How to Make a Meal Plan

Everyone has different ideas on how to save money at the grocery store and trim the fat on the food budget, but the one I've found most effective is meal planning. Meal planning involves just that: planning out every meal that you're going to eat for the whole week. Once you have that crucial information pinned down, it's easy to pull your ingredients to make a grocery list, and use that grocer list to only buy what you need, find the best bargains, and ultimately, save money.

But am I the only one whose mind completely empties of anything remotely resembling a meal when it's time to make my meal plan? It's hard to plan a week's worth of menus when you can't even think of a single dinner. To combat this, I've developed a system.

Step #1: Get help!
First, get your family involved. Anyone in your house who is eating your food should be forced to help, I mean, given the opportunity to give some input. On a list of notebook paper, make a list of everyone's favorite meals.

Step #2: Get Inspired
Next, it's time to find some inspiration. If you have magazines with recipes in them or cookbooks that you love, pull them out. On your master meal list, write down those recipes that look good or that you've been wanting to try, and include where you found them. Either clip the recipe from the magazine or write down the page number and what cookbook you found them in.

Step #3: Picking Your Meals
Now it's time to write your weekly meal plan. Keep in mind your schedule, including busy nights where you're pressed for time, nights where you won't be eating at home, or dinner dates where company is coming. Make four separate lists: breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks. For breakfasts, lunches and snacks, you don't have to plan each day, but make sure that you list options so they're available when you need them. For dinners, pull out favorite meal standbys, quick meals, and no more than one or two new recipes to try.

Step #4: Keeping a Master List
Your master meal plan list should be a work in progress. If you made a new recipe one week that was downright delicious, it stays. If you tried a meal that was a total flop, delete it from your list. As you think of good menu ideas, add them. The longer your master list is, the less time it will take you in the future to make your weekly meal plan.

Step #5: Making the Most of It
Now that you've got your master meal plan list, you can use it to save money and time. Pick meals from your master menu list based on what's on sale at your grocery store that week to get the best deals. You can also adjust your choices based on what's in season. Also, you can use your meal plan to make your grocery list, including only the items you don't have, and not buying any extras at the store that will eat into your budget.

With a good meal plan, you'll be able to quickly and easily pull menu ideas based on what's on sale, what's in season, and what your family especially enjoys. A little work on a meal plan master list will pay off big when it comes to saving time and trimming down your grocery bill.