January 2013 Challenge {Meal Planning: Week 1}

Making dinner was always a struggle us. I don't like cooking. I'm not very good at it and always seem to find a way to mess it up. Then there was the issue as to who was making dinner each night - and what we were going to have. Most of the time, we'd end up just going out. Lots of wasted money there.

We finally started meal planning on a weekly basis and agreed that Chris would cook every night since he works from home and I'm on clean up duty. I'd rather clean up than cook, so this deal has worked out well.

Why meal planning? It saves time and money each week. We menu plan - together - before we go grocery shopping for the week. We also go grocery shopping together. While shopping, we come up with new meal ideas for another week and stock up on anything that is on sale and doesn't go bad quickly. We do not plan out breakfast or lunch. I have an English muffin for breakfast everyday and usually take left overs or a salad for lunch. But if you make breakfast and lunch for your family everyday, this may be a good option for you.

Tip #1 - Choose a specific day to meal plan each week and add it to your calendar. You'll be more consistent at meal planning because it becomes part of your weekly routine. 


Tip #2 - Meal plan before grocery shopping for the week. Add ingredients needed to your grocery list so you have everything you need for the week. You won't have to run back to the store to pick up dinner anymore!

This is the grocery list I use. It makes shopping easy since everything is categorized for me already. This document {in a different font and in color} is fully customizable with your own categories and available for purchase in my Etsy store.

Tip #3 - Keep a list of your family's favorite meals handy. This makes meal planning a breeze. I have some of our favorites in my home & life binder, under the meal planning category, along with the ingredients needed for that recipe. While I'm planning, I can choose a meal and quickly view what I need to make the meal, without having to go through my recipes to find the info. I also have a list of dinner ideas that simply lists meal choices. The images below are examples of what mine look like. These documents {in a different font, but same colors} are available in the grocery & meal planning set in my Etsy store.

Tip #4 - Plan as far in advance as you need. I plan by week. Others plan for two weeks at a time or by month. I have planned out a whole month in advance before. It was last year right after Chris was laid off. We planned the whole month of April to have money. It worked wonderfully and I wouldn't be opposed to it again, but for now weekly is good.

Tip #5 - Choose a system that works well for you. You can plan online with something like Google Calendar or on paper. We plan on paper and post it in the kitchen. This way, we're always able to quickly look at the weekly menu and see what we need to take out of the freezer, if needed.

This is the page I use to write down our weekly meals. {Download}

Ultimately, meal planning is a necessity for us because it saves us time. I suggest trying it to see if it works out for you and your family.

Your challenge today is to try out some of these tips, if you think they'll work for you. Save the printables that go along with meal planning. =]