Help! I Can't Stick to my Food Budget & Meal Plan!

Food costs are out of control & to cope you need to plan. I tell you what I do to get a Frugal Food Budget in place.
Links:
July Budget:
• Extreme Frugality. How...
Lentil Wraps:
• How to Make Lentil Wra...
Salads:
• Four Simple Frugal Sal...
Video Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:46 This Weeks Topic
01:29 How to Set a Budget
02:48 Our Food Budget
05:12 Daily Food Budget per person
06:28 Food Shop Calculations
07:46 Breakfast Calculation
09:18 Dietary Requirements
10:57 How do you stick to a budget?
16:00 Planning the Main Meal
19:00 A Typical Weekly Meal Plan
22:19 Meal Planning Can Be Simple
24:46 Three Meals a Day on a Budget
28:15 How to Work Out Unit Costs
29:50 Unit Prices
30:54 Sticking to a Meal Plan
33:53 Have Your Meal Plan on Display
35:01 Summary & Reflection
37:11 Thanks!
Frugal Queen in France
Like the menu board & Budget Book? We have now started Amazon Affiliate Links its available here:
Kitchen Slate Board: amzn.to/2S2tWjW
Budget Book: amzn.to/3qISz2i
We are a British couple living in Brittany on a budget.
Frugal recipes, days out, home renovations and day to day making do in France.
We’ll give you hints, tips, advice and an insight into our life in France.
Website www.frugalqueeninfrance.com/
FaceBook / frugalqueeni. .
Instagram / frugalqueen. .
Twitter / batt_jane
Equipment used
Camera : iPhone
Editing : iMovie on a Mac mini
Music:
Audionautix is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/...
Artist: audionautix.com/
Some Sound from Zapsplat.com
KZbin Audio Library
Apple iMovie*

[@judimantos904]

Had my 11 year old, many years ago, do the monthly budget for two months. She stopped asking for unnecessary things when she saw how little was left after the bills was payed.

[@lynnoorman2144]

I did this too, with my boys when they were 13 and 10 respectively. Now aged 40 and 37 they have always been excellent with money and can both cook! ( Asian inspired dishes better than me - and I am very happy to let them cook for me!).

[@Ana-Conda]

Had care of my grandson when he asked for something which wasn’t often I remember saying to him shall we get that or pay the rent he said pay the rent he was around eight years so proud remembering that .

[@patmartin9727]

I too taught my daughter about budgeting and money management from an early age. I gave her an allowance and taught her how to management now as an adult she is really good with her money, in fact she puts me to shame sometimes.

[@Raych-]

Love this!

[@melp8616]

My grandmother had a capsule meal plan. Breakfast and lunches got rotated between two choices. Nobody wondered what was for meal time. I remember every Sunday was chicken, every Wednesday was spaghetti and every Friday was liver and onions. The grocery list was the same every week for decades! 😂

[@missmakoti9702]

I remember that time as well, but nowadays we have easy access to recipes and products from around the world. We like to experiment more in the kitchen then our grandmother´s did. Most people just stuck to the dishes they knew, so it was it to rotate. I can't imagine only eating the typical dishes of my country nowadays as I got so used to trying out new recipes.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Nothing wrong with that, I love liver

[@maryettabeck1967]

My grandmother and mom did the same. Mom rotated from pancakes, French toast, oats toast and eggs.

[@loniivanovskis1239]

I still vaguely do that. We basically eat eggs or hot cereal in the winter, or eggs or cold cereal in the summer. Lunch is soup or leftovers in the winter, and salad or leftovers the summer. Dinner vegetarian or low-meat 4X a week, poultry once, red meat once, fish once. I can have lots of variety in what I cook in those categories, and I've been doing it for 35 years.

[@gladyschandler6724]

I don't buy junk food. We buy popcorn kernals to make popcorn. Rarely frozen items. I buy meat, seafood, poultry veggies, grains, and fruits. A list is the best tool!

[@carolwoodward6141]

I love popcorn for snacking.

