I don’t know about you, but it seems like as soon as my kids were able to talk, the question I got most was, “Mama, what’s for dinner?” In order to communicate our weekly dinner plans with my whole family, I created a menu board to display the weekly meals. I realized, however, that not only did this answer their question, but it also helped me save money and time because I could be more intentional with each day’s dinner.
I have my menu in a glass picture frame and use a dry erase marker on the glass. These menu planners can be printed at home or made into larger prints through your favorite local or online print shop. They can be printed up to 16×20 inches. I suggest selecting the frame you like first and then choosing your print size to match.
How does having a weekly menu help with time and money? See the four steps below.
1. Plan the Menu Around Your Week
Every Saturday I look ahead at our whole week in order to plan our meals. I look at the days we aren’t home until after 8 PM and the days I am able to actually spend time in the kitchen. By doing this, I know which nights I need to plan an instapot, air fryer, or crockpot meal because they are super quick and can even be prepared ahead of time. There’s also no shame in purchasing frozen pizzas or casseroles for those busy nights either. These meals are healthier and cheaper than fast food, so if you see a super busy night during the week, plan for a freezer meal that just needs to be warmed up. I save more complicated recipes for the nights I am actually able to prepare a meal on the stove or in the oven. I know realistically that meal prepping a whole week or prepping freezer meals in one day is not for me, but if you are able to do this, that would tackle the whole week for you in one day. When I meal plan, I start with Sunday and work to Saturday because that’s the day I grocery shop. If we are going to do take-out, we also do this on Saturday because my husband is home from work, and it’s often our hang out night.
2. Plan Meals with Common Ingredients
In order to save money, you will want to think of ingredients that you can use in multiple recipes. For instance, my family really likes the roaster chickens from the store. If I get one of those, then I’ll plan for chicken salad sandwiches later in the week because I will use the leftover chicken to make the salad. Perhaps we’re doing steaks on Tuesday, so Wednesday I will cut up the leftovers for steak salads. This is cheaper because you’re reusing ingredients, and it cuts down on preparations because part of the meal is already done.
3. Rely on Leftovers
If you are making a meal that feeds multiple people, such as a casserole or lasagna, remember that there will be leftovers. This is a great timesaver because you only need to reheat them on your busy night. If using leftovers is your plan, actually write on your menu “lasagna leftovers.”
4. Post on the Menu
Once you have all of your meals planned out, write them on your menu board so everyone knows what to expect for dinner that week. I do try to get my family’s input on a weekly meal choice to keep them happy, and when they see their choice posted, they get excited. It gives them ownership of dinner, too, so you don’t have to feel like it’s always on you to figure out what to feed everyone.
By implementing a weekly menu, you no longer have to frantically worry about what to feed everyone as you’re running from activity to activity because it’s already been taken care of at the beginning of the week. Your wallet will be fuller because you’re not going to be running through fast food drive-throughs as a last minute option, and your family will be healthier for it. Once you get this routine going, your grocery shopping will be easier, and your life will have a little bit less stress.
