Purchase with a purpose.

That was the phrase my guest, certified professional organizer April Welch,  mentioned on last night’s Money Saving Meal Planning call and it immediately resonated with me.

On last night’s call, we focused on the importance of cleaning and purging all old, gone bad, seriously stale food we often keep in our pantry and refrigerator.  Often it’s accumulated because we don’t want to face what’s really in there or see the reality of our spending patterns – often buying too much, not using it and then feeling guilty.

During that conversation, April mentioned how many of us tend to purchase without a purpose and I couldn’t agree more.

I don’t know about you, but before I was adept at meal planning, I had a knack for purchasing food with no particular purpose in mind. Yes, I figured I’d use it for some random recipe at some point, but I definitely didn’t have a specific plan. So you can imagine that I wasted a lot of food and often bought duplicate items (because my pantry was a MESS and I didn’t know what I had!).

How can you get more in the habit of purchasing with a purpose?

• Get clear about what you already have in your refrigerator and pantry
• Create a specific meal plan for the week and only buy what you need
• Assess your progress at the end of the week do see how you did and where you can make improvements

Following these simple steps will put you on the road to spending less and saving more, and you’ll purchase with a purpose.

Filed under: Food Shopping, Meal Planning, Money saving tip