , DEHYDRATE, and use my vacuum food sealer. I rarely buy veggies unless it's lettuce in the winter, ( we eat lots of salads) . I make a weekly grocery list and I meal plan for the week.

To save real money,, Meal planning only works for me if I do it when the store ad comes out so I can plan according to what's on sale. Great tips video, thanks!!

Thanks for sharing your tips… 🙆🏻‍♀️

Great tips. I do pantry ✔ & shop (rarely, but when needed) for backward meal plan. No snacks in grocery $$. Also improvise on missing ingredients.

I like to write down several dinner ideas. I don't follow it to a tee, they're just ideas. I will pull 2 to 3 meats from my freezer weekly. What thaws first gets used first. I like to make a big pot of charro beans. We'll eat that for a meal then the rest gets used either as a side to another meal or to make refried beans. The refried beans can be a side or made into bean burritos, tostados, nachos, etc. I also like to make a big pot of chili. Again, we eat that as a meal then the rest gets made into other things like chili dogs, chili mac, chili fries, etc. We like Mexican and Chinese foods and these can be made with very little meat, just up the rice and/or noodles. A big pot of soup will last us at least two days if not more. Leftovers have a way of making more leftovers. A pot of Spanish rice will last us as sides for at least a week. One of our favorite meatless meals is leftover mashed potatoes made into fried potato tacos, refried beans, and Spanish rice. Just a few things that work for me.

Thank u for keeping it real and authentic.

Yes to Reverse meal planning! I start with what I have on hand that needs to get used. Filling in with pantry and freezer items . Then grocery shopping is fresh produce and dairy. Stocking up with sales and keeping shelf stable milk haa been super helpful too, imo.

Girl! You are so right! I just love you and your sweet family!

Shopping with stores digital coupons is well worth the time if its for something we use on a regular bases or meat. I found 4 bags of apples at the discount produce section, as soon as I got home I put them in my dehydrator for snacks. You'd be surprised at how much you can save if you freeze, dehydrate, and can food whenever it is marked down or on sale.

Brooke I have tried you apple sauce substitute for an egg in baking and it works so great! TFS

Veggie Tacos and quesadillas are amazing. We like beans and cornbread night. Mac & Cheese casserole. I make do. I do not go to the store all the time. I love all your ideas. Thank you.

I have to walk to the grocery store a couple of times per week for a family of 3 with my utilty cart and I get a walk in also Thank you Brooke I now started a emergency pantry. And I keep popcorn on hand for a snack LoL

We appreciate so much you being in our lives! Sometimes, we just need you to remind us to continue saving on food and keeping life uncomplicated.!

Oh my gosh, I agree. I am so glad someone else has the issue as well. I noticed every time I meal plan I am spending loads but if I put aside an amount and just take that and can't go over it, I still manage to make enough meals for my family. I always thought I was doing something wrong. This was a great video!! Thanks for posting.

I like to make cheese ravioli w broccoli, garlic,butter and Parm. I have people ask for my recipe all the time. Fast, easy, cheap and filling!!!

Brooke Love seeing your smile today. It brightened my day. Thank you for these budget tips. I do several of these and especially like backward meal planning. Besides milk or bread ; I only grocery shop monthly. This works most of the time unless it is Christmas time. I also keep meals simple so that I am sure it will be eaten.

Brooke I absolutely love you and all your advice, tips and tricks! But seriously you just made me feel good that I'm not the only one. I have a very small budget to work with most times so when I'm going shopping for years I always use my calculator so I know I don't go over budget especially for once I get to the checkout line. But I always feel a lil embarrassed using my calculator as I NEVER see anyone else doing it. But it truly helps so I don't go over as I also have had in the past where I didn't do that then get to the cash and have to put things back as I didn't have enough and that's more embrassing. Then when you went to your next rule I'm like we'll then I guess I'm just like you an am a backwards meal planner! Never heard of it or thought of it that way haha but you're so right once again. When I meal plan I can't stay in my random budget I have for groceries and with prices rising makes it even harder. So I meal plan based off of what I'm able to afford to buy! So thanks for making me feel like I'm not a weirdo and doing what I have to to save money and feed my family!

I always have pasta and rice in my pantry. I also can chicken, pork, hamburger, tomatoes, potatoes, green beans. I keep tomato sauces, cream of soups, boullions and spices. I can always come up with something.❤️❤️❤️

Hi Brooke, thank you for the great tips! I also do the fetch app and gives you points for scanning receipts! I made a 10 gift card from Amazon for just scanning my receipts and my family saves them for me now lol

I tend to save more money backwards meal planning too. Buy what's on sell and make something out of it.

I use to get really good deals on meat at my local foodlion store but over the weekend I went and the meat guy said they have stopped them from marking the meat lower than 40% off. They would rather throw it out than mark it down to 50% or even lower for people to afford it for their families...This is just sad the times we are in!!!!

My mother-in-law enjoys going to stores just to get out of the house. She uses shop kicks and got me using it too. She always has gift cards. I watch a special needs young adult sometimes and she has fun using my app hunting for items to scan. It’s really cute. Anyhow, I use mostly fetch, then shop kicks, then ibotta.

Also, when doing a casserole using ground beef or cut up chicken, you can get by with much less and the family will not know the difference. You can use 1 pound of ground beef for 2 to 3 meals. Same with one chicken breast.

