Organizing and Planning Tips for a Weekly Menu Plan

Organizing and Planning Tips for a Weekly Menu Plan to help make it easier.  I remember when I was new to making weekly menu plans and got very overwhelmed, but now I can make one in less than ten minutes.  Along with that I can make my weekly grocery shopping list which helps me save money for my family of five!

Organizing and Planning Tips for a Weekly Menu Plan

First step is to make sure you include a family favorite dinner every week.  I always ask my kids and hubby for their input or I rotate their favorite meals into the menu.

Second step is to make dinners based around your extra curricular activities.  For instance I have two boys in football right now and they have practice and games throughout the week.  So I pick meals that are easy to make on game nights or I make a freezer meal on Sunday to use for that night.

Third step I do is I try to pick recipes using any leftovers I may have from the previous week.  For example if I have leftover roast meat I will make Crockpot Homemade Vegetable Soup with the leftover meat one night. I also include a night for leftovers.  I usually pick Wednesday or Thursday night to use up the leftover meals.

Fourth step is to make your grocery list based on what you need for your meals and your family's needs for the week.  I average around $75 to $100 a week at the grocery store for a family of five. Usually I only spend around $50 on the dinner meals and the rest is for lunches, breakfast items and then I stockpile items that are on sale that my family uses.

I suggest for the first time you make a menu plan that you use easy recipes that you may make all the time. Then the following week incorporate a new recipe. Be sure to organize and keep the recipes you like to keep them in rotation of the meals.  I use my family calendar and write on each day what recipe I am making.  It helps me to remember to lay out meat to thaw or get the pantry items needed for that recipe out and put on the counter the night before.  This helps me be organized and know I have everything to make it.