This post contains affiliate links.
- Sit down and write a list of the foods that you know you and your family enjoy eating.
- Select a plan of action as to how you’d like to organize your weekly menu;
- White Board: Create a weekly calendar on a small 8×10 white board to hang on the fridge. (Use sharpie for the marks that you do not want to erase.)
- Calendar: You can use a simple calendar to plan meals. Small desktop calendars work the best.
- Homemade menu planner’s are a fun way to keep track of meals. You can check out my free printable meal planner, or get this cute one from The Executive Mom.
- Be sure to select a day that you will sit down and plan your meals each week (or every two weeks or month, whichever you choose to do.) The same day each week tends to work the best for shopping.
- Prepack any foods that can be used as snacks such as fruits, vegetables, crackers, and cheese cubes.
- Freeze your meats in servings so that you can take them out the morning that you plan to eat them.
- Make freezer meals for those days that are just too busy.
- Plan your shopping trips in detail. Often for the best prices a trip to two or three stores works the best. Plan a route, list, and a budget to shop efficiently.
- Want to skip the planning step and just HAVE the plan? Join eMeals
. With several meal plans to choose from you can get exactly what you want, in the portions you need. eMeals can even plan you breakfast, lunch, dinner or desserts!
Rose @ Walnut Acre says
I love having a meal plan and usually plan at least weekly, sometimes for longer than a week. 🙂
Lux G. says
Perfect to start the new year.
Yvonne Woodstock says
Wow,-I-have-never-heard-of-E-meals-before-now…that-sure-would-save-me-HOURS-each-week-just-figuring-out-what-recipes-I-want-to-make-that-fit-our-needs-but-aren’t-the-same-thing-all-the-time..we-like-a-lot-of-variety…I’m-already-browsing-through-their-website-because-of-your-blog-article.
Thanks-for-sharing.
jeani b says
thank you! i have been considering this for some time. i think it would really maximize our budget!
Angela Ingles says
I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time. Thanks for the tips!
Diana @ NannyToMommy says
I love meal planning! Definitely the way to go when you are on a budget.
Edye says
All great tips! I am thinking about staring this 🙂
Shakeia Rieux says
This is something I need to start doing. I never think about meal planning, this would save time
Angel Arzadon says
Thank you for the tips! I would probably need to do this when I start living by myself. Would save a lot of time!
Elena says
Great tips! I would like to start meal planning
Linda J Madden says
I love the idea of meal planning! It would make life so much more unchaotic during the week.
Janet Boyanton says
Meal planning has so many benefits. It encourages healthy eating (or it can if you want it to), allows the family to try new foods and recipes, and saves a lot of money. We are a three generational family ranging from 66 to 4. Meal planning can be a challenge, but it makes meal times run smoother.