First Time Monthly Meal Planning

There are so many methods and opinions about meal planning - what is best, what saves the most money and time, which is the easiest. When we were a family of 3, I shopped weekly and seldom used coupons, mostly just buying what our cravings told us. We spent $500/month on groceries (plus $200-300 eating out). When my family grew to 5, I got serious about couponing and sale shopping - I even had a massive 3" coupon binder and a stock pile filling up the coat closet in our kitchen. We spent $400/month but a lot of the items just cushioned my stockpile and took forever to get used. I did save A TON of money, but too often got sucked into the deal and overspent on things that we wouldn't use right away.

Currently, a family of 5 (almost 6) I shop every other week and plan my meals first based on what I have in the pantry, then by what is on sale and/or I have coupons for. I no longer have a binder, but a simple clutch and still save $50 on average every trip ($100/month). Another big change that I have made is that every two weeks I buy a share in a local produce co-op. For just over $30 I receive over 50 lbs of amazing fruits and veggies. Between groceries and produce I currently spend about $350-400 for our family of (6).

Recently, a friend and I were comparing methods and I got curious if I could save even more by monthly meal planning and shopping only once a month. I planned 25 meals (5 leftover nights), made a shopping list that was a little bit intimidating and set out to SAMS Club to shop. An hour and a half later I came home with my car loaded to the brim and everything I would need for the next 30 days. Here were the results...

MEALS (DAYS) PLANNED: 30
TIME SPENT: 2 1/2 hours (1 hour meal planning, 1 1/2 hours shopping)
MONEY SPENT: $350 (plus an additional $60 for the 2 produce co-ops I will participate in)
MOST EXPENSIVE ITEM: 16 pack of razors for my hubby ($45)

PROS: Less time spent at store and meal planning, ingredients for 25 meals on hand, less trips to the store means money saved on impulse purchases.

CONS: Less variety of items at bulk store, more purchased than needed at times, not able to use coupons, some items needed to be purchased at grocery store (multiple stores), obligated to prepare meals that were preplanned or repurpose ingredients into new meals.

If monthly meal planning sounds like something that would work for your family here are the printables that I used to keep me organized.
Monthly Meal Calendar
Shopping List_Large

New Meal Planning Printables!!

I am always adjusting and improving the resources I use to make them just right. I wanted a grocery list that was smaller than the previous full page version, but still as efficient and organized. The lastest version prints 3 to a page which you can cut and have made into a tear-off pad for about $1 at an office supply store. Choose colored or patterned paper & add a strip of magnet and you can stick it to your fridge. :)

Download my shopping lists for free

{smaller third page version}

{larger full page version}

I also condensed the 3 main Meal Planning worksheets onto one page! This will help you see everything on one page when you are planning your meals and making your grocery list. :) If you really want to save paper - print one and laminiate it to use over and over with a wet/dry erase marker!

Download my meal planning worksheets here for free 

{3-in-1 Meal Planning Worksheet}

{Kitchen Inventory}

{14 Day Meal Plan}

{Shopping List_full page}

Meal Planning Printables Revised

As I was planning meals for our family today, I made some revisions to these previously posted meal planning worksheets. Click on the links below to download the new editions. The old editions can still be found under the printables tab as well. :)

{14 Day Meal Planner}

* Condensed to single page * 

* Features breakfast, dinner, sweets/snacks, & homemade items *

* Columns changed to include recipe location and notes *

 

{Prep Day Planner}:

* Three columns with more space for writing *

* Features spots for recipe name & location, prep instructions by ingredient, and cooking instructions by method and time *

Meal Planning Day 5: Freezer Meals

Even though I am a stay-at-home mom evenings are crazy - - - my kids are whinny, I am tired, and a lot of times it seems like making dinner is anything but a relaxing or enjoyable time for anyone. So, to save myself time and a little sanity I like to prepare and/or freeze a lot of my meals ahead if time - with my favorite Pandora station playing and a glass of wine in hand.

