Menu Planning By @ashryel

Hi all! I’m so happy to be visiting here at Happily Blended. My name is Ashlee. I am the proud SAHM of 2 wonderful children. I’m always looking for ways to be thrifty and this is my latest venture. If you’d like to get to know me better, you can visit my blog  Brain of A Mommy or follow me on Twitter @ashryel.

I know I don’t have to tell anyone what this economy is doing to the everyday family. It’s hitting people hard. We’re dealing with the same struggle, money wise, as everyone else! I decided I wanted to find a way to cut corners but also become more organized with my meals and I had an idea to tackle both at once: menu planning. I did get my idea off Food Network and I do get a lot of my recipes from there. Sandra’s Money Saving Meals is a great place to start. She tells you how much money you save by each item you use and gives great tips to save even more money. We LOVE her in this house!

Here’s how I plan my menus: I decide what I want to cook for 1-2 weeks. This means I make a list of meals that my family loves or tolerates(I seriously have the world’s pickiest eaters), check my pantry for the items that are already living in there, and then head to the store for the ingredients still needed. I have always made “the grocery list” but I never stuck to it. I would go around throwing junk in my cart left and right(sticking to the menu is very key to successful menu planning). That’s where most of the extra money goes. Now, with my list of items for my menu in hand, I confidently stroll through the aisles, getting what I need and knowing that my budget will be in tact as I leave the store. The first time I ever made a menu plan and went shopping, I walked out of the store spending exactly half of what I normally spent on groceries and still managed to cook for 2 whole weeks without running out of anything. I was giddy! I have a few tips for menu planning that I think would be beneficial to any family trying to save money by menu planning:

• Don’t shop while hungry. You will end of throwing all the “Oh, that looks so good” stuff in the cart when you might not need or want that particular item. Munch on a snack before you go shopping to keep your tummy from shopping for you.
• Get your kids involved. Tell them a certain item your looking for in the aisle your in and let them help you find it. It’s a great game to keep the “I’m bored, Mom”s to a minimum. Also, get them in the kitchen! Even if they stand on a chair and watch you chop an onion they feel like they “helped” and are more likely to eat the meal they contributed in making.
• Write out your menu on the calendar for the week ahead. This way, the whole family can see what’s for dinner on a particular night. (I do this in pencil in case of last minute changes.)
• Difficult dishes are great but Mommy is the hardest working person in the family. Go easy on yourself and plan at least a few dishes each week that are simple and quick and make sure to make these meals on nights when the family has practices or meetings.

I’m still working out kinks with my menus. I’m not perfect at it, by any means! I learn something new every day. Now, I’m on the verge of embarking on another journey: coupon clipping! I’m told it’s addictive and another great money saver!