[@jonnaborosky8836]

Thank you so much for sharing the whole process! It's quite helpful! I never thought of pricing out each item of each meal! I used to be fine with grocery money, when I received $280 in food stamps each month. At the beginning of March, that amount dropped to $23 a month. It's been devastating. I'm so food insecure that I cut my food budget in half, but this was still not affordable, plus the food only lasted half the time. I realized I couldn't manage. I knew there was no reason to try because I just couldn't make a plan that worked. I ended up spending even more than when I had adequate food stamps, because I still felt so insecure about food. I'm in a no-spend year, so that created a bit of leeway, but I never know if it'll be enough till the end of the month. I like having control over the budget. This has been fairly horrifying for me. Your plan shows how to add It all up and divide it all out, in order to have control again over groceries no matter what the budget is. I truly thank you for that, Jane! The Lord reward you for all the wonderful help you give us. ❤️ 😊 ❤️

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks very much for watching

[@misfit7610]

❤❤

[@sheilahughes3561]

Congratulations on all your new subscribers! Yours is one of the best channels on KZbin for frugal advice! Thanks to both of you for the time and effort you put in!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Wow, thank you!

[@carolking4124]

I like how you included a discretionary item separate category.

[@bria2596]

I learn so much from you. Today, I made three cups of hummus, for about $3. I froze two, and have one for this week. If I went to my local store to buy one cup of hummus premade, it is running $7 a container. Being able to do these things for myself, makes me feel "rich," satisfied, and greatly reduces my anxiety about what to do with low cost items like chickpeas, lentils, beans. I have an every growing list of awesome recipes for those foods, and I enjoy eating them. Yes, it does save a lot of money, and that is important, but ENJOYING the food, is so important as well. No feelings of deprivation when it is a choice I make.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Yummy hummus

[@tikacalifornia7876]

It's just me and my service dog here, but these things apply no matter how large or small your family is. I have other ladies from my church over on Sunday for lunch, and I always try to have a nice meal. The leftovers see me through several days because I change the profile of the food. For example, if we have a roast chicken for Sunday, it becomes a variety of things such as chicken and dumplings, chicken salad, and so forth so that I do not become bored with it. This Sunday, we're having a meatloaf, and I will make a lot of it because meatloaf can crumble up and become cottage pie. Alternatively, I can slice it and top with a marinara sauce for meat "ball" sandwiches. I am one of those who gets food boredom all too easily, and I have total sympathy for those who are like me. Thank you for your inspiration. Godspeed.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks for watching

[@helenwilkins4337]

As it’s the school holidays I have spent all day sorting my freezer and pantry cupboard. I thought I knew what I had but I’m so shocked at the amount of food I have in the house. I have enough odd English muffins that I threw in the freezer to prevent waste I think I could do breakfast for the street!! My decision is made I’m going to halve my food budget for August. Thank you Jane for your excellent videos and making me stop pretending I’ve got everything sorted x

[@diandy9498]

The children could use the English muffins to make mini pizza's themselves.

[@grandmaimhungry8135]

We are fortunate in my household that we eat whatever is made by the other. And we take turns cooking. I have a huge food anxiety. I can't stand to have empty cabinets and such

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Proper adults

[@katherinerichardson1767]

My favorite part of this video was how you set aside 10% for long term pantry items and non-foods as well as breaking down how much to spend per week & per day on foods. Writing that amount at the top of the shopping list is also was a great idea too. Thanks for sharing.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Yes! Thank you!

[@Littlewoods_permaculture]

Yes I do this too for bulk items like 5 kgs rice - every so often I’ll shop at the bulk buy store and spend $100 so I always have extra on standby

[@susanbell4528]

An excellent video today. Thank you for going into the topic of food budgeting in real depth. Even the more savvy of us need to be reminded of the basics of being able to put food on the table day after day after day. You are a star

[@maryamorman2532]

My daughter, now 40, remembers when they were children the rule of only one packet of crisps a day. They could choose whether to have it to take to school for lunchtime or enjoy at leisure after school. We also had a sweet tin which they could only have after tea. A good lesson in rationing treats and I think helped them when they were in their teens and had their own money to spend. Mary

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks for sharing!

[@maryamorman2532]

Realised recently that the reason I am short of food money towards the end of the month was because of the snacks/junk food I was buying for my grandchildren for after school and when I have them in the holidays. This month I allocated a fixed amount for this purpose. Their snack cupboard still has some treats left and I have had money for fruit and vegetables this week. Win win. Mary

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Good for you Mary

[@joycef8443]

Yes, the “ little crumb snatchers “ really can drive up a budget! I have yogurt and juice in the refrigerator and two small baskets with other snacks and dry cereal in the pantry.

