This week, I want to talk about one of my favorite things: meal planning. I love meal planning because, when done well, it can save your family tons of time and money. This works really well for people who are on a budget (aren't we all?), have a specific diet, or short on time. "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail" applies to meals too! No more setting something out, and not knowing what to do with it, or spending too much time in the grocery store trying to decide what to cook. You'll be prepared every time.
Meal planning begins with lists. Lots of them, by the end of it. Do you guys remember how much I love lists? I like to keep a list of our favorite meals so I can quickly make a choice based on what I have to do that week. This also ties back into day planning; if I'm going to be home late on Tuesday, I know I either need a crockpot meal or something really quick and easy, because otherwise, we're eating out. Now, if that's your thing, no judgement here. But sometimes it's not in the budget, especially in 2023's economy.
After I make my menu plan, based on what plans I have for the week, I write out my grocery list, going through each meal and listing ingredients by category (meat, produce, dairy, bakery, etc.) Then, I go through my pantry and fridge, to make sure I don't buy something I already have. After I check those items off, I'm ready to go the grocery store. The trip is so much shorter when you have a game plan. It takes me half the time it would take otherwise.
The steps are really simple. I'll be honest, I don't have a fancy notebook or binder full of recipes and meals. You can do that if you'd like, and I want to work on having that, eventually. But I currently have my meal list saved in the notes app on my phone. I don't have a planner dedicated to meal planning. Shocking, right? I don't even use the same notebook. It's different every time! You can spend one dollar, or fifty dollars to meal plan, but I promise, the result will be the same.
I hope this gives you an idea on how to start meal planning. It really does help when you have a budget. I've been able to keep our grocery budget under $700 per month for a family of four picky eaters, even through inflation. If you're interested in how I do that, and would like to know more, comment below and we can chat.
I hope you guys have a fantastic week!
-xx Alycia
P.S.
Check out one of my favorite planners here (Ashley Shelly): https://ashleyshelly.com/ref/103/
And here (Silk + Sonder): https://shareasale.com/r.cfm?b=1461423&u=3765598&m=93424&urllink=&afftrack=
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