By ERIN TURNER
It’s 4:30pm, what are you having for dinner? If you have no clue, then you could benefit from menu planning. My house is busy and full of activity from 3-6pm. Trying to come up with dinner ideas and prepping for it during these hours only creates more chaos and stress. Menu planning has given me freedom while my family benefits from the nutritious and delicious meals I prepare!
Most people groan when they hear menu planning…”Takes too much time, “I can’t plan ahead like that,” or my all-time favorite excuse, “Nah, I like to be spontaneous!”
For me, taking 20 minutes or less a week to plan 7 dinners doesn’t sound as painful as the panic I feel when I have 3 hungry boys and a husband waiting for dinner and I STILL don’t know what to serve.
Plus, let me tell you about the grocery bill when I’ve run to the store at 4pm searching for dinner ideas or the bill from throwing in the towel and going out to eat! Ouch!
Honestly, menu planning is a gift from above! I haven’t always been a menu planner. But, in order to save money, streamline my shopping, lessen the waste of expired food and give my days more time, I have become a devoted menu planner.
Now, there are weeks when we don’t stick to the plan because of unforeseen obligations or an invite to friends’ house, but it’s okay…that’s called spontaneity! You need to be flexible and adaptable in your planning. In the end, it’s always better to have a plan than not.
The first step in menu planning is taking stock of what’s in your pantry, freezer and refrigerator. Then, look at the grocery ads on Wednesday to see what’s on sale.
From all those resources, then you plan your meals. Allrecipes.com is a great place if you suffer from “menu creativity”!
You can type in your ingredients and the website will come up with different meals using those ingredients! If this is your first time planning, think about your family’s favorite meals and start with those. Eventually, you’ll break out of the norm and start experimenting with new dishes. I’ve event evolved toplanning breakfasts now!
The next step is to look at your calendar and plan meals according to your activities. Leftover night is best when you’re too busy to do any prep while a quick and easy meal works when the kids have soccer practice. I should also mention the benefits of preparing healthy meals vs. eating out or having prepackaged foods all the time. Meal planning gives you the opportunity to create well-balanced, healthful dinners without much effort!
Once you have a rough idea of your 7 meals, make a grocery list. Check the Sunday inserts, Coupons.com, Smartsource.com, or Redplum.com for coupons. Then head to the store for ONLY what is on your list.
Stick to your list and you will see huge savings! I encourage you to be creative with what’s already in your pantry and freezer first before heading to the stores…you may surprise yourself and your wallet!
My middle son always asks, “What’s for dinner?” So I created a Menu Plan Board (pictured) from a 12″ x 12″ frame with glass. With a dry erase marker, I write each week’s plan on the glass. It washes off with a wet towel! Having the board not only tells my family what dinner will be but it also makes me accountable to my planning. When it’s right there in black and white, you can’t ignore it!
Today, cooking dinner for my family is no longer a chore instead it’s something I enjoy! Every morning I automatically know what I need to prep…defrost the chicken, plug in the crock pot or relax since it is leftover night! Menu planning is a great way to; save money, reduce wasted food, gain some control in your life, provide healthy, well-balanced meals and give you more time in the day. C’mon, who wouldn’t want all those things?
Here’s my menu plan for this week:
Sunday: Creamy Chicken & Rice Soup, cottage cheese and toast
Monday: Bean and Cheese Burritos, chips and salsa, cheesy broccoli
Tuesday: Lasagna, kale & cabbage salad, mandarin oranges
Wednesday: Taco Fritters, applesauce, carrots and ranch
Thursday: Leftover Buffet
Friday: Dinner out
Saturday: Cheddar Ranch Hamburgers, tater tots, nectarines
Want a chance to WIN a menu-plan board like the one in the picture? Scroll down to the “Comments” section and either leave a comment or share your own menu plan for this week (it’s always fun to share and see new ideas!) and your name will be added to the random drawing. Winner announced in next week’s blog!
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Erin Eisenman-Turner is proud to be a native Missoulian. Along with her husband and three sons, they raise chickens, pigs, rabbits, and vegetables at Turner Family Farms in the Orchard Homes area. When the farm chores are done, the coupons clipped and the blog written, you can find Erin exploring Montana, collecting antiques and trying to maintain a well-run, happy and organized home for her family.
I love reading your weekly blog & was anxious to see what this week’s topic was….now I know you and must really be two of a kind. my response got lenthy but I just love it when I hear others doing what I do – makes me realize I am not crazy or OCD – just an organized mom/wife that will do ANYTHING to better the lives of her family. I don’t grow my own food but wish I could.
I used menu planning such as your systerm for years….when the kids were little & c/n help with the meal or I never knew when the naps would end & I could go to the store for the one ingredient I needed for the idea of dinner I had. I knew exactly what we were having & the kids asked at lunch what dinner meal was.