Today's Goal: Prepare meals in advance to save time in the kitchen
Printable Worksheet: Prep Day Planner
Time: 10 minutes planning (prep time varies)

Step 1: Grab your {meal plan} and print the {prep day planner}. Pandora & wine highly recommended but not required ;)

Step 2: With a supply of Tupperware or ziplock bags at your side, prepare any vegetable that you have so they will be ready to cook or eat for snacks right away. If you or your kids take fruit/veggie snacks to go use snack baggies to have them ready to grab - this will also encourage your kids (and husband too) to make healthy choices!

Step 3: Decide which meals you would like to prepare right away to keep in the fridge (meal for the next 3-5 days) and which you can prepare and freeze for later. When you are deciding, keep in mind which ones are better made fresh the day that you will eat them and plan to make them on days when you will have more time in the kitchen. With the others, plan to do as much of the preparation that you can to make them "ready-to-cook" - out of the fridge into to oven. Even breakfast items can be prepped early - batters can be made the night before for quick hot breakfasts and sweet breads frozen ready to bake. {sample prep day planner}

Step 4: Choose a plan of attack based on how much time you have available.

• Option 1 - Plan a cooking day to prepare everything for the next two weeks all at once (approx. 3-4 hours)
• Option 2 - Spend a little time preparing a few meals at a time over several days (after bedtime or during naps??)
• Option 3 - Prep as you go. Make extra while you are cooking one meal with the plan to use extras in future meals. (If you are cooking chicken - make enough all at once for several meals).

As far as recipes go for freezer meals here are the top 3 best-selling cookbooks on amazon.com

  

TODAY IS THE LAST DAY TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY!!!

 

Meal Planning Day 1: {Kitchen Inventory}

Meal Planning Day 2: {Store Ads & Coupons}

Meal Planning Day 3: {14-Day Meal Plan}

Meal Planning Day 4: {Shopping & Keeping Budget}

Meal Planning Day 4: Shopping Day

Here is where the rubber meets the road and we get to see all of our hard work pay off!! You've completed the {kitchen inventory} and {store comparison worksheet} and made a {menu} for your family based first on what you have at home then by what is on sale that week at the store. The last step before you head to the store is to make a {shipping list} and gather up any coupons you plan to use.

Today's Goal: Buy all the major items that we will need for the next two weeks and stick to the budget that we have decided on ahead of time.
Printable Worksheet: Shopping List
Time: 15 minutes preparing, 1 hour at the store

Write down all the things that you plan to buy by category using one list for each store you plan to shop at.

Put any coupons you will use into an envelope and note the discount next to the corresponding item on your list.

Also, plan to bring your other coupons just in case you see something on sale/clearance that fits within your budget. And your {meal plan} if you feel it would be helpful. Stick everything into a clipboard & head out to the store.

Here are some helpful tips to keep in mind while you are shopping:

• Go to the clearance section first to see if anything is there that is on your list.
• Bring cash and decide not to spend a penny more.
• Have a little flexibility to be able to substitute or add items if they are a better price than what you had planned. For example, if you have ground beef is on your list but ground turkey is cheaper watch for that and be ready to swap items.
• Separate items that you need from items that you want in your cart to add at the end of checkout if you have money leftover. (Put a basket on the bottom of your cart for these thing)
• Don't feel obligated to buy something just because you have a coupon for it! I often end up not using at least a few of the ones I put in my envelope because the price was still too high.

When you are done checking out, celebrate what you have saved! Realize that the people on TV are on there because they are outside of the 'norm' and that most people like you and I won't save hundreds every time.

On average I save between 15-30% on my bill and I am okay with that. Knowing that I can feed my family of 5 for $300-350 a month is a realistic goal for us and one that I am proud of.

Don't forget to enter in the giveaway - one lucky reader is going to win 5 sets of coupon inserts from this weeks paper!!



