This is my very FIRST post on my new blog!! My plan is to post meal plan/recipes/cooking stuff on Mondays, arts and crafts projects on Tuesdays, and home and garden type stuff on Thursdays.
First, I want to share a little about how my brain operates....I am a list maker....I MUST make lists to survive!! Well, not really, but almost.
Now that you know that, here is a LIST of a few quick things to help you plan. They also help you save some cash...trust me, I used to just go to the grocery store and just get what looked good and wondered why my food budget was so huge.
1. I like to meal plan for a week at a time and make a shopping list accordingly.
2. I also categorize my shopping list to go with where I shop so that I don't skip over anything when shopping.
3. Don't forget to take your list!! AND your coupons!
4. Unless you are into spending hours couponing (which is great if you are!), only use coupons on stuff you have on your list
5. Use your calculator- compare sizes and prices per unit
6. I love to go to Aldi to get all my staples, some produce, and frozen food first and then get the rest at a larger grocery store....this saves me way MORE than coupons ever have, but I do still use them some.
7. I have recently been through Financial Peace University (Dave Ramsey) and using cash really helps me stay on budget. I keep my food money in a zippered pencil bag with my coupons and a ledger sheet and it helps me to not buy those impulse items because I want to hold onto that cash.
8. I always try to add an extra meal in that is fast so that I have a fast meal on hand if something comes up and I have a change in my meal plan.
9. It helps when you plan meals that you can prepare ahead, for example, you can cook extra hamburger meat or chicken for the next night when you do one night's dinner. That way, the next meal is faster to put together.
10. Make a plan that works for your family's schedule.
Here's my meal plan for this week:
Monday- Chicken & Dumplings , mixed veggies, rolls
Tuesday- Spaghetti, salad, garlic bread
Wednesday- Leftover night
Thursday- Swiss Steak, potatoes, green beans
Friday- Chicken Pot Pie
Saturday- Out to eat/ stand-by meal/ or leftovers
Sunday- Lemon Pepper Chicken, rice, veggies
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