It’s oft been quipped, “If you fail to plan, you plan to fail.” This rings incredibly true in the kitchen. Lack of planning when it comes to your food can lead to wasted resources, rotten food, money spent on dining out, and a nasty smell in the back of your refrigerator. If you struggle with meal planning, you’re not alone. It’s one of the number one areas people ask for my input. Here are some of my favorite Royal Money Saving Tips to help you successfully plan meals on a weekly basis and stick to it.
1) Find a Method that Fits Your Style. Shocker, we don’t fit a one-sized fits all mode. Some of us are more comfortable with managing our lives on paper than technology, and conversely there are those who are much more comfortable with keys under their fingers than a pen in hand. You need to lean into your gifts and not try to force a method upon yourself that has either failed before or doesn’t mesh with your personality & gifts. Mind you, this is not an excuse maker that gets you a free pass from planning meals. Rather, this is an admonishment to try a few different platforms to make the best of what you’ve been given.
2) Use Free Resources. There are certainly subscription based resources that provide a meal plan for you ($5 meal plan is probably my favorite). However, there are a host of meal plans on the internet and Pinterest, free for the taking. Weekly, I provide our Royal Meal Plan (which is not an invitation to dinner, but instead a guide for ideas & inspiration). My site also has a free printable document that helps you track your weekly meal plan and grocery lists. I’ve compiled a Royal Meal Plans & Menu Printables Board filled with ideas for you today.
3) Start Planning with What You Have. How often have you said (or heard), “There’s nothing to eat in this whole house?!” While we can be dramatic when we’re hungry, it’s highly unlikely that this statement is true. Most of us have plenty of food that with a little preparation could be turned into 3-4 meals in our fridge, freezer, cabinets, and pantries. So before you plan a single meal or put a single item on your grocery list, open the doors to all of the places where you store food. Ask yourself what you could make for the week without buying anything. Then determine what meals could be made by adding only 1-2 ingredients.
4) Plan According to What Items are on Sale. After you’ve made a simple list based on using what you already have, progress to the next stage of your meal planning by looking online or through the paper ads to see what grocery items are on sale. This will help you maximize the dollars you do spend in the store.
5) Don’t Plan While in the Aisles or Hungry. If you don’t have a plan in place, you might end up in a state we refer to as “Hangry.” Hungry + Angry = Hangry. This is not a favorable space to dwell. You need to a routine time and place to effectively plan your meals to make things work. The most optional location is of course your kitchen. I would pick a day and time in your schedule that launches you into your regular week. That way you’ll be prepared to shop and ease into your weekly routines without a scrape.
Meal planning doesn’t have to be drudgery and once you have an effective strategy in place, you will actually find the entire process to be very freeing for your time and finances. Don’t fall victim to the drive thru trap due to a busy schedule! Plan your meal to save time, money, and your sanity.
Gain inspiration to pay off debt! Check out Inspiration to Pay Off Debt: 30 Days of Encouragement from the Queen of Free
This post contains an affiliate link. That means when you get a great deal or maybe even something for free, you also help our family pay off our mortgage early. And for that, we royally thank you!
[…] you catch my segment on WTHR yesterday? It focused on tips & tricks for meal planning. Watch for a post with the […]