Day 22: Baby Steps, and Making it Work for You

I don’t want you to be overwhelmed and discouraged in this whole business of menu planning.

I was talking with dear husband today about this series, because I was asked to share some ideas with a ladies group on menu planning. In talking to him, I realized that I may have made this seem a little more overwhelming than it needs to be.

There’s a method in the madness, or at least in my madness. I’m sharing some of what works for me, but you need what works for you.

To make a menu plan that works for your family, and helps you to be more organized and save money, you need to tailor it in any way you must to work for your family.

Let’s recap a bit:

1. Find out what your family’s favorites are that fit your everyday budget. (not so budget friendly meals are good for special occasions). Don’t serve food that is unfamiliar or that no one likes. You’ll not stick with it if you’re using someone else’s favorite meals. If you’re a confident cook, start to figure out how to make some family take-out favorites at home.

2. Start Small — plan a week at a time to start off. Or, if it works for you, keep going a week at a time. It’s better than planning your menu as the kids are asking “Mom, what’s for dinner? I’m hungry!”

3. Mind your Schedule — make sure the time needed for the meal matches the busyness of your schedule for the day. If you have a field trip that day with the kids, you’ll need something simple or crock pot friendly for sure!

4. Longer term menu planning — every 2, 3, or 4 weeks — may take a little longer at first, but it helps you save time in the long run, and helps you with stocking up during sales that cycle throughout the month in many grocery stores.

5. Have a plan for rotating your pantry stock and leftovers, so you don’t leave some poor, orphaned can of beans for decades, or until your leftovers and the containers they were saved in become one. Once a week “leftovers meal” works well in our family.

6. As much as is possible, make some meals ahead of time (and freeze them) and make use of homemade conveinece foods.

7. Become friends with your slow cooker (“Crock Pot”), as it will save you time and can be a help in preparing at least part of your favorite meals.

8. To save on time, note which foods are free to snack on, or else you may find yourself out of key ingredients.

9. Whichever way you display your menu plan, make it work for you, and your household. There are many variations, including many frugal diy variations, that you can look at for inspiration. Display your menu plan in such a way that you’ll use it!

Don’t be overwhelmed. The idea behind menu planning is to save you time and some sanity, not make you stress out about it.

Make it work for you!

Happy Planning,