Time & Money Saving Meal Plan Tips

This post for Time & Money Saving Meal Plan Tips has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #SaveWithHopster #CollectiveBias

“I have plenty of time and money”, said no parent ever!  Maximize time in the kitchen and ease the budget too, with these great time and money saving meal plan tips.  Including great “Cook once, eat twice” meal plan ideas.

As a parent, you quickly realize there are many ways to do the job.  When I had my first child, I instantly found a bond with EVERY person that had a newborn attached to their hip.  But, as with most things in life, it wasn’t long before I found those moms I could relate to more than others.

What I did learn, however, is that no matter your parenting style or philosophy, we ALL find ourselves needing to budget and wishing we had more hours in the day. Can I get an amen?

And while I have yet to figure out how to sneak in a few more hours of sleep in the morning, I have gotten pretty good at keeping down costs in the kitchen and making the most of my time cooking.

Know what you need

I always, always, always have a grocery list on my fridge that is broken down into sections of the store, so I don’t end up on a back-and-forth scavenger hunt.  When I use up cooking spray, I immediately add it to the dry and can goods section of my list.  This way, I never run out of stuff I need, and I don’t have to re-work my list when it comes to shopping.

Plan your meals

Next? I make sure to score great deals through saving apps like Hopster Mobile Rebates and plan to make meals that I can cook once and reinvent again in creative leftovers.

With no time to waste, Hopster jumps right to the point with rebates for your favorite groceries, beauty essentials, pet supplies and more.  Using Hopster, you can easily save on purchases at the stores you already shop at, share your recommendations with fellow mommas, and even provide feedback to manufactures when you find a new product or try something new!

Some of the products that I often feature on my blog that offer savings through the Hopster Savings app include fresh chicken, cereals, frozen meals that I eat on work-from-home days and post-workout recovery drinks.

Simply, choose your rebates from a large selection of brands, shop at your favorite store (any store will do!), and take a picture of your receipt showing the items you purchased!

Flesh out your menus

After I know what I can save on using my Hopster app, I decide the exact recipes that I plan to cook for the week.  If I see that I can get a great deal on chicken, I might plan a roast chicken dinner one night and chicken noodle soup for another meal later on in the week.  If y’all don’t know it yet, my motto in the kitchen?  “Cook once, eat twice!”  Once I pull all of the recipes, I fill out the rest of my grocery list.

Not only does the “cook once, eat twice” philosophy save time cooking AND cleaning up, it also ensures that you reduce your food waste.  By picking ingredients with rebates through the Hopster app, it’s a win all the way around!

Here are a few of my favorite “Cook Once, Eat Twice” menu ideas:

• Leftover Grilled Chicken is a great addition in this Lemon Quinoa and Veggie Soup!
• Make extras when cooking up this Asparagus Saute for this over-the-top Asparagus and Egg Hash!
• And this is still a classic in my house despite the fact that I first shared it in 2012! Enjoy this Primavera Quinoa dish with grilled chicken or steak, then turn it into Southwest Shrimp and Quinoa “Lasagna” later in the week.  (PS  – totally updating those photos, one of these days!)

For even more “Cook Once, Eat Twice” inspiration, be sure to sign up for my mailing list for a free copy of our cookbook of the same name!  And, don’t forget to check out the Hopster app before shopping each week!

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