Back in the day, those stay-at-home moms knew how to stretch their dollars. It was practically an art form. When women weren’t working outside the home, they did what they could to cut costs in any way they had at their disposal.

Since many women did the grocery shopping, clipping coupons was a smart way to save money. And that’s still an effective method to use today. But another tool women used to ensure they didn’t spend more than they had to at a grocery store was to plan a menu.

The weekly menu kept everything on track. Women didn’t have to worry about what they would make for meals from day to day. And when they went shopping, they had a list of all the groceries they would need for that menu. They didn’t buy anything that would sit in their refrigerator past its prime and eventually have to be thrown away.

Today, menus can be just as valuable. Instead of grabbing a sandwich at a fast food restaurant, you can go home after work with a firm plan of what you’ll do for a healthy meal. And menus can be real money savers. Here’s why.

No Waste

Many of us buy produce or even meat that we plan to eat. We put it in the refrigerator and forget about it until it resembles some kind of gross science experiment. Then we have to throw it away. And that’s literally like tossing dollar bills in the trash.

Buying just enough to cover your meals and using everything you buy will save you a lot of money just from avoiding the waste.

You Can Match Your Menu To Sales

Is there an incredible deal on chicken this week at your favorite store? If so, you can lock in those savings by planning a lot of your meals this week around that sales ingredient.

By looking at the sales flyer for the store ahead of time, you’ll be able to spot those sales. You can even turn it into a game of sorts in which you try to incorporate as many sales foods as possible into your menu.

You Won’t Be Eating Out

Many of us decide to order takeout after a long day at work because we’re tired and can’t face the thought of cooking. Or we aren’t really sure what we have at home to fix and we don’t want to have to stop by the store when we barely have the energy to press the gas pedal to get ourselves home.

If you have a simple fix for dinner ready to go at home, you’re going to save a small fortune by not eating out. You’ll also save a bit on the gas money you would have had to shell out to get to the restaurant.

Stay Away From Impulse Groceries

Without a firm menu in mind, it can be far too easy to splurge on groceries you know you shouldn’t be buying in the first place if you’re on a tight budget. Those steaks might catch your eye if you don’t have a plan when you enter the store. But with a menu in hand, you’ll walk right by and stick to the list.