Congratulations! You’ve completed the first step in a lifetime of saving. money and happiness during the dinner hour.
I hope this wasn’t too stressful. I know when I first started menu planning I came up with all sorts of meals that I thought would be delicious, but my family didn’t agree. Now when I plan my meals I ask my family for their input then try to give everyone a “favorite” meal throughout the week.
I am curious how you are keeping track of your meals? I use to keep everything in my computer. In fact I even got rid of a ton of cookbooks over the past several years. However, I’m moving back towards printing things out and writing them down again.
After I turned 40, using my phone for recipes wasn’t ideal (hello reading glasses). Plus my computer is in another room, nowhere near my kitchen. I now use my cookbooks more often and print out recipes I find on the internet.
If you are a paper and pen person (like I am now), I would suggest starting a menu planning binder. You can print out, rip out, or write down recipes and store them in clear page protectors.
Back to creating a meal plan.
Take your list of 15 meals and pick 6 that you can make this week.
I pick the 6 meals based on sales, food I already have on hand, and weather. While we started with 15, your list will grow over time.
Here is my very first list of 15 meals. Most of the meals are linked to the recipes, except for ones that are obvious (spaghetti) or ones that are located in one of my actual cookbooks.
- Pizza
- Tacos
- Spaghetti
- Slow Cooker Sloppy Joes
- Mexican Chicken Skillet
- Chicken Tetrazzini
- Hamburgers on the grill
- Crockpot BBQ Pork
- Pink Pasta
- Crock Pot Chicken and Wild Rice
- Steak and Rice
- Grilled Salmon
- Carne Asada
- Beef Stroganoff
- Venison Steak
Now that you have your 15 meals, you are ready for step two. Step two is slightly more complicated, but I think you will see the benefits once you are finished.
Find 5 more meals to add to your list. This will bring your list to 20 meals, which should give you a month’s worth of meals, using leftovers and a few repeats.
The second part of the challenge is to come up with a list of side dishes, fruits and vegetables your family enjoys.
I am not assigning a specific number of sides because I know some people prefer a large variety and other’s not so much. Having a list of side dishes, fruits and veggies your family enjoys will allow you to put together your menu in less than 15 minutes.
Brandie says
You are so organized! I am getting better at meal planning. I started going to pampered chef party’s this past spring and I have slowly increased my cooking supplies with ones that will really last and also my recipes because I always learn a new healthy trick and a great dinner! The cogs are turing now pretty sure this will be my post for tomorrow! Thanks I was running out of post ideas and I am trying to get 1000 visits this month. I know that is small to you but huge for me!
Amber says
I have a cheap plastic photo album. The slots are the perfect size for recipe cards. I used to copy ALL of my recipes from other books and online and put them in the book. But it was getting full and then my sister organized a family cookbook! I put all of my recipes in it and replaced them in my book with an index that tells me what page they are on. Since I seem to keep finding new things to try, it is now just those recipes that have their own spot in the book.
Liz@HoosierHomemade says
I’m enjoying reading other meal plans. Thanks for hosting! Great idea!
~Liz
Jen@Balancing Beauty and Bedlam says
This is such an awesome series. I just responded to a request on my blog to do one as well, but I can’t wait to link this to it (since you know me, by the time I get around to writing it….it will be a few months from now. 🙂
Shirley Dunn says
Totally enjoying checking out everyone’s menu’s. I’m set for months on ideas!
Cassi says
First time to your blog so I don’t have a list prepared. I keep all my recipes on the computer but then I print one and put it in a page protector and into my recipe binder in the kitchen. This way I don’t have to drag out the laptop and chance spilling something. Thanks to your blog, I will be adding some new ones. 🙂
niki says
I’m a little late to the party but I am following along nevertheless!
http://free2befrugal.blogspot.com/2009/08/fab-fifteen-my-familys-15-favorite.html
🙂
RebekahC says
I’ve never been good at menu planning for two reasons. Reason #1 is I think it costs a fortune to plan good meals. Reason #2 I’m too lazy. LOL I keep hearing everyone say though how much money they save by planning meals because you can watch sales, coupons, etc. So, I’m going to try to give it a go. I’ve got my 15 meals w/sides listed out. Now onto day 3’s post to see what is next.
Thanks for sharing all your tips and for the great website links. That $5 meal site is awesome!!!