Going to the grocery for a week or a month’s sustenance requires careful planning, something which Michelle Madrigal is following to the core.
The actress-turned-fitness coach mentioned things that she needs to take into account, like her husband’s vegan diet, as per her YouTube video on Friday, Sept. 25.
Madrigal, who is based in the United States, said she does not have to cook every day as she mainly prepares food for her and their daughter.
Most of the items she buys are produce, with a few bags of junk food and chocolate that she and her husband sneak into their healthy diets.
Jotting down what needs to be refilled and what ingredients to buy are two main things that Michelle strictly follows.
To figure out what ingredients to purchase, she advised, “Look for the recipes na gusto mong gawin (that you want to make) for the whole week.”
This is followed by scouring the pantry and the fridge for things that need to be replenished.
“I go over the pantry and the fridge just to see kung ano ang mga wala kami (what we don’t have),” she said, stating that staples in their pantry are oats that they have for breakfast, as well as rice, quinoa and pasta.
Madrigal shared that her family is also into vegan pasta like chickpeas or lentil pasta.
“So, there’s added protein kahit na minsan kunwari wala kang masyadong ilagay na meat (even if you don’t put meat) or just the marinara sauce,” she said.
Third is to write everything you need, including things you don’t need to buy.
She cited oil, say sauce, salt and pepper as among those that one can be bought once a month.
To save on money and time, her strategy is to go to Costco if she needs to buy items by bulk. Her other tip is to bring your own reusable bags.
Madrigal shared that her weekly budget is usually pegged at $150 to $180 (about P7,200 to P8,700). It only changes when she buys items like toiletries, paper towels, kitchen utensils, which makes the total add up to about $200. NVG
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