Because of the inspiration from your videos and a few of the other women that I watch on KZfaq, just recently I started going through my freezer, my deep freezer, my refrigerator and my pantry and seeing what I have to make different meals, I wrote down those different meals and the ingredients that I had, if it was an ingredient that I didn’t have I wrote that particular one in red so that when I made my grocery list I knew that I only needed the things that were in red so that I didn’t buy the extra that I already have

Freeze left overs when you can, like soups and chilli. Etc. To eat later or thaw for lunch. I save my chicken and Turkey carcasses for soups and home made broth. Save your veggie scraps to make broth. I freeze mine in a freezer bag.

I love breakfast out but the price are so high now maybe once a week were retired yes I can afford food I just rather spend my money on other things. At our age we really don't out in fact tank of gas last us 6 to 7 weeks. So grocery shopping and doctor appointment and going to church is our thing. lol were all most 80 year old.

I have been meal planning for years, I'd be lost without it and it helps me save money. I start with what I already have on hand and then further build the weekly menu off of what's on sale/reasonably priced. I always make a shopping list, and yes shop at multiple stores that are in close proximity.

My family (hubby and daughter in law) are VERY GUILTY of the need this for supper, hubby runs and gets, takes granddaughters and usually spends 4 times then necessary. And they think we have to eat out once on weekend but usually get multi meals.

Love your emergency meal bags!!!! I use the Flipp app to find sales

Another good tip is to look for an isle without cameras and start putting stuff in your purse/bag/ pockets.

You are 100% accurate on the "lure you in" with the super good sale deals and then they hope you're going to see something that catches your eye and makes it into your cart etc.... Something that is a disadvantage for me is I'm handicap so physically going INTO the store is a chore no kidding a CHORE I'd rather have a root canal than get dressed presentable to go into a store. Then I'm slower than others etc it's just a hassle!! Did I mention I HATE IT?!?!?! lol So I utilize the pick up service but it sucks that you have to spend a minimum dollar amount to get that service!! Sooooo I only purchase snacks from the more expensive stores and ONLY when I need to add a couple dollars onto my order to get that pick up service. ALSO one of the stores that is Kroger for you guys in the midwest but Smith's for us on the west coast offered a first time $15 off coupon on your first pick up order. They happened to have some Ragu pasta sauce on sale that I wanted to stock up on and some oatmeal that I also wanted to stock up on. I threw in a few other items that are usually out at my walmart but that $15 off coupon and only driving a couple blocks out of my way was well worth it!! so DOWNLOAD the apps!!! My son just turned 18 and he downloaded the app for a local store and I was able to utilize the deals on MY phone AND on his! He had a $5 off coupon on a $5 purchase, I put $25 away monthly and spend it on proteins. (chicken/ground beef bacon etc) I use this only when an item is on sale and NEVER EVER EVER from Walmart!!!! I just got boneless skinless chicken breasts for $1.77 lb limit 6 pounds and bacon was on sale the THICK sliced 1.5 lb package for $5 HOWEVER there was a glitch on the app and it came up $2.50 for the package I was able to get TWO packages for $5 so 3 pounds of bacon for $5 YES PLEASE ..... We do not eat bacon by itself we literally only use it for bacon cheeseburgers. The snacks this week were a .49 box of cheez it's and I added chips that are usually about $5 a bag at walmart but were 2-$5 at the larger more expensive store!! There are absolutely ways to save but you have to be selective and disciplined and in MY case force yourself to go out of the house lol

Thank you for great tips and tricks! I really enjoy binge watching your videos every morning while I get breakfast ready! Your genuinely a humble, funny and motherly person! Thank you from my family to yours. ❤

Backwards menu planning is the way to go!

"Dusty's broke right now"🤣🤣

I volunteer at two food banks one should never hesitate to go to a food bank the ones I serve are both thru churches. They are not just for those that can't afford food they help families to feed their children without the worry. I suggest you watch Mama Baird she uses a food bank to supplement her budget and they eat well. Here in CA you just go to the food bank map put in your zip code and it will show you all of them for the month. I pick up for seniors that live in my mobile home park. God bless you all.

Awesome. Thanks Brooke,!😊❤🙏 Ms. Ruby

Great tips Brooke 👌 I also do backwards menu planning. Have a blessed week!!

Cheap Mac & Cheese is a staple in my house. I add 1-2 tbs of cream cheese and it’s tasty!

Thank you for the video sometimes I need to be reminded. Also, with meat, I don't use as much meat as a recipe calls for. Can usually get away with half if not 3/4. Also, adding beans and 1/3 of the meat helps as well as still getting protein. Hope this helps someone

My family doesn't like beans, or veggies so sometimes I struggle with affordable groceries. But I try to make healthy budget friendly meals. Thanks for the tips

Thank you again Brooke!!!

I’ve been building up my pantry for years. I can’t wait to start canning chicken for my pantry.

Early mornings at Food Lion is a great time to get marked down meats. I love the tip to budget snacks separate from my grocery budget. Snacks really run up the cost of groceries for us and aren't necessary.

I’m a nerd and use excel to meal plan and write my grocery list with the store that it’s supposed to be cheapest and calculate everything including taxes.

i love the tips you give .. i would add a 13..... eat before you go shoping ...