There’s been a bit of discussion rolling around in the TLP forums about menu planning, so I thought I would share what has worked wonders for our family!
A few months back, I was fed up to the max with my lack of execution when it came to actually planning and preparing meals at home. I had the very best of intentions, but without a plan, I was floundering. We were driving through WAY more than I would like to admit, and our bellies and budget were taking the hit for it. In my desperation and determination to make a change, I did what every reasonable woman would do… I went to Wal-Mart. *lol* Seriously, though, I knew I needed to find SOMETHING that would be cheap and easy to put in place, and that would actually WORK. I bought a $3 planner, which is now what I use for my menu planning.
I use the monthly calendar to sort of plot out what I’m going to make and when. For instance, I know I need crock-pot or super quick meals on Thursdays, so I can go right down the line and jot down my Thursday meals. I can also make sure that I’m not making spaghetti and lasagna right by each other, or tacos and enchiladas back-to-back. I try not to repeat a meal twice in a month, and so far I’ve been able to get through every single month without repeats. Gone are the days of stand-by hot dogs *blech*.
Then as the week approaches, I fill in the weekly pages with details – main course, sides, any deserts, etc. I also list out our after-school snacks on these pages for better inventory control. I have found that filling in the weekly pages in a bit of a shorter-term approach has worked better than doing this at the onset of the month. The reason is simple and two-fold: first, I can be sure to incorporate any on-hand veggies, potatoes, and other perishables into my menu for the week to use them before they spoil, and secondly, I can better take advantage of store sales from week to week on the fresh items if I plan this a little closer to the actual date of the meal.
This system has really been a life saver for me! I love knowing ahead of time what I’m going to make. I do it all in pencil, in case I need to make changes, because I basically STINK at setting stuff in stone! Yes, it takes a bit of time to sit down and hash out a month’s worth of meals. Yes, it’s a bit daunting, but it has been SO worth it! Not only have I felt so much more in-control when it comes to meal times, but we’ve cut way back on our dining-out spending AND our grocery budget! Our grocery budget has dropped an average of $150 a month since I’ve been using this planning system!
So what’s on the menu for tonight? For us it will be:
Layered Enchilada Bake with fresh vegetable toppingsFresh SalsaMini Corn MuffinsI’ll share the recipe for the Enchilada Bake in the TLP Chatty Pad! Come join us and share your ideas and recipes too!
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