Now I must say that I don’t cook. I can prepare a meal and I am one heck of a Sous chef but cooking is not my gig. so I have to plan differently. Now that the kids are older & I know what they like & what they don’t I can have wkly standards so everyone is happy at least once that week.
I start simple….Monday’s we have pizza – homemade, frozen, individual, white sauce, red sauce, herbs & EVOO. we mix it up but the ingredients are similar,. We have Scouts every Monday so it’s always a quick meal & this is the only time I allow pop for dinner (caffeine & sugar free of course) but then they run it off at the mtgs.
Tuesdays are grill days….even in the winter I try to have a meal I could have cooked on the grill…Ted golfs every Tuesday or has meetings for scouts this night so I am usually left to have my oldest help…he’s good on the grill. I usually have hamburgers in pattie form from Ted (the boys like his better than mine) :0
Wednesday is are pasta day.. with or without meat depending on the budget or thawed meat that week. Believe it or not I have a son who d/n like any pasta except mac & ch. This day has lots of options for sauces, veggies on hand or seaonal or meat (left over from grill night or frozen dad made meatballs). we have music lessons this night so Ted has an extra hour to prepare the meal.
Thursdays are typically chicken – anything goes here. chicken nuggets on the quick nights or whole chickens on the grill in the summer. we have boys so we cook lots at a time & HOPE for left overs. this is our farmer’s market day so we try to get what is in season & put it on the grill…somedays is works, others not so much.
Fridays are our family night – very few things are planned for this night so we find ourselves home a lot. We have more time to cook & it;s usually a request from a boy that sparks this spontaneous meal. we try to encourage ethic (mexican or chinesse) cuz I could eat either any day of the wk but we have one son that likes one & one son that likes the other. do you see a pattern? there are few things all 3 of my boys will eat the same of.
some days it’s just a kid idea that gets the meal going if they are busy w/ acttivities.
Saturday is left over day for lunch & a child gets to pick the meal, shop for it & stay in budget. I don’t make them use coupons or shop on Wed yet but I’m sure I’ll incorporate that soon.
sunday is the day Dad goes all out….he gets the cook books out with his morning coffee & we find a new thing to try…or he goes to the grocery to see what is on sale or new to try – lots of good veggies out there we jsut don’t know what to do with. he’ll buy it & then find a recipe…Love that about him but we all know it can be expensive & nontasty at times. we go with it anyway -it’s our entertainment that day!
Today’s menu – homemade pizza or calzones. I will make the dough when I get home & the boys will make their own meal after chores & homework.
Ted &I usually communicate at lunch about the meal for dinner – what did he take out, what does he need me to get, what time should be plan for. we do this wkly & daily cuz he forgets…he’s a busy man!
i hope my structured life d/n come back to haunt me when the kids are older. we try to have planned meals but also allow for creativeness & spontaneous so they know how to work with both (they won’t need to find wives that cook – they can survive alone or take after their dad). PS – I do ALL the clean up & never complain. I am blessed to have such a willing husband to cook and a budget that allows him to try new things.
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Erin, you’re inspiring! I’m thinking that your suggestions will not only help with the wastefulness of food within my family, but also help my daughter learn to cook! My idea is that if the menu is planned and on a board for us to see, that when she arrives home, she can help start dinner for me and learn an invaluable life lesson – cooking healthy meals! I look forward to trying it out and spending some time in the kitchen together. I’ll let you know how it goes!
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I spent a quick ten minutes this morning doing our weekly meal plan. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t use this little time saver. If I don’t get it done one week I am always stressed to figure out dinner at 4:30. I find that if I know what is for dinner most nights then we rarely go out. Keep up the good work.
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You seriously inspire me. I’ve tried doing this but get frustrated making my schedule. 7 meals isn’t hard until I try writing it down. It seems like I fix 1 or 2 things all the time. No wonder I don’t like cooking.
I’m gonna go try again. Thanks
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Menu planning changed my life many years ago! I spend less now feeding a family of eight than I did ten years ago feeding a family of four
now I just need to get back into couponing…admittedly gave It up when life got to hectic…reading your articles is inspiring me to save even more on groceries! 
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My first attempt at a comment seems to be lost in cyberspace – I need to check out the websites you mentioned! I ditto your ideas on the planning – I started many years ago and spend less now with family of eight than I did ten years ago with a family of four! Really love your blogs – keep them coming!!
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Love to hear that so many people are already doing menu planning! And for those who are just starting or getting back into it: GO FOR IT! It totally rocks! With science projects, 4-H demonstrations, hog weigh-in, Holy Week, and a gazillion other things, I am HEAVILY relying on my menu planner this week. What a lifesaver it’s been! Keep those planners rolling, gang!
