The Magic Meal Plan Guide

“Mom, what’s for dinner?” Nearly every mom without a meal plan dreads that question. 

I’ve been making family meals for over three decades, and without a meal plan I still dread that question.  When I was a young mom, there were always women who looked like they had everything together. 

I felt like there had to be secrets to what they did.  I found out that no mom has everything together, but there are secrets to being more successful, and one of those secrets is meal planning. 

Meal planning saves my wallet, my time and most importantly, my sanity on a regular basis, and it’s easier than you think.

How to Start making a meal plan

What’s important to you when it comes to getting meals on the table?  For me it has always been making simple meals that taste great and don’t break my budget. 

Food bills can ruin a budget, especially when eating out is your “go to” meal. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love to eat out, but in most cases, food cooked at home is much cheaper and better for you than anything you buy as “take out”. 

Pinterest is full of amazing recipes, and I love sharing my own recipes here and on Pinterest.  To meal plan on a budget decide how much you want to spend per month, per week or per meal and move on from there.

Decide where to shop 

Where to shop is a big decision.  Some people prefer one store to save time.  Some prefer local.  Bargain hunters shop at multiple stores for the best prices. 

In my area, Aldi has better prices on middle of the grocery store items like paper towels, peanut butter, canned goods and bagels, and who doesn't love a trip down the aisle of shame? If you know, you know. 

Kroger is closer and more convenient for me with great produce, plus I got their credit card for extra fuel point, and that definitely offsets the slightly higher prices on some things. 

Meijer has great prices but isn’t worth my time to drive 8 miles with other stores so close, except for a few items I can't get elsewhere. 

Trader Joe’s has some favorite specialty items, and Costco is my go to for bulk items.  These factors help me meal plan within budget and make meals my family enjoys. 

Most of my nieces swear by grocery pickup, but since grocery shopping served as a date night for my husband and me for years, I actually enjoy going. Weird, I know.

 Let's talk coupons.

Some people love coupons.  Others hate them. 

Although some dinosaurs like me still like paper coupons on occasion, I am a sucker for electronic coupons and QR codes, and Kroger is a master at those. 

I look at online circulars to help make my grocery list, so I know what the special and sales are and take advantage of combining coupons and sales whenever possible.  This is the meat of my meal planning (pardon the pun). 

I know which items are on sale to get the best value for my menu planning dollar.  That helps me decide which proteins, vegetables and additional items I need to buy to make our favorite recipes.

 The weekly meal plan

I ask my family every week if there is a meal that they want. On weeks I'm uninspired for meals, I require them to each pick a meal, and that helps.

One of our go to meals is roast because it's an easy meal to prepare. 

To make a roast, I add carrots, onions, celery, potatoes, beef broth, garlic and a sprinkle of dried thyme to a crock pot. Easy Peasy.

I check my supplies then add the ones I’m missing to the grocery list.  The best part about a roast is leftovers. 

My husband shreds the leftover meat and makes shredded beef barbecue sandwiches for lunches.  I use the leftover vegetables and stock to make soup. 

A roast and veggies meat that cost $25-$45 to make converts into at least one dinner and two to three lunches as well as saving on stock for soup, which we all need right now.  A roast chicken with vegetables works the same way.

My best tip for meal planning

Do you have a family calendar?  If you do, it is your best resource for meal planning.  If not, get one and read my post about how to create a Family Calendar. 

Meal planning around a busy life makes so much sense because it’s when we are the busiest that it helps to feed our family and ourselves healthy, well planned meals. 

Slow cooker meals are a menu planning blessing on days when you know you’ll be home late or your family members eat at different times. 

Sure, it’s ok to drive through now and then, but you’ll look like a hero when you have a nice hot meal at home too.  You can prep a slow cooker or pressure cooker meal the night before and either dump all the ingredients in the cooker before you leave in the morning or wait until you get home and cook them in the pressure cooker. 

Either way, you’re prepared and feed your family well. 

Make a list

Having a list at the grocery is a game changer for those on a budget.  When you have a list, you know exactly what to buy. 

Without a list, you wonder as you wander the aisles and pick up whatever catches your attention. 

That’s how budgets get busted and you end up with five bottles of soy sauce.  Thank goodness they don’t expire. 

Having a list made a huge difference in keeping my grocery bills in check. 

If the store has a digital list, I use theirs. If not, I have a note on my phone that works great too. 

Keep a running total

 Have you ever stood at the checkout and nearly cried when the cashier announced your total, even after coupons and deals?  I certainly have, and it’s not a fun moment. 

To keep that to a minimum, I keep a running total of what I spend as I delete items off my digital list.  Because of that, I rarely experience grocery sticker shock anymore.

 Shopping is done                                                                                        

You have the food and a plan.  Now what? 

First, post your plan where everyone can see it to hold you accountable for your purchases. 

For years I bought groceries with mental plan that never worked and ended up with rotten perishables in my fridge. 

Second, prepare as much as possible ahead of time. 

Cooked pasta keeps for a week in the fridge.  Cut up root vegetables in advance.  Salad keeps longer with a paper towel in the bag or sealed container.  Celery stays crunchy for days wrapped in foil.  Canned and frozen vegetables work in recipes that call for fresh, although I suggest using fresh whenever possible. 

It sounds like a lot of work, but an hour of prep on Sunday saves hours of aggravation later.  You’ll save, time and most important, you’ll have an answer to the question, “Mom!  What’s for dinner?”

Now if we could get someone to do the dishes!

As always, thanks for being you and have a great day!