Meal Planning...

[mjantz]

I do a quasi-meal planning. I am horrible with the M-F meal planning. Usually because I don't pull out the meat I'm suppose to or I decide I don't want 'X' on Wednesday, I want what I have scheduled for Friday.
So, what I do is make a list of meats I have in the fridge & starchy sides I have on hand (veggies are usually fresh so they're a day by day thing). I pair them up as I list them. So, instead of a M-F list I'll have:

-beef tacos with rice
-crockpot pork chops with hash brown potatoes
-Philly Cheesesteaks with chips
-crockpot italian chicken with chicken rice

And so on & so forth. This allows me to schedule how I want & change stuff around when we have weird stuff happen at the last minute. I usually check the list the night before & decide what I want for tomorrow. It hasn't failed me yet!

 

[disykat]

I just draw a line down my list (about 1/3, 2/3) and have the kids and dh list meal ideas on one side and other groceries needed on the other. I amost always have a list going. When it's time to go shopping I finish filling out the list, making sure I have ingredients for all the meals the family suggested or I have listed.

Then I cut the 1/3 with meals listed and stick it on the fridge. I cross off after I've made each one and can easily see at a glance what meals I still have ingredients for.

 

[ReneeQ]

I JUST started this, on Friday, in fact. This is my first shot at meal planning, so hoping it will work. It's just me and DH, but I'm never organized with dinner.

I created a 4-week blank calendar in excel, just like a regular calendar with Sunday through Saturday, but no month or dates. Then I put "eat out" on every Saturday, as we always go out to eat with the in-laws on Sat. night after church. I knew by Friday I was worn out, so I put "pizza" on every other Friday (which we will make at home) and "Breakfast for supper" on the other two Fridays.

Some Wednesdays and Thursdays we aren't home (not every week, and different days on different weeks), so I put "grilled cheese and tomato soup" on every other Thurs. and "Soup, Sandwich or Cereal" on the other Thursdays. We LOVE cereal for supper if we're late and tired!

On every Wed. I put "finish all leftovers." So, that only left me with Sun, Mon and Tues. I planned my biggest thing for Sunday, as that's the day I have the most time. So I'll cook on Sunday (today I made spaghetti) and we'll have that for dinner, and I prep what we'll have on Monday (tomorrow is shake & bake chicken and real, not instant mashed potatoes, so I made the mashed potatoes today). NOT instant is a big feat for me!

On Tues. night we'll finish the spaghetti. So I'm cooking a lot on Sun, a little on Monday, and not much more for the week.

It's not in front of me, but I think next Sun. is a chicken rice bake, and the prep will be putting a beef roast in the crock pot to cook on Mon. Then Tues. night I'll make the leftover beef into BBQ sandwiches. And by Wed. it's finish up the leftovers, etc.

I also made a 2 week grocery list with everything I need for week 1 & 2, and another list for week 3 & 4. Then I'll repeat the month, if it goes well. After a while, if we get sick of it (though I do have a lot of variety in the month), I might create a second month, and then rotate the two.

I essentially know the basics I need at the store, so if chicken is on sale this week (it was), I might buy 8 packages (I did), so I don't need to buy chicken the weeks it's not on sale, and can still keep with my plan.

Wow, sorry this got so long!!!

 

[Darcy03231]

I find using my crockpot helps a lot. When we get home from work dinner is either ready or almost ready.

This week's menu is:

Monday - Grilled Salmon, rosemary potatoes and fresh green beans

Tuesday - Beef Stew in the Crock pot with dinner rolls.

Wednesday - Chicken Fajitas (cook chicken in crock pot and shred) with salad (I make my own 'bagged' salad each week. Much less expensive and lasts longer than the store bought).

Thursday - Leftover beef stew and rolls.

Friday - Oven fried boneless pork chops, gravy (fat free package mix), rice and fresh broccoli.

Saturday - Taco Pie with salad.

Sunday - Chicken Casserolle.

 

[corie161]

Meal planning does help reduce stress, as well as grocery cost. I don't go to crazy with the planning. My DH gets paid once a month so I try and get most all my groceries for the month at that time, with the exception of milk, bread, and some produce. I print off a calendar. I have a list of 30 or so different meal ideas on an excel spreadsheet as well as the ingredients needed to make all those meals. I write on my calendar what I plan to make each day for the month, so I know I have every day covered. I make my grocery list off of the spreadsheet.

I don't always go by what's on the date on the calendar, if I'm not in the mood for that meal that day I might switch it for a different day, but at least I know I should have the ingredients on hand.

It does help to look at the calendar and know what's for supper instead of deciding at 5:00 that evening.

 

[denise5374]

I usually meal plan, December was the exception but I find when I plan we don't eat out as much. I go by whats on sale or what I have already. I stock up on items when they are a good buy so my stand alone freezer and pantyr are usually pretty stiocke. If I am making something "unusual" I will make sure I have the ingredients on hand. I do my grocery shopping on Sumdays.

This week
Monday-Salsa chicken in crockpot with noodles and some veggie
Tuesday-Hawaiian bonelss pork chops with brown rice
Wednesday-Whole chicken roasted in crockpot with mashed potatoes and some veggie
Thursday-chili
Friday-we always eat out
Saturday-going to friends house

There will be a veggie at every meal but I determine that by vote of what I have on hand.

