How to Save Money with Meal Planning

Written by Krissi Ann McKinley

As a financial planner, I pay close attenting to my family's spending. The one item in our budget that bothers me the most is our grocery bill. We spend way too much on groceries... period.

So I was excited when a friend showed me how I could save money with meal planning.

At first, meal planning seemed intimidating and like a lot of work. But with some practice (and a little patience!) I found that it's really not that hard.

Save Money

Before we get started on how to do menu planning, I want to talk about the benefits of meal planning. The biggest benefit to me is the money we save. By planning our menu ahead of time, I only buy the food that we need at the grocery store. No more buying food and letting it go to waste because I didn't get around to cooking or using it. It also cuts down on the number of trips I make to the grocery store each week, which means less impulse buys! Ever go to the store for one thing and end up spending $30? Meal planning helps eliminate those senseless purchases from your grocery budget.

Save Time

Second, meal planning saves you time. First, because you don't have to spend time wondering (or searching the web) what you'll cook for dinner. Second, because you already have all the ingredients to cook your meals for the week, you don't have to go to the store on your way from work (or from picking the kids up).

Eat Healthier

Third, people who do meal planning tend to eat better because you cook your meals at home and you go out to eat less often. When you cook at home, you're more likely to select fresh, healthy ingredients, and you'll eat less fatty foods.

So now that you can see the benefits of meal planning, how do you do it? The first thing you should do is write down all of your family's favorite dishes. You may want to keep a 3-ring binder with the recipes in it - this has been very handy for me.

Next - and this is the best part - grab the weekly grocery sale ads. If you don't get these in the mail or in your weekly newspaper, just jump online and visit your favorite grocery store's website. Most grocery stores have their weekly ads listed right on their websites now, and some are even interactive (allowing you to create a printable shopping list - very cool!). Once you have your grocery ads in hand, scan them for sale items that can be used for this week's meals.

Next, take an inventory of the food in your fridge and pantry. Do you have any food that needs to be eaten right away? This is one of the greatest benefits of meal planning. You waste much less food because you only buy what you plan on using that week.

At this point, you should have an idea of what you want to cook for the week based on the grocery store ads, what you already have on hand, and your family's activities for the week. Go ahead and write out the meals you plan on cooking for the week (a weekly meal planner worksheet works great for this), and fill in your grocery list for the items you don't have in hand.

All you have left to do at this point is to do the grocery shopping, post your menu on the fridge for all to see, and create your meals each day. The rest of your week should go much more smoothly now that you don't have to worry about "what's for dinner" at the end of each day.

Looking for free tools to help you with menu planning?

Menu Planning Central offers a free report, "A Quick and Easy Way To Get Dinner On The Table and Enjoy More Quality Time With Your Family..."

In this free special report, you'll learn:

* Why not planning your meals ahead of time can cost you hundreds of dollars and precious hours not spent with family and friends.

* How a regular family dinner can result in a more loving relationship with your spouse and kids.

* Get started right away with a free weekly menu planner and shopping list.