HOW TO Make a Meal Plan & Create a Shopping List – A TWO-Page System to keep you ON BUDGET

HOW TO Make a Meal Plan & Create a Shopping List – A TWO-Page System to keep you ON BUDGET
You need TWO pieces of blank paper, one for the meal plan and one for the shopping list. I fold the shopping list page into quadrants. So I have a quadrant for items I find in the aisles, one for produce, and one for fridge and frozen stuff. The last quadrant is for the items I buy at a discount store called P&R here in NEPA.
1. START WITH YOUR PLANNER/WEEKLY SCHEDULE – Write down the days of the week and what is going on each day that week. Plan meals according to who is actually going to be there to EAT them! For example, I know my husband is out EVERY Wednesday night, so I plan an easy meal that my KIDS love on Wednesdays like spaghetti and meatballs. My husband is not a huge fan of pasta, so the kids look forward to their spaghetti and meatball dinner every week. I like that it’s quick and easy to prepare.
2. LOOK AT WHAT IS ALREADY IN YOUR FREEZER - Sometimes, we can leave stuff in our freezers for MONTHS (and sometimes YEARS)! Taking the action of meal planning will help you remember to THAW and COOK the food that is in there. Some of you may buy meat in bulk, like a quarter cow or half a pig. Maybe you simply buy meat at the store when it’s on special and you get a few of one thing. But START in your freezer. What do you already HAVE that you can thaw and plan to eat that week? We get a home delivery from a local farm each week, so I KNOW what meats are coming each week and can plug those items into my weekly meal plan.
3. WHAT PRODUCE DO YOU ALREADY HAVE THAT NEEDS TO BE EATEN BEFORE IT SPOILS? - Part of our farm delivery is produce and I don’t know what seasonal produce is actually coming until it arrives. So, I meal plan on Thursday mornings, after I receive our farm delivery. That way, I can plug those vegetables and fruits into the weekly meal plan.
4. LOOK THROUGH YOUR KITCHEN AND SEE WHAT YOU’RE RUNNING OUT OF – Maybe you’re really good and you actually make a list of things AS YOU run out of them, but most of the time, I just make a mental note and then actually LOOK through my fridge, spice cabinet, and pantry shelf to see what is missing or getting low.
5. KEEP YOUR GROCERY RECEIPTS – When I need to round out my shopping list with breakfast, lunch, and snack items, I look through my old receipts. They remind me to buy waffles, peanut butter and jelly, cereal, oatmeal, bread, etc. Without having my old receipts, I would forget everything and be left with only dinner food in the house! I also keep my shopping list from the previous week just in case I wasn’t able to get something that was on there. Also, one of the stores I shop at doesn’t scan items, so only the cost of each item is reflected on the receipt. Looking back at old shopping lists reminds me of what I buy at that store.
6. TALLY UP HOW MUCH THIS SHOPPING TRIP IS ACTUALLY GOING TO COST – The great thing about shopping at the same stores every week is that you become very familiar with how much things cost. You’re looking back at your old receipts every week, so you have a REALLY good idea of how much you’re going to be spending on each item. When I make my list, I write the actual amount of each item next to it. For example, a loaf of honey wheat bread is always $1.49, so I just round up to $1.50 and write it right next to the item. If I don’t know EXACTLY how much something is going to cost, I give myself a budget for it and write that amount next to it. For example, I have a $3 budget for the boys’ school snacks each week. So I go to the store and find what I need for $3 or less. After you have an amount next to EVERY item, add it all up. If it’s at or below budget, you’re good to go. If it’s OVER budget, something’s gotta go. What can you do without that week and plan to get the following week?