[@melanienicholson2834]

I have found what works for me is having a list of monthly needed items. Spending most of my budget on it and what's left over I get a weekly allowance to buy fresh fruit and veggies. I tend to eat tried and true recipes that I like or love. Being single it doesn't bother me to eat coleslaw for 4 days. I don't make it every week to burn out. I make it with apples, raisins and walnuts. So it's a meal in itself and a sweet treat.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Love that!

[@michellepaull7523]

Thanks Jane & Mike very helpful as always. One of your comments that has really helped me is to remember that simple meals are ok - soup & a roll or a toastie etc. When trying to cook more from scratch I kept thinking I had to do super-whizzo recipe book meals all the time- which was exhausting & just made me want to give up! Thanks for reminding us that simple is still nutritious & good. Pats for your two lovely dogs too, always a pleasure to see them, all good wishes, Michelle

[@gwenfehr9156]

I like simple meals best as well. They are easy to prepare and delicious. My husband doesn’t mind simple meals either. For a couple of years now we have been bring supper to my MIL two days a week, plus Sunday lunch. I do more elaborate meals those days, since we leave leftovers for her lunch the next day, but Sunday lunch is usually more simple. When I do go to the work of making a meal that takes more time, like lasagna, I will make 3-4 extras, like Jane, and freeze them. Things like chili, spaghetti sauce with meat, stroganoff, baked beans, I make a large batch and then vacuum seal and freeze. These things I usually get and extra 3-4 meals in the freezer from each one.

[@LynneAllison-ok5rn]

Thoroughly enjoyed today's video Jane & Mike - I especially love the 'tough love' aspect since I practiced that while raising my girls and even put it into practice for myself - especially when I'd love to have something 'fancy' for a meal and my fixed budget won't allow it. Thank you so very much for going into great detail - you gave me some new ways to budget and meal plan for myself that will save me even more money. You're doing an AMAZING job and all of us are extremely appreciative 💜

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks very much

[@sharonliquorish6528]

Thank you Jane and Mike that was very informative, I already do some of the things, but now I'm going to put into practice the things I never thought of,I can see this will definitely bring my food bill down, thank you both once again.

[@barbaraschmelzer2270]

As s single person I sometimes find it hard to manage food buying. Where I live we don’t have discount food stores or any of the apps. One thing I learned, at it is s bit counter intuitive, i will buy a single serving size. I weigh the cost of a full size item and then having to either eat it for a week or freeze it, against the higher cost of the single serving. In some cases I pick the single size. I do meal plan and shop with lists which help.

[@jeannetteshahenkari265]

Wow! I am blown away by the time and effort that you and Mike took to put this video together. Thank you for packing it with so much information and practical step-by-step instructions.❤

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Our pleasure!

[@rachelkieffer8707]

Wow, great video, I learned so much! I have been making changes, one at a time, right now I am working on better meal planning and making a shopping list according to my meal plan. I love the ideas of having a different budget for snacks and treats, my son and husband have their 'must haves' so I will try that. We usually have a substantial breakfast, lunch is our biggest meal and dinner is very light, sometimes just a fruit or a smoothie, I like going to sleep without food to digest, it makes me sleep better :)

[@heatherj3030]

This is perfect timing for me. I'm doing a no spend challenge the next couple of months to get our savings back up, because July was a big spend month for us. As new parents 25 years ago, my husband and I were on such a tight budget with little in the bank, so I shopped with cash only. It really kept me accountable, but I've gotten lax about staying on a tight food budget. I'm planning on going back to the cash only shopping to correct the bad habits. Jane thanks so much for the help getting back on track.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks very much

[@tinanolan1485]

Very wise on the cash point use it or lose it.

