Menu planning is great way to save money on weekly/monthly groceries. However, menu planning is one of those things that is easy to talk about doing and not actually do. The Happy Housewife, for one, started enjoying a drastically reduced grocery bill when she actually got serious about menu planning. Here are some of her tips for getting started:
- Make a Meal List: take the time to sit down and create a list of all of the meals you have in your repertoire. If you are ever having trouble coming up with meal ideas, you can consult your “master list.”
- Make a Weekly Outline: make meal planning flexible to meet your scheduling needs. The Happy Housewife makes a meal plan outline as opposed to assigning specific meals to specific days. Make more involved meals when you have the time and quick, no-fuss ones when you don’t.
- Create Themed Meal Nights: consider themed nights if you’re having trouble with meal planning. By having “Pasta Mondays” or “Chicken Wednesdays,” it narrows down the possibilities for meals on certain days.
Be sure to check out more great advice for meal planning over at 5 Simple Ways to Menu Plan.