My family doesnt' really do leftovers with a few exceptions nor do we like to eat the same meat every night so I uasually make enough for us to have dinner with no leftovers(except Chili)

 

[Irin997]

I keep a magnetic dry erase board on my fridge and write/plan out my weekly menu and have it on hand whenever I open the fridge. That way, the night before I'm more likely to pull out the correct meats. Meal planning is most helpful when I look at my menu in the morning and then I know exactly what I need to do when I get home from work. There is no stressing over what on earth I'm going to make for dinner and then settling with picking something up because my brain is too fried to think of a good meal idea. If I know I'm coming home to make something in particular it is a heck of a lot easier to come home and do it.

 

[LisaDougKaylee]

I feel it does work. I work full time, I leave the housea t 6:45a to drop off the oldest, then drop off the baby at my sisters, head to work. Then out of work at 5pm, pick up the baby, then home to DD11 who is with a high school senior "looking after her". My DH works very long, very variable hours...basically...I can't count on him!!! I have DD11 and DD 9 months.

I've recently started back to menu planning for two reasons.... 50% peace of mind and 50% cost control!!!

this is how our week looks:

Breakfast:
always on hand
cereal or bagels and cream cheese
with fruit, sometimes yogurt, depending on the week

Lunch:
DH: eats at work, he's a chef in a hotel...its a perk!

Me: I will take whatever leftovers are in the fridge, or the occasional lean cuisine. I only buy a couple ever few weeks on the rare chance we don't have a ny left overs. Its still cheaper than the cafeteria where I work!

DD11: She takes a sandwich everyday either PB & J, Tuna or whichever deli meat was on sale (either turkey, chicken or roast beef). (I only buy 1/4-1/2lb per week - I hate deli meat!!) With this she'll have fruit and one "other snack" which would be 2 cookies or small snack bag of pretzets (which we buy bulk and seperate ourselves) etc.

DD9months: formula, fruit...baby food all meals!!!

Dinner:
Monday: Taco salads. Had tacos on saturday, made extra meat then.
Tuesday: Roast Chicken, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans, stuffing (all left over from sunday night dinner!)
Wednesday: Pasta and sauce, (homemeade meatballs/sausage from freezer - made ahead and frozen) garlic toast (real gourmet...made on regular ole sliced bread!), salad.
Thursday: chicken pot pie with extra veggies on the side
Friday: Kung Pao chicken breast (premarinated at the grocery store, incredible sale!) rice some type of veggie from the freezer
Saturday: May cook a roast I have in the freezer...maybe sheppards pie...have all ingredients on hand

thats our week! It helps to have it all planned. Will need to get some milk by mid week! Sometimes we go through a lot, other times not so much...I hate running out, but I hate wasting it even more!!!

 

[jessica52877]

I don't plan my meals out until after I go the store, I look at the meat on sale and then plan accordingly. I pretty much have staples so I never have to run to the store for anything. I just buy what is on sale each week.

I also don't plan my meals for the week. I'll decide that morning what I am going to have for dinner and pull it out to thaw (if frozen) and then the sides I can just look into the cupboard and fridge to see what is there.

 

[Mickeyorbust]

I put together my meal plan and shop for it on Sundays. It does take a little more time to plan it out, but makes it soooooo much easier during the week. Our weekly menu is posted on our refridgerator. I get a lot less of "What's for dinner," that way. I always keep extra spagetti sauce and noodles on hand for those days when traffic is a nightmare. And as a few others also do, I do my big meals on the weekends when I have more time to cook.

Our Menu this week:

Sun - Chicken and Rice Casserole, Brocolli
Mon - BBQ Pork Chops w/Carolina Rub, Corn Bread and Salad
Tues - Beef Cheese Noodle Bake
Wed - Sandwiches and Soup
Thu - Bacon, Ham, Gruyere (Brocolli)
Fri - Leftovers or spagetti
Sat - Pot Roast, Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans

 

[sanctus]

DH and I get paid twice a month, so I shop on payday and do meal planning for 1/2 month at a time. I note the calendar with things like meetings and ball games so I plan quick meals for those nights. Once the shop is done, I can rearrange the order of the meals if I feel like it, but it's such a relief to know I have enough dinners planned, and shopped for, to take us to next payday.

I believe it saves a TON of money, and I'm big into planned leftover meals. Roast a chicken one day, make soup another. So I hit the grocery store with a list of everything I need for the meals, plus the staples that need to be picked up each time. Early in the shop period is more fresh veggies, later depends on frozen or canned more, just out of necessity.

Totally works for us.

 

[Darcy03231]

Another thing I do to help save time is to prep some of the things either the night before, in the morning (I'm up at 6am and don't have to be to work until 8:30 a.m. and live about 5 min from work. I find this is a great time to do laundry or meal preparation), or on my lunch hour. For instance for tonight's dinner I took the salmon out of the freezer and put it in the refrigerator last night and this morning prepared the rosemary potatoes and green bean's and put them in the fridge in baggies. When DH gets home (he gets home about half an hour before me) he just has to put the beans on the stove, the potatoes in the oven and the fish on the grill. Dinner should be ready just about the time I'm walking in the door.