Finding great deals and shopping with coupons to lower your grocery budget are great ways to save money. But if you don't plan your menu around your stockpile, you could be wasting a lot of money. One of the ways I save on groceries each week is to plan a menu based on the items I already have. At times this is a creative endeavor!
If you have trouble with meal planning, try getting organized. Plan your menu on the day you grocery shop, before you shop. Add anything you need to your grocery list.
If you have trouble planning meals that everyone will eat, try including your kids in the meal planning process!
(Thanks, Momma-Lana!) Family Fun has a great
downloadable Meal Planner that will help you keep the meals healthy. (I have changed the "desserts" category to "fruit".) After filling out your meal plan for the week, create your shopping list and hang the menu where everyone can see it!
Our Menu for Wednesday:
We're a bit off track this week, so I've changed today's meal to something I think will work better....
Easy Chicken Enchiladas (from the Philadelphia Cooking Creme container)
Tossed Salad (from our
AeroGarden)
Applesauce for the kiddos
What's on your menu? Inspire us!
7 comments:
I have chicken in the crockpot - I just sprinkled with pepper, salt, paprika and lemon juice. I have leftover steamed cabbage from yesterday and will probably either make scalloped potatoes or pasta to go with it.
love the meal planner...the kids will get into that :-)
Thanks
Chris maze
I'm going to try to attempt stuffed cabbage for dinner tonight. I am rather nervous about how this is going to turn out since it is my first shot at one of my favorite meals from when I lived at home. I'm going to wager that I call mom about five times as I'm making it.
Grilled Italian chicken sausages
scalloped potatoes because I have some out of date milk to use up
brocolli
green salad with feta cheese
chocolate cupcakes
Menu plan is going really good so far. I printed off a blank monthly calendar. I just googled or swagbucked: free printable calendar.
Tonight: chicken, rice, broccoli, butternut squash, chocolate chip cookies.
QUestion: do you like your areogarden? I've been eyeballing one on amazon for over 1 year, but don't know if its really worth it. I buy the organic salad greens at costco for 3.99 & it last us a good 2 weeks its so huge (and I have salads every day).
Stephanie,
My brother bought us the AeroGarden for Christmas in 2009. He buys me the kits to go with it for my birthday and other occasions, which makes it nice because the idea of the garden is great, but the amount it costs to run it and buy the vegetable kits is kind of expensive. I would keep an eye out for a deal on one. Last year they went on sale for under $50. I do like the garden. We have had a lot of success with the herbs and lettuce. I had not much luck with tomatoes. The herbs grew so fast and replenished so quickly I could not keep up!
Michelle
Thanks Michelle..... Just scrolling through Amazon. I didn't realize that the AreoGarden needed so many supplies! I think I'll stick with my tried & true summer garden. Now I can spend money elsewhere!
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