Cost of Meal Plans and How to Budget for Them

Cost of Meal Plans and How to Budget for Them

The cost of a gourmet meal plan depends on what you choose for the menu. For example, a surf and turf dinner for two can cost well above $100. But an entire holiday feast for the family can cost about $100. And it can cost less than $100 to have a week to two week's worth of prepared meals delivered. It all depends on the food and company chosen. So do your research to stay within budget.

Ordering food can help keep you on budget because if you have already selected your meals for a period of time, you will be less likely to splurge on more food. But you want to make sure you stay within your budget at the time of ordering to really make it worth your while. Here are some expert guidelines for your food bill, courtesy of www.ourfamilyplace.com:

1. Look for coupons! Some prepared food companies offer coupon savings on combination meals and meal plans at certain times of the year. Saving $20 a week on your purchases can save you up to $1000 over the course of a year.

2. Try to plan in advance. By knowing what you need, you will be able to buy in larger quantities (almost always less expensive) and cut down on convenience food purchases (always more expensive).

3. When it is on sale, stock up. Of course this only applies to those items that you use on a regular basis. Stocking up on an item which you use once a year doesn't make sense.

4. Shop with the company that is the cheapest overall. Surveys have shown that there is sometimes as much as a 10 to 15 percent difference on identical grocery orders at two different stores in the same area. If you spend $500 a month on groceries, that can equate to $600 to $900 a year in savings. Don't throw away your money just because it is your habit to shop at a certain store.