[@greatwhitenorthtreasures3606]

Hi Jane and Mike, love the content as usual. I absolutely think the "hard" part (which is the difficult part of everyday life in my opinion) is not the sticking to a list or a budget or a meal plan (even the most basic general weekly/monthly one), it is absolutely juggling / managing this while maintaining relationships with others. It seems so simple if you and someone that consumes food in your home -- a partner/parent/child is "on board" -- but to me the challenge is making it work when you and others are not on the same page. Not even the same book. I have lived with one of these "not in the same book" for decades, and who also happens to be the sole income earner in our home, and it is not easy. I'm not whining or complaining (it took me years but actually I often now find it humorous and constantly challenge myself to find and try new things to contend with it and disguise my budgeting ways lol) , but the reality is that simple things can be made challenging when you sit in one boat but row opposite ways. Cheers, Heidi in Vancouver

[@grandmafreeman6618]

My grocery list starts with the food I need which is on sale, matched with digital coupons or Manager Specials. It has to be food I could use to make a meal along with in-house pantry food. I always take into consideration the use-by-dates and what is already in my fridge, freezer and pantry. Money is tight and I can't waste a penny.

[@elisabethkalkman]

Already a good subject!

[@yukofreeman4483]

Congratulations on 28k subs!

[@judyland-obrien4259]

Very, very well done!!! I love ALL of your videos... but, this one is exceptionally informative and helpful!! Thanks to you and Mike for a job well done!!!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad it was helpful!

[@susanbelrose2767]

my favorite frugal channel! straight forward no nonsense advice.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks very much

[@jennifersisson-pg3in]

Thank you for sharing! Love to see a longer one and such a great topic. I really need to get back into meal planning more, maybe even my breakfast and lunches for a while. It always goes smoother with a plan, and I have a pantry that needs to be used up, which is good because work is slow at the moment. Have a great weekend!

[@gladyschandler6724]

I only cook 3 times a week. I make big meals like 2lbs of meatballs or meatloaf, 2lbs of chicken thighs (I alternate tried and true recipes). Salmon every 2 weeks, pork tenderloin. Grains are rice, quinoa, or yams.

[@30yrsanddone94]

I enjoy your vids, but this was one of your best. I can tell you spent a lot of time on it. Although I live alone and I’m in a decent (not wealthy) position for now, I still calculate units, price per ounce (US) and total cost of a product. I cook or purchase only what I like so eating the same meal two days in a row on top of freezing a portion for later definitely works for aging (or otherwise) singles. You and Mike always have solid content. 🪷

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@lisaward3890]

Hello Jane&Michael, we do not eat breakfast either. We do however eat brunch! We also drink coffee,tea(hot or cold) grape juice,cranberry juice blend,apple juice, body armour when it gets unbearably hot and humid here in the mid-west of america. We also drink lots of water! We only shop for food stuffs once a week. We do not buy sugary items. I bake our own cakes,muffins,pies,cookies,cookie bars. They work out great for packing 2 lunches to tote to work. We have dietary needs,we are lactose intolerant,and we tend to lean toward vegan cuisine. We also enjoy gluten free items that i make myself. I make my own pizza crust fresh each time i make it! We do eat our intentional planned overs and try to make them look different that way you do not believe you are eating the same old same old thing!

[@elizabethcoates3024]

I regularly buy leg quarters and separate the legs from the thighs and cook them in an insta-pot,and pull them off the bones for a soup or stew. Then I cut the thighs off of the bone and make chicken stock with them.

[@charlenebrissette3348]

I always cook a little extra and freeze it for later.

[@CherylAnderson0]

Enjoyed todays teaching session! Good tips. I can eat leftovers a week til they are gone but my husband will barely eat leftovers. Some of our favorite casseroles I don’t see how they can be cut in half because what would you do with half a can of soup you don’t eat only use in recipes…. Anyway the solution for me is when I grill burgers, sausage, hotdogs maybe a few chicken breasts I freeze the cooked meats and when I am working away on the leftovers he has a burger or sausage in a hot dog bun or salad with grilled chicken. This has worked for us. I compost vegetable peels, tea and coffee grounds. We eat 99% of our leftovers and anything we can’t eat my friend’s laying hens get. I even put the uneaten food off companies plates into the freezer bag of chicken scraps. When the bag gets full I give it to her and she says her chickens love me. I think I have a no waste kitchen like you talked about before. Ok I just answered my own question…. The chickens could have that half of a can of soup….😅 I think freezing a condensed soup for a recipe later would ruin the texture.

[@loriwidener7342]

Could you make 2 casseroles and freeze 1 or give to someone?

