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Home » Recipes » How To Save $8,000 AND 200 Hours a Year Prepping Breakfast and Lunch Once a Month!

How To Save $8,000 AND 200 Hours a Year Prepping Breakfast and Lunch Once a Month!

In 2023, my love affair with meal prep began, promising to revolutionize our family’s routine. However, 2024 threw us a curveball when illness struck, leaving me sidelined and reliant on takeout. It was a wake-up call – meal prep was more than just a habit; it was a lifeline. With each missed Sunday prep, our budget felt the strain, prompting a rethink of our meal prep strategy.

Prepping One-Month in One-Day

Enter the concept of prepping one month’s worth of meals in a single day. The idea seemed daunting at first, but the prospect of reclaiming my weekends and spending more time with my kids was irresistible. Not to mention, the thought of only having to shop for groceries once a month was a game-changer in itself.

Getting Started

Last month, my inaugural one-month meal prep took a solid six hours. Determined to streamline the process, I set out to optimize every minute. This month, I’m thrilled to report that I’ve slashed the prep time down to just 4 hours and 15 minutes – a feat made possible by careful planning and efficiency.

Today, I’m excited to share all of the recipes I prepped for our one-month meal prep. But wait, there’s more! I’ve also put together a free guide on mastering meal prep, complete with scheduling worksheets to simplify your process.

And for those interested in diving deeper, my latest guide, “One Month in One Day Meal Prep for Busy Parents Volume 2,” is now available for purchase.

This guide includes:

  • Full shopping list
  • Equipment list
  • Additional tips for success
  • Sample scheduling worksheets and pre-populated schedule for your to make your own
  • All printable 13 recipes (ad free)

This is your ticket to stress free meal prep!

But that’s not all. For the first 50 downloads, I’m offering a generous 50% discount. And for those looking to complete their collection, the first 50 purchasers of both volumes (1&2) will receive Volume 1 for just $.99. Trust me, this is a game-changer you won’t want to miss out on!

Get yours today!

Buy my product

Now, let’s delve into what’s on the menu for this one-month prep:

Breakfast:

Carrot Cake Overnight Oats

bacon, egg, and cheese egg bites in a glass Tupperware

Egg Bites

Carrot Cake Breakfast Bars

Protein Bagels

Kids Breakfast Preps:

Sheet Pan Pancakes

zucchini bread on a plate with a fork

Zucchini Bread

Lunch Prep Recipes:

Buffalo Bowls

ground turkey meal preps taco bowls

Taco bowls

thai peanut bowls with chicken in a meal prep container

Thai Chicken Bowls

Egg Roll Bowls

Snack Prep:

Steamed Eggs: To make these perfectly cooked eggs, I use my rice cooker. I use the steam setting and set it for 14 minutes. When the timer starts, I add the eggs in the steam basket. When the 14 minutes is up, place the eggs in an ice bath. Once they cool they are ready to eat!

Harvest Granola or Protein Granola

blueberry banana muffins on a baking rack on top of a blue flower pattern table cloth

Blueberry Banana Muffins


Get ready to revolutionize your meal prep routine and reclaim your time – you deserve it!

Watch Me Make this Meal Prep on My YouTube Channel:

FOR MORE MONEY SAVING TIPS CHECK OUT THESE VIDEOS:

  • 8 Meals that Saved Me $100’s
  • 20 Expert Tips to Slash Your Grocery Bill
  • Cheap but Underrated Budget Meals

MORE MONEY SAVING RECIPES TO TRY:

  • Homemade Seasoned Oyster Crackers
  • 6 Affordable Ground Beef Recipes
  • Poor Man’s Recipes

Maria Ronan is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Links on this site may include affiliate links to Amazon and its affiliate sites on which the owner of this website will make a referral commission. Thank you for supporting Meals With Maria! My videos and website are for entertainment purposes only. Any information related to food, food safety, cooking, recipes, etc. are my opinions only. Maria Ronan is not liable and/or responsible for any advice, services, or product you obtain through this video and websit

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Maria Ronan of Meals With Maria

About Maria

Real life, good food, and making the most of what we have.

Hi, I’m Maria! I share the real-life food I’m making for my family — grocery trips, family meals, meal prep, from-scratch favorites, and the recipes we actually want to make again.

Around here, it’s less about having more and more and more about making something good with what we already have.

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