Meal Planning

This should always be the first stop on your way to saving money. Trust me on this one. Since coming back from a week vacation I have yet to make a meal plan and I have been completely lost. I went grocery shopping for our regular staples and yet have nothing to make one solid meal. I'm completely lost and beyond frustrated knowing that I need to go shopping again to get that can of spaghetti sauce, vegetables, pasta... just to make it through this week. A meal plan is a worthy tool if only to take the stress out of what you're eating each night. I love cooking! I hate thinking of what to cook.

When making your meal plan think of all areas: breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks. Make a list of the usuals on a note card. For example breakfast at or house is almost always cereal, eggs, french toast, and toast throughout the week. I know I need to keep these ingredients on hand every week, but don't need to plan specific days. Snacks are the same way. However, lunch is very specific at our house (just ask my husband who's been in trouble for making mac & cheese on the wrong day). Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday we're almost always rushing home for lunch so Spaghetti Os and hot dogs are saved for those days. Tuna, sandwiches, and mac & cheese for days when I don't have two kids hanging on my leg waiting for lunch. And of course plan "Mommy-lunches" in your menu as well. I rarely eat what I feed my kids for lunch. My favorites are salad, veggie quesadillas, and homemade fried rice.

Now if you're a creature of insane habits like me eventually you may not need as detailed meal plan. I ate the same lunch nearly everyday while teaching. I like my regular things and know exactly what I'll need to put on my shopping list for the week. Therefore, I print out a month calendar and create a month's plan of dinners. This also helps me save money by using up as much of the ingredients I buy as possible. For example, if I buy kielbasa for jambalaya one night, the next week I plan mostacolli to use the rest of it up. I also like to get the planning done once a month instead of once a week.

Finally, plan your weekly menu based on your shopping week, not the calendar week. I usually shop in Saturday so my menu week begins Saturday and goes through Friday. If you don't shop till Monday when the kids are back in school don't start you menu week Sunday or you'll be going hungry that day.