[@kathrynlongstaff9282]

Great video. Thank you very much for the detail. I'm GF too and I find breakfast the hardest so I often skip it. Maybe a boiled egg or pan fried Brussels sprouts ( with tumeric and salt it's delicious). We batch cook as well and often have our fake-away on a Friday night as a treat. Our family busy evenings are Tuesday and Thursday so it's soup and sandwich on a Tuesday and a pasta dish on Thursdays - both are made ahead except the pasta which is cooked fresh. Works for us. Generally we do: Monday's - Tex-Mex - tacos/ burritos/ rice and beans Tuesday - soup a d sandwich Wednesday- rice based Thursday - pasta Friday - fake away Saturday left overs/something from the freezer and/or a 'high tea' - sandwiches, treat and fruit/ crudite. Sunday - brunch and use up the fridge I feel meal planning is something for us that requires a reboot every few months to keep us on it.

[@charlenebrissette3348]

I even made up a bunch of cookies dough and froze it so when we feel like having a cookie we just take some out and cook them up. I also cut up onion and peppers and freeze them.

[@gladyschandler6724]

Wow Jane, so detailed but great for people who don't know where to start! Thank you

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You're so welcome!

[@elizabethcoates3024]

Fabulous video, so timely 👏. I am retweaking my budget for food. We are focusing on what we have preserved, and making the menu around those, as well as what ever we have gotten on clearance and added to our long term storage. And I will save up the unused grocery budget to pay off my car sooner.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Wonderful!

[@jeannebowes2898]

We use Costco and purchase what we use on offer. This month the toilet paper is on coupon. We use apps coupons for two local markets on the senior day once a month. We do not spend much on toiletries or cleaning products. We garden so only need to purchase milk and eggs during the summer. Still eating out of the freezer.

[@juliemoore6957]

Thank you! You are such a great teacher! ❤

[@julieharding967]

Absolutely brilliant video! 👏

[@MrsHRPufnstuf]

Yet another brilliant video Jane and Mike. Thank you.

[@grop66]

Thanks for todays video ❤

[@jenniferclarke3622]

Wonderful video. I feel inspired. Thank you.

[@elisabethkalkman]

Great video. I work the other way around: f.i. I buy some vegetables and then I plan my meals around them. Works great for me and always staying within our budget. We do not eat meat so we need other forms of proteine. Also about 10% is for storage food. Never wasting anything. Even a few cooked potatoes make a good salad ‘huzare’ as we call that over here. With some toasted bread, cucumber, a tomatoe, great meal. Leftover are a challenge: so nice! Thanks again and have a nice weekend!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Sounds great!

[@carolwoodward6141]

I hear you. I am Veggie too.

[@tonideluca8569]

Another great video Jane thank you for taking the time to do the step by step. Congratulations on the new subscribers ❤

[@booboo-ly6zn]

Thank you both. Very good video showing us how this can be worked out. Xx❤

[@YorkshireGirlinDarwin]

I really love your videos. They also clarify I’m on the right track. Thank you, Jane ❤

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You are so welcome!

[@wendysomerville7975]

A very helpful video xx

[@lindaday4956]

Great advice Jane and Mike. I try to teach my 10 grandkids this!!

[@julieemig432]

Great video

[@deborahlewis3954]

this video really explains how to analyze everything in the food budget - thank you !

[@catladynj]

Meal planning is key 😊

[@dischmess]

Very thorough food budget video. I appreciate your quality videos.

[@NobodySpecial509]

Thanks for all the effort you put into your channel to help us! ❤ Love your videos!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks very much

[@claudiagutierrez7218]

Great video. I need to start having a separate budget for snacks. Great idea.

[@Snookums1950]

Just what I needed to hear! Going to do this definitely !Thank you Jane !

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You're so welcome!

[@user-tm5kc8oq4y]

Oh my, so wonderful! Thank you.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You are so welcome!

[@JillD-ux9zb]

Such a great deal of planning and detail went into this video. You are generous with your lived experience and knowledge and share it with a very accessible style.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad it was helpful!

[@amberlyons6161]

This is amazing! Thank you so much for sharing 😊

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You are so welcome!

[@theviciouscatnextdoor]

I made one slight change to my grocery shop which has made a significant difference. I used to shop each Friday. Now I shop Tuesday then 10 days later on Friday or Saturday then repeat the cycle 10 days later on the next Tuesday. I meal plan for 10 days and if there is an outrageous deal or we are without a necessity, I send my husband to pick up the item. Typically I only have to shop 3 times per month with this method and it’s better for both my budget and my piece of mind. It is similar to your no shop during the last week method. Amazing how we can still eat well and be full without that one extra trip each month.

