Menu Plan

Menu planning is an important aspect of cutting down your grocery budget. Why? You cut down on impulse buying, you cook based on what you have in your pantry, not what sounds good to you at the store, and it prevents you from going to get take-out because you have nothing to cook. I know that by menu planning, it saves us hundreds of dollars a month.

I will admit that I don't enjoy cooking and I am always tempted to go through the drive-thru to pick up something that is quick and easy, especially on nights when my husband is gone or I am just exhausted. However, it is not cheap to feed our family of 5 compared to how much it would cost for me to cook something at home (not to mention it's MUCH healthier!).

I started menu planning a year or so ago and it has been amazing how much we have saved by just sitting down, checking what we already have in our pantry/freezer or basing my menu by what's on sale and planning from there. I am not perfect though and don't always do this every week. That's why I am going to post my menu each week on here to keep me accountable! When I don't menu plan, we eat out way more than we should, spend a ton more money, and gain weight. I am more disciplined, organized, healthier, motivated, and have more money in the bank thanks to menu planning! In the next few weeks, I will be doing a series about Why Menu Plans Work.

Here is my Menu for this week:

I did not include veggie, fruit, salad, etc that we normally eat with each meal. I just listed the main dish

Monday-$5 Pizza Calzones from Pizza Hut(we got 3)--I was weak :(

Tuesday-Spaghetti

Wednesday-Cheesy Chicken & Rice

Thursday-Homemade Pizza

Friday-Hamburgers w/homemade rolls and parmesan baked fries

Saturday-Brisket Chili (from the freezer)

Sunday-Eat Out for Lunch after Church/Birthday party that evening w/dinner provided