SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — As grocery prices continue climbing, families in San Diego and across the country are searching for ways to stretch their food budgets. The solution, according to experts, starts with strategic planning before you even step foot in the store.
Jenn Lueke has built a social media following by showing people how to shop for a week's worth of healthy meals for under $100. Her grocery trips typically cost between $50-$75, depending on what she's preparing. Her latest tutorial demonstrates how to meal prep three recipes for just $5 per serving.
But Lueke's money-saving approach begins long before she enters the grocery store.
"If you sit down, spend 20 to 30 minutes -- take your inventory is what I like to call it -- where you check your pantry, your fridge, and your freezer inventory and see what you have," Lueke said.
From there, she focuses on planning meals for the upcoming week.
"I like to start by planning five dinners for the week ahead, so I'll plan out what's my Monday through Friday dinners for next week, and what's in my inventory that I can use up so that I can save money and reduce waste," Lueke said.
When shopping, she sticks strictly to her list and maintains a once-weekly shopping schedule.
"When you're at the store, there's no question you go grocery shopping once a week which is key because if you go multiple times a week, you're inevitably going to pick up things that you might not need," Lueke said.
However, she remains flexible for deals and focuses on versatile staples that appear in multiple recipes while building meals for under $100 per week.
Lueke shares these strategies in her upcoming book "Don't Think About Dinner," set for release in January. She recommends stocking up on pantry essentials that form the foundation of multiple meals.
"Rice, quinoa, or dry pasta. I love canned goods. I love beans, so chickpeas, pinto beans, black beans, whatever beans you like. That's a great way to kind of start looking at meals that can be customized to how you like it. You can have broths; I love all different kinds of canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, marinara. And then move over to your fridge, you can have those basic fruits and vegetables that maybe last a little bit longer than a couple of days. So, I'm always keeping a pound or two of carrots in my drawer, because those will have a longer life in the fridge and you can use those in a lot of different ways," Lueke said.
Finding deals has become increasingly important as grocery costs continue rising. According to the latest Consumer Price Index, grocery costs increased 0.6% in August compared to July -- the highest increase since 2022. The U.S. Department of Agriculture estimates the monthly grocery cost for a family of four at $993.06.
To reduce expenses, Lueke suggests reviewing weekly meal plans to identify areas where ingredient substitutions can save money.
"So, you can opt for chicken thigh over a chicken breast if you want to cut down costs that week, and that can make a big difference over a long period of time," Lueke said.
Finally, she recommends considering wholesale shopping to spread costs over a month rather than weekly purchases.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