[@Barneybudgets]

Love this has really helped me ❤

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad it helped!

[@marywebber7223]

Wow, this is another level detailed and practical. Thank you.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You're welcome

[@ellennoble2134]

I really liked your idea about a separate budget for snack food!!! That is my main budget blower, whether getting snacks at the store or on the road while driving. I just added the category to my August budget :)

[@dorrieb62]

This was a great video! You have a talent for breaking things down into meaningful explicit steps. Much appreciated!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad it was helpful!

[@trudyorth6037]

Excellent video! I know it took you a long time to produce but very well done with sequential information. Love the suggestion of research because we get in a rut when we are trying to be frugal. I like your cooking schedule with ding cuisine because I don’t want to cook everyday! Thank you for great information. Your best video ever!!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad it was helpful!

[@adaly5115]

Excellent lesson Jane and plenty of notes made, thank you Anna.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You're very welcome!

[@michellehayes9735]

This channel has been so very helpful! Bless you both for sharing your knowledge. Not many people understand my need to get my finances under control. it is nice to have a place to turn to.

[@fishinghole333]

This is such a rational and practical approach to food budgeting. Great job!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks so much! 😊

[@Lexi-po1ur]

Jane this was an excellent video & really explained food budgeting...thank you and Mike for sharing it.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Our pleasure!

[@clarerose8782]

That was a brilliant video. Defo gave me food for thought about costing portions, etc . Can't believe I've never done it to that level before now. I'm defo gonna do that. You're both fab!!!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad it was helpful!

[@miloslavadoubkova7267]

Bravo, perfect video, thank you for your thorough work, perfect.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You're very welcome!

[@tracyfluri543]

Thank you for sharing this and putting so much work in to your presentation. I found it to be very helpful and informative. I am going to use the unit price more often, I really didn’t think about it before but it makes sense. Thank you 😊

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad it was helpful!

[@gampermartin2006]

You explain so sensibly the important things about practical budgeting !!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You're welcome

[@gretelwhite8088]

Excellent video, thank you. I got some great ideas there. I had just come back from shopping when I watched the video, a painful £24.90, mostly on fresh produce and a jar of coffee. Prices have really gone up. I got my haul from the market stall and Lidl, so nothing flashy. You have taught me to go from the macro scale montly budget to the day to day scale, so that will be very useful. I am determined to keep to my £100 per month supermarket etc budget, so need to work at that.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad it was helpful!

[@marypeterson1053]

Batch cooking is the best for our family. Love planned overs.

[@lisam.8971]

Thank you for the detailed information! This has been a struggle for me but implementing your straightforward plan will certainly be a help.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You can do it!

[@peterharrison9937]

love the show agree about putting food away every time we shop we buy extra to go in to our over winter food cupboard and we know there is always something to eat if were unable to shop

[@rosaliecroes6223]

Thank you Jane, you have helped me so much with your ideas. Everything is very expensive in Holland. Thank you and Mike. Love from the Netherlands. ❤

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You are so welcome!

[@igotthisonwhatsapp9152]

We have a descent breakfast between 8 and 9. Then a dinner between 2 and 3. In the night we will have a fruit, crackers, etc very light . No snacks. Water all day long, juice with dinner.

[@evgeniagasumova4487]

I love your videos. I discovered Lidl in my area because I saw it in your videos. So, we switched the store and our food spendings went down. 😊🎉

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

That is awesome!

[@katehorrell8732]

Great video. I do make a menu every week n budget for each weeks shopping. I meal plan for leftovers n always have a day that I don't cook n that day is my snacking day, were I just will snack on fruit n nuts all day.

[@tbee2653]

Another very good instructive video. Thank you so much…I really needed it. I totaled my food spending for last month and I was shocked that I spent 2 and half times what I would have spent normally because I used a credit card. So very valuable lesson Jane. Thanks much.

[@corinneleppard1933]

So much work has gone into this video and it's very helpful. Thank you for making everything so clear and easy to follow, really helps when I'm feeling stressed or worried and need a bit of direction. I know you'll understand what I mean.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad it was helpful!