Meal Planning Day 1: Kitchen Inventory - Planning meals based on what is at home
Meal Planning Day 2: Store Ads & Coupons - Planning meals based on what is on sale
Meal Planning Day 3: 14-Day Menu - Planning ahead to save money
Tomorrow: Freezer Meals - Making meals in advance to save time

Meal Planning Day 3: 14-Day Menu

We are halfway through Meal Planning Week and today we are bringing everything together that we have learned so far!! Monday we learned about the importance of starting with a simple kitchen inventory. And yesterday we covered how to use store ads and coupons to save money when planning our meals. Aside from shopping your pantry & choosing your meals by what is on sale, planning a menu for your family is a fantastic way to save on groceries! Think about it - - - when was the last time you went into the store for just one or two things and didn't add anything else to your cart?! It's nearly impossible as we meander through the store, not to grab a few more things we just must have. So, the less times you actually go to the store, the fewer unplanned for items you will purchase. And with practice and a little discipline you will learn to make a list and stick to it (more on that tomorrow).

 

 Love this Family Menu Board??

Click {here} for a BONUS Craft Tutorial!!

 

- - - In a nutshell this is how I plan our meals - - -

First - Plan to use what is already at home
Second - Buy sale items that can be used for more than one meal
Third - Eat leftovers for lunch and on "Mom's Night Off" every Saturday

Today's Goal: Plan a 14-day menu for your family
Printable Worksheet: 14-Day Menu Planner
Time: 30-60 minutes

After printing the 14-day menu planner, grab your kitchen inventory & store comparison worksheets. Right away, cross off any meals that your family will not be home. Also, add any special meals that you will need to prepare (holidays, company, gifts, potlucks, etc) to the "other" section at the bottom of the second page.

Next, by looking at your inventory list as many meals as you can come up with using items that you already have at home, using up any leftovers and fresh items first. Did you buy groceries for a meal that you didn't make - add that to the list. Missing just one or two things for something else - add that too. Need more inspiration? My Fridge Food is an awesome website where you can select items you have at home and it will generate recipes for you based on those items! Allrecipes also allows you to search recipes based on ingredients.

Once your have exhausted your pantry list, start planning meals based on what items are on sale at the stores you have chosen to shop at and the coupons that you have. Here is another opportunity for you to save even more money - - - if there is a really good deal on an item you eat often, buy what you can afford ahead of time and keep it for future menus. On Friday, we are talking about freezer meals - - - keep your eyes open for a few great family recipes, plus a list of things that freeze well and what don't.

Finally, as you are planning your meals try to think about how you can reuse your leftovers in a creative way. For example, if you already have chicken breast on the list - why not buy a larger package of it, cook it all early in the week and use the leftovers in different ways throughout the rest of the week (enchiladas, casseroles, soups, salads). Another technique that I have heard of is to have a leftover day - Mom gets the night off - grab all the leftovers you can find in the fridge at the end of the week and serve dinner potluck style.

I hope you were inspired today! You can find my own family's menu for the next two weeks: HERE. Thanks for reading and I'll see you all here tomorrow when all our planning gets practical with a trip to the grocery store!

 

Don't Forget to enter the

Coupon Giveaway

going on this week!!!

Meal Planning Day 1: Kitchen Inventory
Meal Planning Day 2: Ads & Coupons
Tomorrow: Shopping & Following a Budget

Meal Planning Day 2: Store Ads & Coupons

Today is going to be super fun and jam-packed with information all on SAVING MONEY! WHOOT!! Let me begin by saying that I have been on both ends of the couponers spectrum - yes, I could've been in a support group and yes, I had a stockpile. Sigh! I get it though - once you save BUCKETS on your groceries it is easy to get way sucked in and even a little lost in the craze. But as a recovering addict more realistic shopper/couponer these days I hope to help you find a system that is best for your family.

- - - In a nutshell this is how I shop - - -

I only buy things that my family will actually eat or use,

when they are on sale at the lowest price,

paired with a coupon when possible.
 

