Today's tip is all about food planning. This is one of the most effective ways to save money. [And an added bonus, if you plan a healthy diet, you can lose weight. :)] I read that when a person doesn't plan or even have an idea of what he or she wants to eat, there is a tendency that he/she spends more money. Why? Well, there is no limited budget. Unlike a person who plans his/her meals, there is a budget. And when there is a budget, there is saving. 

So first things first, decide on how much you are going to spend for one meal a day. You could also decide on how much a day. You have to come up with your own budget. It is up to you. And if you can cook food, then go. I stay in an apartment so I have a cooker and a heater. What my boyfriend and I would do is that we would buy groceries for the week then cook them every lunch time. Believe me, it is a lot cheaper to cook your own food. One of my favourites is the chicken drummers or wingers that we buy. In the grocery, it costs around 70-80 pesos for a pack. The pack we buy has 9 pieces. If we decide to buy chicken outside (outside meaning the fast food restaurants or any restaurant, really), it would cost us around 50-100 pesos for one meal. With the grocery, we can eat up to two to three servings depending on our appetite. It really is cheaper. So if you can cook your own food, then try it. And for those of you who cannot, then not to worry. You can always plan your meals. 

And speaking of planning meals, below here is a "food planner" I created. (except for the Pusheen cat- credits to the real owner!). This is on a weekly basis. If you like, you could save this and print this. Use this to plan your meals. If you have an eating buddy (eating buddy = someone you always eat with), then plan it with him or her. The planner below covers the whole week, yes you heard me - Monday to Sunday. I also included the usual breakfast, lunch and dinner. And in case you have a healthy appetite (just like me), you can throw in some snacks or brunch, more snacks and midnight snacks. 

If you notice the boxes for every meal, it is divided into two. On the left side, you can write the particular meal or food that you plan to eat. Beside it, you can put your budget or if you are not sure how much your food will cost, then you can put it after. So, it will become your expense tracker. 

Also, you don't have to be too strict on yourself. Have some meals where you can freely choose. You can write "random meal" or "cheat day". Overall, it really is up to you on how you want to maximize the planner (and I hope you do!). And for those of you who prefer a black and white version so that you can have it photocopied - don't worry. I also have one for you:

Anyways, I hope you found today's post helpful. If you did, please let me know and leave me a comment. :) See you at the next post! Cheers and happy saving!