Weekly meal planning is one of the most effective ways to stay on top of your household budget. It also helps reduce food waste and removes the daily pressure of figuring out what to cook, especially on busy weekdays. Additionally, planning your meals allows you to be more intentional with your purchases and avoid overspending on items you don’t really need.
Shopping at a Landers Superstore can take your meal planning efforts further. With access to exclusive member-only deals and discounts, you can stretch your budget while enjoying a variety of quality products. If you have an exclusive Landers credit card like the Landers Everywhere Cashback Credit Card from Maya, you can also use it to pay for your groceries and earn cashback points that you can use for future spending at the superstore, giving you even more value with every purchase.
To make the most of your Landers shopping trip, here are a number of strategies that can also help you plan for your weekly meals better.
Start with What You Already Have
Before stepping out for your grocery run, take a few minutes to check what’s already available in your pantry, fridge, and freezer. You might be surprised by how many ingredients you can still use. Take this opportunity to also list down what you have and identify items that are close to their expiration date. Doing so will help you prioritize ingredients that you intend to use in your upcoming meals and prevent unnecessary waste.
Let’s say you spot a nearly empty bag of frozen mixed veggies and some leftover rice; you can use those items to plan for a simple fried rice dish. Got some canned tuna and a few eggs instead? Then you already have the makings of a simple tuna omelet or sandwich.
Watch Out for any Landers Promos, Sales, and Deals
One of the smartest ways to plan meals on a budget is to base them on what’s currently on sale. Landers regularly offers promotions and discounts for its members, and these can include buy-one-get-one offers, price drops on meats and pantry staples, and even limited-time bundles for holiday or seasonal items. Before shopping, visit the Landers website or social media accounts to see which items are discounted for the week.
If chicken drumsticks are on promo, consider building a few meals around them, such as chicken adobo, fried chicken, or tinola. Discounts on spaghetti packs? That could mean you’re all set for a pasta weekend night. When you plan your meals around these promos, you also learn to be more flexible and creative in the kitchen.
Pay Using Your Landers Cashback Everywhere Credit Card
Maximizing your grocery budget doesn’t stop at what you buy; it also includes how you pay. At Landers, you can use various payment options, including a variety of debit and credit cards and e-wallets. But if you're looking to get more value out of your shopping trips, the Landers Cashback Everywhere Credit Card is the smartest choice. With this card, you can earn up to 5% cashback at Landers, 2% on dining spends, and 1% on all other qualified transactions.* To unlock the 5% cashback rate, all you need to do is accumulate PHP 50,000 worth of total spending on your card for the month; that’s not just spending at Landers, but anywhere you pay using your credit card.
The cashback points you earn from using the Landers cashback credit card can be redeemed at any Landers nationwide. Each point is equivalent to PHP 1, and the points you accumulate can be used as a discount on your next purchase. Moreover, applying for a Landers credit card is easy and can be done on the Maya app with these simple steps:
- Go to the Cards tab and click Apply Now for the Landers Cashback Everywhere Credit Card banner.
- Enter your Landers membership number.
- Choose a cardholder name.
- Choose a billing date.
- Complete your application and get your credit card details on the Maya app.
Choose Multi-Purpose Ingredients
Another strategy to stretch your grocery budget is to select ingredients that can be used in multiple dishes. These are items that offer flexibility and variety, allowing you to prepare several meals without buying too many different things. For example, a tray of ground pork can be used for ginisang giniling, lumpia, or even as a component of meat sauce in pasta dishes. Eggs can be part of your breakfast (boiled, scrambled, or sunny side up), lunch (added to sopas or sandwiches), or dinner (in tortang talong).
This tactic will help simplify your meal planning. Instead of creating separate shopping lists for every single dish, you can focus on a few staple ingredients and work them into various meals throughout the week.
Stock Up on Long-Shelf-Life Pantry Staples
Pantry staples with long shelf lives are essential when you’re planning weekly meals on a budget. Items like rice, pasta, canned meat and fish, tomato sauce, instant noodles, canned soup, and frozen veggies can be stored for weeks or even months and used whenever needed. They’re especially helpful for building quick meals during busy weekdays or when you haven’t had time to shop for fresh ingredients.
When you shop at Landers, you’ll often find large packs and family-sized versions of these pantry staples, making meal planning even more budget-friendly. Moreover, investing in these during promo periods can help you save even more.
Planning your weekly meals around your Landers grocery shopping budget is more than just a money-saving tip. It’s a practical habit that adds structure to your week and helps minimize food waste. Thankfully, with the right strategies, you can enjoy a variety of delicious meals without going over budget. So, the next time you shop at Landers, bring your meal plan with you. You might be surprised at how far your budget can take you.
*Transactions that don’t qualify include: cash in, cash advance, quasi cash purchases, casinos and gambling, fuel, supermarket, pharmaceuticals, utilities, telco, and government.