[@rachmc34]

We had some leftover blackboard paint from a project at work so I brought it home and we used it to paint the front of one of our kitchen cupboards and we use that for our meal plan as it's the first thing you see when you walk into the kitchen

[@lilybee_]

You are a genius! I've tried to work out a way to set a working food budget and it has always been just out of reach. Breaking it down by the amount available per meal, per person is what Ive been missing. Thank you! This is going to help so much with explaining to my husband the impact of snacks and such. Do we want good nutritional meals or sweets? He understands but this is such a solid way to target spending. It will help us choose where to spend and where to cut. I appreciate so much that you share these details.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Happy to help

[@hobocampmama4905]

Thank you so much for this! We are a family of 5 in NY and it is so difficult. We have a good- size garden and have such a hard time sticking to it with 3 kids, thanks for the inspiration. xo

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You are so welcome!

[@LorettaNance]

What a great video. Thank you for the thoughtful and well prepared information. The food budget is where I have the most opportunity to save money, but also the budget item that can get out of hand. My daughter doesn't like meat on the bone either.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You are so welcome!

[@jonismalle7666]

You obviously put a lot of work into this presents. Well done.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Thanks very much

[@stacel1972]

This video shows what a great educator you are. Thank you so much! I am sharing this with my son. ( who can shut down when I try and help him budget but I am no educator. 🤦‍♀️)

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Glad it was helpful!

[@katiefranklin5055]

I like your suggestion about posting the weekly dinner menu for everyone in the family to see. I noticed that you often showed the menu board in previous videos, but I always thought that it was for added decoration for the video. I did not know that you actually used it. I think that having a menu board would force me to plan for all 7 days, and it would help me to stick to the plan. My family would probably protest if I deviated from the posted plan. The "peer pressure" would help me stay on course.

[@pigletsbank437]

👌 Loved your solutions, and explanations, hubby didn't wanted to say what would like to eat the first year, so I said to bad if he didn't liked it. And kept asking him lovingly week afther week. He got the message and for 16 years he knows the drill and he had enough input every week😅. Everybody happy

[@loriwidener7342]

Thank you for taking the time to do this video. I ended up making a junk food and pet line in my budget. It sounds horrible, but I'm finding that buying cases of single serve items works better for me. Cups of nacho sauce is easier than the big jar. Chips don't go stale.

[@jennyeagan1840]

Homestead Tessie has a quick video out on which she demonstrated that she purchases huge cans of certain items and then does a type of re-canning into smaller jars for better food management. The breakdown cost is encouraging. On the video I saw, she broke down an enormous can of cheese whiz or nacho sauce and added a few ingredients.

[@EowynBeloved]

Thank you Frugal Queen in France!! This video was very helpful to me in figuring out what I have been doing wrong with sticking to my food budget. I've always calculated my food budget to include too many categories such as alcohol, pet food, and eating out. No wonder I could never stick to it! Also calculating the daily budget allowance gave me a good perspective of what I can actually afford each day. It turns out I can't afford to get takeout on a regular basis, unless I create a separate budget item for it! That was eye-opening. Also, I really loved your boundary-setting statements with yourself and other family members. "No" is a complete sentence! I also enjoyed the unit pricing. You can make it into a game to get little ones more involved of what their food per serving costs. :) Brilliant!

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

You're welcome

[@juliethompson5301]

Love this Jane so informative.thank you. Can I ask do we put the pet food budget separately and not include it in our shopping budget ? I know it sounds silly but do I budget our cats pouches /biscuits/litter separately?.

[@FrugalQueeninFrance]

Yes, absolutely

[@cha97michelle]

Its hammering me at the moment having someone with food intolerances to multiple items in the household, plus two with different food aversions due to autism. I've just had to make the food budget a bigger priority but have learnt how to make some gluten free items myself. Your bread recipe was very helpful - although my intolerant person can't have dairy or eggs either, I could adapt with egg substitutes and plant based milk.

[@sharonmcgee8178]

So much common sense!❤️

[@northcotes4]

I put my food budget into a separate savings account and transfer the weekly amount to my debit card when I do the shopping.

[@connie8298]

I read an article recently that suggested making two shopping lists. List #1 is the items that are absolutely essential for the coming week. List #2 is for those "stock" items. While doing the essential shopping, look for items from list #2 that may be on sale (on offer) that week. Thank you for the video.