Meal planning is a huge time (and money!) saver.
Before we got married, my husband and I sat down to take a look at our finances. My original degree was in finance, and I learned a ton during my years working in that industry. I also learned that it wasn’t what I wanted to do forever, so here I am… back in school!
We created a budget of all of our essential expenses, including our monthly groceries. In order to stay on track, I started planning our meals for the week before our weekly grocery shop – usually done on Saturday or Sunday. Our weekly budget is between $75 and $100 a week for food, and planning our meals really helps us stay on budget.
I plan out our dinners for the week, and then lunches are usually leftovers or wraps/sandwiches. We keep breakfast easy too – toast, cereal, oatmeal, grits, fruit, eggs, and veggie sausage. Most of these have a relatively long shelf life and are affordable too! Snacks include hummus and fresh veggies, pita chips and salsa, energy bites, or olives and slices of cheese.
Here’s a few of my best tips for meal planning – let me know your favorite tips in the comments!
#1: Plan to cook 3-4 dinners a week
- This is for Monday through Friday – on the weekends we usually grill out or visit with friends or family
- I like to leave 1-2 nights for leftovers and/or eating out – date night is good for the soul!
- I usually pick my menu like this:
- One Italian-style meal (like a pasta or homemade pizza)
- One Mexican-style meal
- One soup (usually in the slow cooker)
- A wildcard (an old favorite that doesn’t fall into another category, or something new I’ve been wanting to try!)
#2: Make a list – and stick to it!
- I organize my shopping list by section of the grocery store
- Throughout the week, I keep a running grocery list on the Notes app on my phone. That way, I can quickly add whatever we run out of before I forget.
#3: Keep certain things on hand at all times
- Check out my post Vegetarian Pantry Must-Haves
- I use these products so much, and it makes meal planning so much easier when you already have the basics!
#4: Stock up the freezer for super busy weeksÂ
- I’m usually cooking for 2, but my recipes make more than 2 servings. If we don’t think we’ll finish the leftovers for lunch that week, I’ll throw it in the freezer for another day! We all have those crazy weeks, and having a stocked freezer can be a lifesaver. Plus, I hate throwing away good food!
Enjoy!