Professional Series - Groceries & Meal Planning with Morgan Price
Morgan is a wife & stay-at-home mom of three based in Eastern Washington. She loves raising her family in the country where the kids can chase chickens, grow a garden & get absolutely filthy every single day. Morgan shares deals & tips on her Instagram @morgantaylerathome to help other moms save their family money on groceries. Life is expensive, but buying groceries & feeding our families doesn't have to be!

Tell us what inspired you to start your Instagram and teach others about how to save money on groceries.

Four years ago when I stopped working to become a stay at home mom, we became more aware of our spending and looked for ways to save. Nearly all of our expenses were fixed; rent, insurance, power, etc. But the one bill we had control over was food. So I buckled down & figured out how to get that bill as low as we could. I started sharing deals I was finding on my personal Instagram account & realized that a lot of people loved the tips & started asking me for other ways to save money on groceries. That's when I started an account dedicated to helping other moms save their families money on their grocery bill. I've now helped thousands of moms slash their grocery bill with my tips!

 

What's the biggest mistake you see people make when trying to save money on groceries?

The biggest mistake I see people make is not having a meal plan & then going to the store every day or two to figure out what to make for dinner. Just by having a plan & shopping for a week or two at a time will save you tons on groceries! It will also save you from eating out or ordering delivery on a whim. The hardest part of making a meal is usually just deciding what you're going to make. By making that decision ahead of time & having the ingredients on hand, it's easy to just make it!

 

How do you balance saving money with eating healthy and nutritious meals?

I've found that the healthy & nutritious meals are actually less expensive than the more processed, pre-made meals you can buy! Fresh, in-season produce is always more affordable than out of season & tastes better too! To save money on meat, I always buy it on sale & freeze it for later. You don't have to give up your favorite meats because they're more expensive, just buy a few packages when you see them on sale and then make them later! Making homemade meals are not only less expensive & typically more nutritious, but they also taste better.

 

What are your top three strategies for maximizing meal planning?

1. Give each day a theme. Pasta Monday, Taco Tuesday, Salad Wednesday, Grilled Thursday, Pizza Friday, etc. This takes a ton of the decision making process away and makes it easier to pick a meal.
2. Plan from what you have. Look in your fridge, freezer & pantry & see what you already have! Then plan meals around those things & just fill in what you need from the store.
3. Embrace leftovers. I love to make a meal that makes good leftovers on Monday so I can eat it for lunch for the next couple days. This not only eliminates waste, but you don't have to buy as many different ingredients for multiple meals, keeping your grocery bill down. Also look for ways to repurpose meats from a meal. A lot of times the extra meat can be used in a salad, nachos or quesadillas on another night.

If you had to choose only 5 budget-friendly ingredients to cook with for a week, what would they be?

Chicken Breasts: There's so many different ways to use them & change up their flavor.
Potatoes: You can make mashed potatoes, fries, hash browns or roasted potatoes. They add something to every meal.
Onions: They add so much flavor to every dish. I add them to eggs, potatoes, pasta sauce, casseroles, nachos and so much more.
Pasta: Such a versatile carb that can be served so many ways. You can serve it warm with sauce, or cold in a pasta salad.

Eggs: Not only do I love a good breakfast burrito or fried egg for breakfast, they are the best to help breading adhere to meats or veggies for frying or baking. They are protein-packed and so affordable.

What's your go-to cheap and easy meal that never fails to impress?

Chicken Parmesan. It is easy & delicious. Everyone loves a crispy chicken cutlet over pasta and covered in red sauce with melty mozzarella & parmesan cheese. Pair it with a salad or roasted veggies & some garlic bread & you've got a meal that will please everyone.

 

What are your favorite products at Copper Pearl?

I'm a sucker for the Copper Pearl knotted gowns. All of my newborns have worn them & they are just the perfect soft material & make diaper changes a breeze! You can't have enough, especially in those newborn days.