Menu Planning

GoodMan would tell you this post isn't really "dishin' it up with Denise", it's more like "Denise is dishin' it out" ~ unsolicited advice, that is. I don't have daughters and my sons are not particularly domestic. I never got the opportunity to pass on the hints and tricks I've picked up over my (many) years as a daughter, wife, mom, and now grandma. I'm so bursting with this stuff that I had to start a blog just to unload it all.

If the subject of menu planning doesn't interest you, you have my permission to skip today's post...but I wouldn't if I were you...how do you know what you don't know until you know it?...Ouch, that kind of thinking hurts!

I started menu planning way back in the day when my boys were little. So much of the time I either didn't have the use of a car during the day or was too far from town to run back and forth every day, so I learned to plan ahead and make use of my freezer. As the times of our lives changed I found myself driving the boys to school functions or practice, and again, menu planning was a life saver. I went to work when my youngest was in high school. Menu planning allowed me to have a real dinner on the table almost every night. And even now that I've retired I find my menu plan keeps me organized and helps me make sure I don't throw away a ton of extra food.

Here's how I do it:

I like to plan my menus a week at a time. I know a lot of people do monthly plans, or even bi-weekly plans, but I live almost a half hour away from a large grocery store so I'm not able to pop in for fresh ingredients on a daily basis. I try to pick up things like breads, fresh fruits and vegetables to last for a week and then do it again next week.

When I'm ready to plan my weekly menu I pull out my calendar, a pad of paper and a pencil, and if I'm being really good I check the sales flyer from the store where I'll be shopping. Lots of people are into "extreme couponing", I've been there and done that, but I found I didn't like my house looking like a warehouse with all the extra products I purchased in advance, and the time I was putting into it didn't seem productive enough. Recently I found a neat app for my smart phone called "grocery IQ". I use that to remind myself of things I need to pick up, and if I use it for my full grocery list I can click a button and check for coupons for any items on my list. I like that method better ~ coupons to match my menu, not menus to match my coupons.

I look on my calendar for days when we'll be away from home and happily put OTE (for out-to-eat) and skip that day. When I was working, my schedule called for working one evening per week. As I planned my menu I would put EMFS (for every-man-for-himself), everyone was expected to get their own dinner that night~ either leftovers, a sandwich, a bowl of soup, even a bowl of cereal.

Next, I look for scheduling issues for the next week. Maybe my husband will have a meeting and he'll need to have just a quick bite before heading out...I sure don't want to make a big production-type dinner that night! If I know I'll have a busy day with doctor appointments or out Christmas shopping, I'll plan a crock pot dinner to be ready when I return. These days GoodMan and I have been taking a meal to share with my daughter-in-law and 3 grandkids on Wednesdays and Sundays so I keep that in mind when I make my plans. You get the idea. It does no good to put something on the menu plan if there is no way you'll have time to actually make it.

I like to "go shopping in my cupboards" before I go shopping at the super market. Sometimes I'm surprised to find out I already have something on my list. ~ I can cross that item off my list. And then there are times when my pantry or freezer starts looking too full...those times I determine the meals for my menu plan based on what things I need to use up.

I write my grocery list based on the aisles of the store I normally shop. That way I spend less time wandering around the grocery store and I'm less likely to buy impulse items. I write on a dry erase board the dinners I plan to make and I CHECK THE BOARD the night before to see what I need to get out of the freezer...and last but not least, I always have a quick dinner on hand that I can pull from the pantry or freezer in case plans change last minute. There are good all-in-one meals in the freezer section of the grocery store to have on hand for last minute changes. This keeps us from ordering pizza or going through a drive-thru when time has gotten away from us. 

Menu planning gets easier the longer you do it. It saves time, saves money, and helps me make good nutritional decisions. One of the biggest benefits for me is knowing what I'll be making ahead of time so I can plan my time and be prepared when the time comes. I encourage you to try it, you might just find it improves your life as much as it's improved mine!