Looking To Save Time and Money?

Nowadays everyone is looking for ways to save money. One of the most obvious ways is to pack your lunch for work. I know of several people who have taken a second part-time job for some extra income. In that situation it’s even more important to save money since you don’t want to blow that second income on snacks and vending machine food.

However, it can be tough to pack food for a whole day away from home. You might be thinking you have it all covered at home since your pantry is organized, but it doesn’t change the fact that you’re still busy working all day, half the night, and still have responsibilities to your spouse and children. Simplify things by cooking in advance.

Meal planning and bulk cooking are both wonderful techniques you can use and modify to fit your personal needs. Instead of making individual lunches for work each day, make a big bowl of tuna fish and fixings and leave it in the office fridge on Monday. You’re done fixing lunch for the week. Make another sandwich before you leave for the 2nd job. Do the same with cold cuts or make a 2nd meatloaf just for work. The idea is that you cook and or prepare your meals in bulk to save on time and money. It just takes proper planning.

Start by writing down a list of your favorite meals and plan on preparing a grocery list that will coincide with your awaymenu. Since you’re learning to cook in bulk, your shopping list will have to change accordingly so you’re sure to have enough ingredients on hand when the time comes to do the cooking.

The most important tool in meal planning and bulk cooking is your storage. Buy good quality freezer and refrigerator storage. No matter how much care you take in preparing your meals, you won’t eat them if they go stale.

You should also reacquaint yourself with the slow cooker. Experiment with different recipes and variations on your favorites. They also make easy work of cooking whole chickens or roasts which can be frozen or refrigerated for later use very easily.

Since I’m lazy, I’ve learned to use my slow cooker for many things you wouldn’t ordinarily use it for. One of my favorite time savers is oatmeal. I don’t like the instant stuff–too much salt. I put oatmeal in the slow cooker along with dried fruit right before bed. I wake up to a healthy breakfast that’s ready to eat.

You’re only limited by your own imagination when cooking in bulk for the week ahead. Factor in the time you save by not having to do a lot of after dinner cleanup or dishes, and you’ll be glad you took the time to master this important organizational skill.Please respond to this in the comment form below because I need 10 comments to continue posting.