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Loved it Erin! We have recenty become menu-planners, and I agree, it decreases the grocery bill and saves stress later in the day!
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not only does meal planning save on the grocery bill but the calories intake is reduced when you arent’ grabbing & going w/o any idea what you had….i tried to get the kids to look at their plate — 1/2 should be veggies (not including potatoes & I mean fries). it’s opened their eyes to why I ask them to eat veggies ALL the time…..I just don’t think they get enough of the good stuff!
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went to walmart last night b/f the 4th grader came home saying he had the school talk about hygiene & he needed his own deodorant & hairbrush. we made th trip a family event b/c we are still w/o electronic entertainment
so after we spent 30min smelling all the options while I pulled out coupons for such items I got this response from my 14yo…..”just b/c you have a coupon mom, doesn’t mean we have to buy it – what if we don’t like it?” to which I looked at the hubby & said ….he’s right….get what you want if you’ll use it – I’ll find coupons eventually! Ted smiled & said “of course you will” he has such faith in my frugality! Boys were EXCITED to get their own “smell” and I am HOPEFUL that the desire to smell clean will last. of course – none of them picked out the same which gives me more options for couponing but also so they fight over the item….However, the mixuture of smells can be a bit offensive in a small car! Oh the life of boys!
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erin i totally love your ideas and enjoy reading them to get some ideas for my family, keep it up. we usually end up with the same menu week after week so i look forward to new ideas.
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Here is my favorite meal for busy days…it is super quick, super easy and super good! My family LOVES these and I always have clean plates at the end of dinner when I serve this meal! Anyway, here’s a new idea for you!
Bean and Cheese Burritos
10 Large Flour Tortillas
2 Cans Pinto beans
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1/2 envelope of Taco Seasoning
Mix together beans, cheese and taco seasoning. Spoon two heaping tablespoons of mixture into center of tortilla. Begin to roll the tortilla, then fold in the sides and finish rolling it up. Place in a glass baking pan with the seam down. Continue rolling all the tortillas until the pan is full (a regular 9 X 13 dish usually holds 10-12 burritos). Bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until heated through.
I make these up in large batches and freeze them. Great for afterschool snacks or for those “krazy-busy” days! Serve these with chips and salsa and a salad and you’re a kitchen hero!
I’ve also added a steak strips to these before which was yummy! You could add in some corn also for a all- in- one meal! I like to do one can of pinto and one can of black beans, too! Like I said this is my favorite “go-to” menu…so easy and healthy! Enjoy!
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we do a similar quick easy meal – I always have beans & cheese on hand. On the days I have time, I make tortillas (both corn & flour) but make them a bit smaller for the little hands & we use them as tacos — nachos are popular at our house – add what you want but it must include protein (meat or bean) besides teh cheese!
have you ever made your own taco seasoning? I know of a person who does but I have never done so – just wondering if it’s worth it when you can;t find that coupon you need
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Try this Taco Seasoning alternative to store bought:
Homemade Taco Seasoning Mix
1/2 cup chili powder
1/4 cup onion powder
1/8 cup ground cumin
1 Tablespoon garlic powder
1 Tablespoon paprika
1 Tablespoon sea salt
Put all ingredients into a jar and shake. A glass jar works best for this…the mix doesn’t get a “plasticy” taste to it then! Be sure to shake it each time you use it to distribute the spices!
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do flour tortilla freeze well? does anyone know? I guess we go thru them so quickly I’ve never tried but if I buy when in sale – would they get pasty? I will freeze one package this week & see – I’m assuming it’s a little like bread but with them stacked on top of each other I’m not sure if they’d thaw stuck together. Hmmm – just thinkin out loud today! have a happy easter everyone!
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Tortilla freeze awesome! I buy them when they are under a $1/pkg and stock up for months. They stack well in a freezer thus not taking up lots of extra space. You can take them out and thaw them or just through the stack of them in the microwave for about 30 seconds. I love the versatility of tortillas!
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I go through phases. I will do really good menu planning for a couple weeks and then fall of the wagon. I hate trying to figure out what to make for dinner and usually end up doing it late in the afternoon if I haven’t planned a menu for the week. So I now begin again. Back on the wagon. Thanks for all your helpful advise!!
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Good luck, Arin! I think I once heard if you do something for 3 weeks it becomes a habit…?! LOL!
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[...] this blog? You might also like Erin’s previous posts on Saving with menu planning, Frugality as a lifestyle, and [...]
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[...] this blog? You might also like Erin’s previous posts on Saving with menu planning, Frugality as a lifestyle, and [...]
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[...] Erin’s previous posts on Frugality as a Lifestyle Part I, Frugality as a Lifestyle Part II, “SAVE IT” with menu planning. AND, be sure to check out the “Missoula Save it Club” on the home page of [...]
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