Today's goal: Find out what is on sale and which things you can get for the least amount of money
Printable worksheet: Store Comparison Worksheet
Time: 30-60 minutes (or more depending on how many stores you scope out)

STEP 1: Gather your local store ads.
Most grocery stores run sales Wednesday-Tuesday. I used to think this was a hastle when coupons come in the Sunday paper, but one of the benefits is being able to wait until Sunday to see if there is a coupon for a sale item  you want in the paper. ; ) Grab a newspaper on wednesday for the major stores. (Where I live King Soopers, Safeway, Albertsons and sometimes Walmart are included each week.)

STEP 2: Browse through the ads to see what is on sale.
Decide how many stores you are going to shop and which ones. (I used to shop at several to make sure I was getting rock-bottom prices for everything, but I have since decided to stick with my favorite store and shop there for *most* of my groceries. I say most because I do still scan the other store ads - plus Target on Sunday - to see if I can get something for WAY cheap)

STEP 3: Using the Store Comparison Worksheet list items that you plan to buy from each store.
Secondly, match-up any coupons you have in your stash with these items and note the final price. This worksheet will help you decide how many and which stores to shop at as well as give you an idea of what sale items to build your menu on. If you find an item that you would like but don't have a coupon for it - - - jot it down and hold off buying it until after you check the Sunday paper for new coupons. (Click here to see a sample comparison)

STEP 4: Where to find coupons

• Load coupons onto your shoppers reward card for instant savings. BUT only those for more than $1 if your store doubles coupons - - - electronic coupons are taken off first and don't double usually. If you have a paper coupon for $0.50 it will double to $1 but the e-coupon will remain at $0.50
• Print coupons online from sites like: coupons.com, kelloggs.com, or boxtops4education.com
• After printing the first set of coupons click 'back' or reselect them and print a secont time - - - you are allowed two sets per household.

STEP 5: Tips for using coupons

• Be aware of price fluxuations and buy items when they are on sale paired with a coupon if at all possible.
• Some stores like Target & sometimes Safeway will allow you to "Stack Coupons." That means you can use one "store coupon" and one "manufacturer coupon" on the same item to save even more money! You can find store coupons in the store ad or at the store website to print from home. You have to watch prices though because sometimes the prices are inflated so stacking doesn't acctually help in the long end.
• Another technique that is like stacking is when a coupon says something like this: "Save $ on 'this' when you buy 'this.' " Most stores will let you use one manufacturer coupon per item, BUT in this case the coupon applies to the first item listed not the second - - - so you can also use coupon for the second item listed.
• Ask if your store will "double coupons." Two of the three local stores here will double any coupon up to $1.00 in value.
• When a store has an item listed at "buy one, get one free" ask if they will give you 50% off just one, then use a coupon on that one item.
• Don't forget to check the clearance section - you can use coupons on these things too!!

Don't Forget to enter the

Coupon Giveaway

going on this week!!!

Yesterday: Using a Kitchen Inventory
Tomorrow: Creating a 14 Day Menu

Meal Planning Day 1: Kitchen Inventory

Welcome to Meal Planning Week!!! This week is all about how to plan your family's meals so that you can save time & money. I know that I would much rather be spending time with my kids than grocery shopping everyday! Well, lets get started.

Today's goal: Take an inventory of what you already have on hand
Printable worksheet: Kitchen Inventory
Time: 10-15 minutes

The Kitchen Inventory is super quick and easy but is an important first step. Doing an inventory plus building your menu based on what is on sale is the best way to save money. Start by printing the worksheet then list the top 10 items you have in the following categories: leftovers, produce, fridge, freezer, pantry, other. These items will be the starting point for as many meals as possible because you already have them on hand. Less shopping to do = money saved. When you finish the list, start thinking about meal ideas. We will finish our meal plans on Wednesday. Click here to see a sample inventory - as you can see I had alot to build on this week.

Don't Forget to enter the

Coupon Giveaway

going on this week!!!

Tomorrow: Making the Most out of Store Ads & Coupons