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It is pretty mind-blowing to think about how many meals we have to plan and prepare. 3 meals a day, 21 meals a week, and 630 meals a month. That’s pretty hectic stuff when you stop to ponder that. The hardest part is keeping everything organized and within your budget.
Planning your meals for the week (or even the month) doesn’t have to be hard and something that you wish you didn’t have to do. Taking the time to plan out your meals will save you the sanity of running to the grocery store at the last minute. It will also help you stay within your budget because we already have what we need on hand. No late night shopping at the highest grocery store in town.
Meals are eaten whether we choose to plan for them or not. By taking some time to plan ahead, you are getting to control the cost and nutritional value. No more swings through the drive-thru window, because you forgot to un-thaw something for supper.
Here are some amazingly creative menu plan ideas, that will help you along the way!
The Balancing Beauty & Bedlam Blog have these amazing $3 Cookie Sheet Menu Planning Boards. I love how simple yet creative these are. $3 for a cookie sheet, and then whatever color scheme or layout you want. Not hard at all, weekly supper at a glance, and more color for your kitchen. How could you go wrong there?
I prefer the second layout, myself. I love how she laminated the recipes (which are recipes they use most in their home on a weekly basis). It only takes about 10-15 minutes to make, and it’s a great way to use all that scrap paper you have sitting around. (ahem, don’t tell me I AM the only one who keeps old scrapbook paper, lol).
The Thinking Closet has this Menu Planner to Rule them All. The design can be switched up to fit your favorite color, colors of your kitchen, or just mixmatch whatever supplies you have on hand. It doesn’t have to be exactly like hers in design or color. Just work with the essential “idea”.
I love the little boxes that hold the weekly dinners. You can just sort through them and choose which you’d like to make that week. Just clip them on to their “days” with those cute little hangers.
How Does She makes this super cute and thrifty menu plan idea. Cute picture frame, a few accessories *like the flowers* and some colored paper and you’re ready to roll. Make that menu planning seem conquerable with just a dry-erase marker. No printing, no hassle.
If you would rather print one off and stick it to your refrigerator or inside a binder, you can’t go wrong with this one. Jenny Collier made this printable menu that has breakfast, lunch, dinner, and even snack spots. Amazingness, I tell ya.
Which would be a better fit for your family. I would rather print out the bottom one, laminate it, and then size it down to fit inside picture frame. That would be pretty cool and something I definitely want to try.
-Jess
