Gone are the days that I just stop somewhere for dinner with my husband after work. Now we have young kids who like to eat around 5:30 and my husband’s ever-changing work schedule. So we NEEDED some serious planning that added some structure and predictability to our lives. And meal planning saves money-BONUS! 🙂
Initially I did this by myself but then I would catch my husband saying things like “she decides what I eat” and our daughter seemed to be uninterested in meal time. So I decided it was time for a shake-up!
It’s been 2 years now that I have been doing it this way and it works great for us!
The basic principle-PLANNING!
- Have a day that you sit down to review grocery ads, digital coupons and make note of the things that need to be eaten in the house.
- Have a meal planning document listing your usual “go-to recipes” so you always have some inspiration. (more on this below)
- Match up the items on sale etc.. (from bullet 1) with the meal planning document.
- In a notebook have one side listing the days of the week (whichever day your week starts with) along with the ingredients you need to make it happen.
- Go shopping in your pantry, fridge and freezer before leaving for the store.
- When you get home post the weekly menu somewhere that everyone can see it so they know what to expect. I also find it helpful to have an area to list leftovers so that things don’t get lost in the fridge abyss.
Helpful tip: Some people like having certain days of the week dedicated to specific types of food. I found this to be a bit too restricting in the spirit on saving money since certain items need to be eaten first (soon to expire, thawed etc..). So how about instead we commit to a THOUGHTFULLY THRIFTY day? We have one of these a week and it rotates from week to week. But it reminds me to make really budget friendly meal at least one day.
So you might be wondering how this is actually a family affair.
Get your kids involved in the weekly ad process. Go through the ad together, have them identify items (helping with name recognition) and discuss the cost of items. Explain what the purpose of ads and coupons are and why we use them. Then ask them to pick out items that look appealing to them.
The first time I did this I really expected them to just hunt down cookies, cereal etc.. But surprisingly they really enjoyed picking out fruits and veggies. Then when we go to the store they can pick the items out, check them off the list and recognize them when we make meals.
So about the meal planning document. Here is the one we use. It doesn’t encompass every meal we make but includes ones that are easy enough for a weeknight but can be dressed up. Meal Planning Document
This is the part I get my husband involved in. I will hand him the laminated meal planning document and ask him what he would like to eat this week. He will usually pick out 1-3 things and then I fill in the rest.
After all the planning is done I write it up on our chalkboards and head to the store!
So go out there, get organized, save some money and have fun!
Anchor And Rope 