First, let me say I’m sorry that I didn’t complete last week. Major internet and computer issues, anyway, here we are on week number two.
For this week’s Money Monday, it’s about menu making. This was a concept I fought against with the same passion, as I would have a triple root canal in the same day. But it does save money AND time. My biggest ‘issue’ with this idea was ‘I don’t know what I want to eat in six weeks,’ which is true. Yet, as a rule we pretty much eat the same things over and over again so this really isn’t that bizarre.
Now you can find menu’s already planned out for you with shopping list all over the internet. This wouldn’t work for me and I strongly suggest making your own. Why? Because no two families eat alike, so if you’re using a pre-made menu, it’s probably not the best fit for your family. And if it’s not a good fit, we’re not going to want to use it. For example, I’m the only in our house that eats fish and most pre-made menu’s include fish. I either have to substitute that day or be the only to eat J. Also, I have found when talking to people who have attended one of my menu making class, they also are less likely to follow a pre-made one for similar reasons.
Okay, let’s get to the root of the matter, how do menus save you money and time? First, they eliminate what I call the ‘desperation drive-thru.’ That’s where the end of the day has come, you’re tired, and you’re on your home with absolutely no idea what to make for dinner. So you whip into a drive-thru, problem solved and a lot of money spent. This is adverted because you now know what you’re having for supper. Second, major benefit is the money saving aspect. You can buy only what is on sale because you know what you’ll be need for the next four weeks.
Let’s get started: Materials needed – vary as much as the food eaten. I’m going to use 3×5 cards and a small photo album for my demonstration. But I know of families that have set up spreadsheets, word files or used a master list with sticky notes. The main thing is to find something that works for your family.
Step #1 – List meals that YOUR family enjoys. We eat tacos – a lot – so I list those three or four times. You should aim for 28 meals – remember it’s okay to repeat meals – more if you are including breakfast and lunch. Another thing to keep in mind is that these are things your family eats, so if you have can soup and grilled cheese, put it down. This list isn’t to impress Emeril. We’ll just focus on dinner for now. Also if you now that some dish will have leftovers that you’ll eat later list this.
Step #2 – Divide your meals into categories – Ie. Quick, Hamburger, Chicken, Sunday. This will help you arrange them so you’re not having 8 nights of chicken.
Step #3 – Write each meal on a 3x 5 Card and category. I tend to leave two cards blank. These are my random meals – birthday, holidays, go out to eat meals, etc. So each card will look something like this – Macaroni Cheese/ Hot Dogs & buns/ Green Beans. Include desert or anything special that goes with that meal. Like I included buns because sometimes I cut up the hot dogs and mix them into the macaroni and cheese. Also make cards for leftovers, for example, lasagna is a 2 meal dish at our house so I have two cards, 1 list the original while the seconds: L/O lasagna/stuffed bread sticks/honey carrots.
Step #4 – Make master grocery list. Now this list should include EVERYTHING you need for your 28 meals. Make several copies of this. As things go on sale you can pick them up and cross it off your list. ($$$ Saved)
Now have we been eating the same 28 meals forever? NO, I redo our menus four times a year with each season change. So the summer menu’s include local fresh favorites, where the winter ones have more frozen vegetables on them.
Really, give this a try. I guarantee you’ll be amazed at how easy it is once you start. And the amount of money you’ll save will have you doing the happy dance
