Printable Weekly Meal Planner :: Get Organized

There was a time when my husband and I were making grocery runs 3-5 times a week.

“I need this one ingredient that I forgot to get yesterday, need anything?”

“We just ran out of eggs, need anything else?”

“We’re out of X, Y, and Z, what would you like to add to the list?”

This was happening all the time, and those little additions and few extra items were adding up quickly. Things were spiraling out of control. It was time for an intervention.

Previously, I shared a printable gift list to organize Christmas gifts and other gifting throughout the year with hopes of keeping that organized, planned out, and on budget. Now it’s time for a new printable – a weekly meal planner. Normally listed here in my online store Pink Texas Designs, I’ve shared it below as a downloadable PDF and JPEG.

[JPEG]

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Printable Meal Planner :: Get Organized with RGV Moms Blog [PDF]

The System

It’s a really simple concept, but it was a customized chart I developed, new approach for our family and has been easy to follow.

• Write down the meals for the week – breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• List groceries needed for the day’s meals… instant grocery list for one trip a week!
• Note any advance preparation needed for those meals (chopping, marinating, defrosting, etc.)
• Lunch can also include what to pack for kids’ lunch boxes.
• We find it is easy to switch between days on occasion and also like to front load the week with food that will spoil sooner, like salmon.

The Benefits

We felt a change right away in our pockets, our fridge, and our dinner plates.

• Easy to stay on budget with fewer trips to the grocery store and unintentional purchases.
• Saves money! (see bullet one^)
• All of the ingredients for your menu are in your fridge and pantry.
• Saves time looking for a recipe that fits your food.
• No question about what you are going to make for dinner. (“Mom! What’s for dinner???”)
• Peace in knowing that you’ve got everything you need for the meals planned.
• Less waste of food sitting in the fridge, untouched. (Throwing spoiled food away can feel like throwing away cash, right?)

We have tried this system out for about a month now and it has transformed the way we approach grocery shopping AND meal planning for the week. Not to mention our grocery bill for the month has dropped by over 50%. I am on a mission to get organized in 2015, and the gift list and meal planner are just the beginning!

How do you plan meals for your family and/or budget for food?
We would love to hear from you in the comments below!

See it listed in online shop Pink Texas Designs here: