After a long day juggling work, traffic, and family life, all we want is a warm, satisfying meal on the table. One that doesn’t cost a fortune or take hours to prepare. But with everything going on, it’s easy to fall into the trap of last-minute takeout or repeated meals that leave everyone bored.
That’s where meal planning can be a lifesaver. A weekly meal plan lays out what you and your family will eat each day for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. It helps you stay organized, keep your spending in check, and avoid those frustrating “ma ano’ng ulam?” moments. In other words, it not only makes cooking easier. It can also help you save money, reduce waste, and even earn rewards, especially if you’re using a Landers credit card when doing your grocery runs.
Let’s break down how this simple strategy can totally change the way you shop, cook, and eat.
1. You’ll Eat Healthier While Avoiding Boring Meals
When you plan ahead, you make room for variety and nutrition. Essentially, you’re not just throwing something together at the last minute. You’re being intentional with what you cook and eat. Plus, you can balance protein, carbs, and veggies without overthinking it every single day. Maybe Monday is chicken tinola night, Wednesday is for pasta, and Friday is your new “no-meat” experiment.
Meal planning also gives you a chance to try that trending air fryer recipe, revisit your mom’s favorite sinigang, or finally cook that Korean beef bowl you saved on TikTok. Before you know it, you’ll have a rotation of meals you’ll look forward to making and eating.
2. You’ll Save Time, Money, and Even Earn Cashback
Let’s talk savings. One of the best parts of meal planning is how it simplifies your grocery trips. Once you know what meals you’re making, you can create a focused grocery list and stick to it. That means fewer impulse buys, fewer return trips, and less money wasted on ingredients you won’t use.
Here’s where it gets even better. If you’re a Landers member or a frequent shopper at the superstore, the Landers Cashback Everywhere Credit Card is perfect for you because it gives you up to 5% cashback at Landers, 2% on dining spends, and 1% on all other qualified transactions.*
When you shop at Landers, you’ll start with a base cashback rate of 3% if your total credit card spending is below PHP 20,000. This rate increases to 4% when you spend a minimum of PHP 20,000, wherever you use your card, and then it increases further to 5% when you accumulate a total qualified credit card spending of at least PHP 50,000 during the month. Moreover, each point you collect with your card is equivalent to PHP 1, and the points you accumulate can be used as a discount on your next grocery run at Landers. That’s like turning your grocery bill into future savings.
3. You Can Plan Around Sales and Seasonal Items
Another underrated benefit? Meal planning helps you take full advantage of sales and seasonal produce. After all, if you’re making your plan after checking weekly promos or in-store deals, you can tweak your meals to match the discounts. Let’s say you were planning creamy carbonara but find that Landers has a deal on fresh tomatoes and herbs. Why not switch it up with a homemade red sauce instead? You still follow the spirit of your plan, but you save money and maybe even discover a new favorite.
4. You Reduce Daily Stress
We’ve all been there. Standing in the kitchen at 6 PM, exhausted, and trying to figure out what to cook. With meal planning, that stress disappears. You already have a game plan, and in many cases, some prep is already done. One great tip from regular meal planners is to use the weekend to make your weeknight meals easier. This means pre-chop veggies, marinate meats, or even cook a few full meals in advance.
Moreover, some people batch-cook rice and proteins, then just mix and match during the week. Others even cook double and freeze half, so they have a backup dinner when schedules get too tight. Imagine the relief of knowing that dinner is already sorted while everyone else is scrambling.
Plus, a planned dinner often means more time to sit down with family, better conversations, and less temptation to order fast food out of convenience.
5. You’ll Waste Less Food
Raise your hand if you’ve ever thrown out wilted spinach or expired yogurt. This happens quite a lot when your meals are unplanned. Because you end up buying “just in case” ingredients that don’t get used.
In contrast, meal planning keeps your fridge and pantry under control. You buy what you know you’ll use, and that’s it. That means less waste, fewer forgotten leftovers, and more value from everything you buy.
And if there are leftovers, you already know how to reuse them. Maybe roast chicken from dinner turns into chicken salad for lunch. A leftover veggie side becomes tomorrow’s omelet. With a plan, nothing goes to waste.
Meal Planning Plus Smart Shopping Equals Big Wins
Meal planning isn’t about being strict. It’s more about being smart. In particular, you gain control over your meals, your time, and your grocery budget. You’ll also eat better, waste less, and stress less. And when you pair it with savvy shopping strategies, like watching for sales and using your Landers Cashback Everywhere Credit Card, you turn everyday spending into actual savings.
You don’t need to go all in right away. You can start simple and plan just three meals next week. Then, see what works and what doesn’t. Pretty soon, meal planning becomes second nature, and the benefits follow naturally.
So next time you’re writing your grocery list, think beyond the meals. Think about the rewards, the time saved, the peace of mind, and the cashback that’s just waiting to be earned.
*Transactions that don’t qualify include: cash in, cash advance, quasi cash purchases, casinos and gambling, fuel, supermarket, pharmaceuticals, utilities, telco, and government.
