Menu Planning

Save time and money by planning ahead!

This is what works for me and my family, please share with us what works for you and yours:

I make a two-week meal plan every payday before going to the grocery store. (We get paid every other week.) I look at the calendar to see what will be going on (do we have company coming or dinner plans anywhere else, etc.) and then I make a list of dinners we want to have. (I rarely plan breakfast or lunch, I just try to keep those things stocked and we decide from day-to-day what to have.) I like to try at least 2-3 new recipes each two-week period, so I browse my cookbooks to choose which ones to try. I also like to make at least one or two recipes that can be doubled and half frozen, as well as use one or two of the already frozen meals in my freezer. I pay attention to what meals require the freshest foods and plan to have them first as I assign meals to the calendar.

As I write down what we'll be eating, I keep a running grocery list so I am sure to buy everything I need for each of the meals. Then I make a run-through of the kitchen and pantry and add more needed items to the shopping list. (Often I've started the list already by keeping a piece of paper on the fridge where I write things down as I notice we're running low on them.)

Now I have my shopping list and know exactly what we'll be eating each night for the next two weeks. Sometimes I switch up what day we have what (depending on my mood and any unexpected plans that come up) but at least I have a general plan and all the ingredients for each dish.