For a long time, I planned out our meals, made a grocery list and stuck to it. I never had to sit and think and think and think about what to make. Then one day I stopped. I don’t know why, I just stopped. We started eating out more, I made the same boring thing every week. And our grocery bill was skyrocketing. This is what got me the most. How on earth did we buy more groceries with nothing planned and use them all?
Well this had to stop. With a little inspiration from Kim over at Beanish and other Languages I’m Learning, I started to plan out menus again. It was working well, I would stick to five out of the seven days. So, I decided to try something funky. I made a plan for two weeks. Yes, two whole weeks. I got the groceries for two weeks then, sat back and relaxed. We didn’t stick to the plan for every single day, but I didn’t have to worry about what to make, I just looked up at the list and away I went.
Wee are on the second week of two week planning and our grocery bill was lower, again. Yes, I forgot to mention buying planned groceries for two weeks actually worked out cheaper than the weekly purchases. And in the second week we only had to make a milk and bread run. Amazing.
For the fun of it all, I want to share our two week menu with you for the next two weeks. Just in case it inspires you to try a new recipe or just plan it out.
Thursday – Spaghetti Bolognese
Friday – Dinner out, Mom is cooking (that is Grandma, actually)
Saturday – Calzones – recipe from Kraft.ca
Sunday – Bruchetta Chicken – recipe from Kraft.ca
Monday – Beef Stroganoff – a recipe I adapted from my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook
Tuesday – Peppery Maple Chicken – recipe from Chatelaine Magazine
Wednesday – Soy and Orange Pork – Chatelaine again
Thursday – Creamy Chicken Skillet – hey it’s another Kraft.ca recipe
Friday – Crock Pot Roast – just a good ole roast in the Crock Pot
Saturday – Lazy Man’s Lasagna – From The Big Cook
Sunday – Peirogies and Sausages
Monday – Beef Stew
Tuesday – Curry Chicken – adapted from my Mom’s recipe
Wednesday – Marla Maple Pork Tenderloin – Looney Spoons
Happy Cooking!
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You’re so sweet! I’m glad menu planning is working so well for you. I feel a bit lost when I don’t do it. I’ve done most of my meals this week so far. It’s been a doozy of a week though. But those weeks do happen. Still, menu planning is definitely worth it to me.
PS. I’m going to have to check out some of your recipes!
Nice plan… I need someone to do this for me > “Here go buy these groceries & then cook this.. “… Hmmm.. I guess I can cut’n paste
Oh you might want to include “Oh crap I forgot to take something out, so we are having bacon & eggs for dinner” 🙂
Oh I so needed to read this post TODAY!! Thank you. My Hubby starts a new job on Monday. His old job had him home early in the aft so he often handled supper (not always well, but he handled it 😉 ). Starting Monday he won’t be home till 6:30 every night and the thought of dinner prep was making me sweat! I will try planning out two weeks at a time and see how it goes. Usually I would plan for 2 or 3 days and then let hubby handle the others. That won’t work anymore.
Thanks!
Mmm, those all sound fabulous! I have started meal planning too and I am trying to use what I have in the house first then adding to the grocery list to save on buying a bunch of new stuff. It’s been working really well so far:-)
Every week I sit down with my cookbooks and draw out a plan for the week. I love it! It’s definitely easier knowing in advance what you are going to make so you can shop accordingly. I haven’t had Beef Strokingoff in a long time! 😉 That sounds good…
I used to the do the same thing religiously! Then my Hubby got a new job, and sometime would work the late shift and not come home until 10pm. Of course he never was hungry at that time, so I stopped making supper. I stopped menu planning and I even stopped grocery shopping. Of course the take out bill went through the roof!
Needless to say we are struggling to get back into our old routine, but the holidays doesn’t really make it much easier.
Good job with yours!