When we have guests over, they almost always comment on my menu board. (It's actually a DIY project you can check out here). People can't believe that I actually write out what we are going to eat for the week! My response is always, "But how do you do know what to buy when you go to the grocery store without a plan?" So today I thought I would share a little bit about how and why I plan out our meals.
So why menu plan?
1) Menu planning is one of the biggest ways you can save money on groceries! When I first started menu planning in college my goal wasn't necessarily to save money. However, my list-making, plan-everything-out personality soon found that it was great benefit! You can make menu's based on what you have in your pantry, what is on sale, and limit your impulse buys.
2) Menu planning saves you time and stress! You do not have run to the store, you are not standing in front of your fridge wondering what you can eat, and your less likely to be tempted to go out or bring something home. You can look ahead on your schedules and see when you need a quick and easy meal or even if left overs would be okay.
3) When you do go to the grocery store you have a purpose and you're not wondering around buying things on impulse (well, hopefully!) It also limits the number of trips you make to the grocery store, which in turn saves you more money and more time.
4) Menu planning helps you make healthier choices.
5) I grew up eating around the table with my family and that was important to me to bring into our marriage as well. Even though there are only 2 of us, we sit at the table and spend time together over dinner. Menu planning allows us to do that because we can cook together and then focus on eating together.
So, what's my method?
There is no right or wrong way, you just have to find what works for you.
To get started, all you need is a notepad or you can find some really cute printables online like this one! I took the weekly meal planner sheet from this website and made it to where I can fit 4 weeks on a paper front and back. I only meal plan for dinner, so this works well for me!
2) Next, I consult my homemade Recipe Book and Pinterest of course to come up with around 12 or so meals. My goal is usually to have 2 weeks worth of meals on hand so that I can limit my grocery store trips to 2-3 times a month. This is where the meal planning sheet comes in. I write out our main dish and sides and whatever ingredients I might need. Most people probably do not list ingredients, but it is helpful for me. I write in pencil just in case something comes up or I change my mind about what I want to eat! :)
3) My next step to is to check out the weekly ads and coupon match ups. I use Southern Savers and I am a huge fan! I check out what fruits and vegetables are on sale, especially at Aldi. (Huge fan of Aldi, I save so much on produce there!) I see if meat is on sale somewhere and if I need to try and buy more. And of course I see what other items would be good stock up prices. There are many things that I practically never buy if they are not on sale. Our grocery budget is modest but we honestly do not sacrifice on anything. Things like chips or sweets are never bought without a good sale and I never buy chicken or beef unless it is on sale (Although Wal-Mart and Sam's prices are good) When I do buy it, I buy a lot, divide it up into portions, and freeze it. I am not an extreme couponer by any means and I have actually been a little burnt out on couponing lately, but I do use them when I can and it does save me money. (The key to couponing is to match it with a sale price.)
4) Then I make my grocery list using my menu and looking to see if there are other items I am low on. All that is left is traveling to grocery store and transferring the menu to my chalkboard! The chalkboard is helpful in our family so that when my husband is making dinner he knows where to look. (Although he still asks me a dozen times!)
And that's it folks! Simple, and a huge time and money saver!
** Another way we save money on groceries is eating our leftovers! We eat them for lunch and sometimes again for dinner. I hate to waste food, so we often have sides again with a new main dish. You do not realize how hard it is to cook for 2 people until your fridge is overflowing with leftover food! Sometimes I might even freeze something for another time.
For more tips on menu planning and saving on your grocery budget, check out these links below:
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