Let me share with you a secret that has saved me countless hours during my week -- it's menu planning. It may sound simple, but it really works. Menu planning can also give you extra money in your pocket. I have to confess though, I haven't always been consistent with it, and so all the more reason I have something to compare it to.
The concept is quite simple really. Instead of walking aimlessly through the aisles in your local grocery store and purchasing an amazing deal of bulk dehydrated bacon on a whim -- that you never end up using anyways -- spend some time at the beginning of your week and decide what your meals are for that week. There are two known reasons that cause people to spend more money at the grocery store -- no list, and if you're hungry. So you break down and buy a king size candy bar, big deal, right? But then you forget the milk and the stick of butter. And then you get home, you've enjoyed your decadent appetizer, five o'clock rolls around and for some mysterious reason -- even though you just spent $200 -- you have nothing and no idea what to cook for dinner for your party of five.
Time-Saver
Menu planning isn't a grueling task but it does take some time -- time that is given back when you get to the store and you know exactly what you want. Here's the process in a nutshell, or at least how I do it.
- Make a list of all your favorite dishes.
- Decide on how many new dishes you want to try a week. This could vary from 0 to 7 -- depending on how big your favorite dish list is and how adventurous you are.
- Look through your freezer and cupboards. What ingredients or meats do you have that need to be used, or that you've forgotten about?
- Pick 0 to 7 of your favorite dishes, and then browse your cookbooks and pick 0 to 7 new recipes -- keeping in mind the ingredients in your freezers and cupboards that have to get used up -- so of course you have 7 total recipes for that week.
- Decide on the side dishes to go with the main meal. For example if we're having lasagne, I'll throw in garlic bread and a salad.
- Make your grocery list from your menu plan.
At this point, I do something a little extra. I write the favorite dishes down on an index card with the side dishes included. As I try new recipes, and if I like them, I do the same thing. So eventually I'll have a bunch of index cards with all my favorite meals. And then when the week is beginning, I just rotate through those cards adding a couple of new dishes as I go. You could just keep building that rotation schedule until you never have to browse a cookbook again! You could even go a step beyond that and write a grocery list for those ingredients on the backs of your index cards. Sounds a little obsessive compulsive I know, but there will be no more staring at your shelves wondering what to cook tonight.
If this sounds like too much, there are numerous menu planning books out there that do just that -- make a plan and a shopping list for you.
Money-Saver
If the saving time doesn't get you, or the abhorrence of that dreaded question what can I cook for dinner tonight? Then maybe the money-saving aspect will grab you. Just think about it -- if you have a list of dishes that you know everyone in your family loves, then you'll also know what ingredients you need. You'll then be able to keep a look-out for bulk deals on meats or canned products that you may use in those dishes. This can save you so much money in the long run! And of course we already mentioned, the risk of haphazard buying now that there's a list in your hand significantly diminishes.
This is something that you need to tailor to your family, so take some of my guides if they'll help or check out the numerous menu-planning books out there.
Jaycee Fox is a writer. She lives in Arizona with her husband and three children. Visit her blog, www.jayceefox.blogspot.com, to see what she's written.
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