How I Plan a Monthly Menu

I know that there are a lot of people out there that thinks that this sounds like a monumental task but I swear it is really easy and saves lots of money.  It can also be done in a bunch of different ways to fit your family based on what you have on hand.  I am going to list out how I do it so that you can see how easy it is.

Step 1:  Get a Calendar

There are free printable monthly calendars available online through many websites.  There is a great list at Money Saving Mom where you can download one that fits your needs.  Even if you don't do the whole month at one time, it is nice one to choose because you can fill it in as you go.  I usually order free calendars online through Pillsbury and Betty Crocker so I end up using one of the free calendars for meal planning.  If you decide that you want a meal planning calendar, they are 75% off at most bookstores too.

Step 2:  Take an inventory

Go through your pantry and write everything down that is in it.  I usually write a list that breaks things down into categories like Pasta, Canned goods, and Other.  If you have lots, write on the front and back of the paper.  It helps me not only to organize when I am looking for something but it helps me find things when it comes time.  Make sure you make note of multiples; Don't just write that you have macaroni and cheese but write that you have 6 (promise it will be helpful later).  On another sheet of paper, I go through the freezer and write everything that I have in there.  I usually write my chicken together, followed by pork chops, ground beef and any other meat product.  Then I turn over the paper (feel free to use another piece if you like) to write the non-meat things that I have like flour tortillas, chicken broth, shredded cheese, tater tots and others. 

Step 3:  Write a list of all the meals that your family likes to eat (and you can cook)

I did this a long time ago so obviously I don't go through and do it every month.  I ended up typing it up on the computer and adding a column for main meat component.  It helps to sort all the chicken dishes together so that if you have a package of chicken in your hands, you know that you aren't making sloppy joes since that calls for ground beef.  It is a good thing to go back and visit to add new dishes that your family likes that get added to the monthly meal planning in the future.

Step 4:  Sit Down and Plan out your days (make sure you bring steps 1-3 with you)

At the end of each month, I sit down with my calendar and my updated inventories and map out what I am going to have each day.  I start with a few nights of pasta (which I do once a week and plan on the nights that are going to busy or we are going to be out all day).  If I do an Olive Oil Spaghetti one week, the next week is Sausage Penne so that it feels like we aren't having the same thing all the time because it is only really once or twice a month (throwing in some Fried Zucchini Spaghetti to mix it up).  Then, I put down Homemade Pizza alternately with Homemade Calzone (which I usually do on Fridays).  Again, it is something that is similar because I am using a homemade pizza dough but we change the ingredients to do Buffalo Chicken Pizza or White Pesto Pizza so that we aren't eating sausage and pepperoni every week.  I fit in the other things that are in the freezer and pantry in the spaces.  I will put one day with marinated chicken and rice and the next week put a different chicken with pasta.  Having a calendar helps me to spread out the meals so that we aren't eating the same meal every night with different flavors.

Some people feel it is easier to have assigned days of the weeks with themes like:

Pasta
Chicken
Beef or Steak
Fish
No Meat or Vegetarian
Soup and/or Sandwich
Pizza
Breakfast for Dinner

Example of Week: 

Monday- Spiedies Chicken with white rice
Tuesday- Kraft Fresh Take Pork Chops with mac and cheese
Wednesday- French Dip Sloppy Joes with frozen rolls
Thursday- Olive Oil Spaghetti with pizza dippers
Friday- Homemade Calzone
Saturday- Chicken Tortilla Soup (from freezer)/ Herb Butter Whole Chicken
Sunday- Kielbasa with sweet potato fries/ Ground Beef Tacos

Step 5:  Separate out food for the week

I know that this seems like it isn't necessary but it is helpful to pull out the food you are going to need for the week.  If I have to defrost a whole chicken, I know that it takes at least 3 days in the fridge.  If I have to defrost chicken tenders, overnight is fine.  Usually ground beef takes 1-2 days in the fridge.  So planning ahead is the only way to make this work.  I have a downstairs freezer so over the weekend, I pull out all the things that I need and put them in the upstairs freezer or fridge based on the need for the week.  It is much easier if you have everything in one place so that you don't forget to defrost something and get to dinner time without anything to eat.

Step 6:  Write a Shopping List

I know that most people don't have a freezer and pantry full of a month worth of food although I think that you will be surprised.  I write a list of the things that we need that are perishable like lettuce with a little note that it is for tacos.  The great thing is that after you have purchased the lettuce, you can plan for salad another night because you know that you are going to have it in the house.  If I buy potatoes for the month, I try to plan multiple dishes that use potatoes and make sure that they are all used before they go bad.  If there is a vegetable that we like to have with a dish, I make note of what we would like to have but if there is a special deal when I get to the store, we end up having that veggie instead.  It saves a lot of time and money if you aren't wondering if you need more spaghetti sauce while you are at the store because you have them at home.  As you work on this planning process, you can work on stocking up on things at the lowest price.  If you know that you use spaghetti sauce (and your family has a favorite kind), when it is on sale you pick up four instead of just one then you have enough to last for a few months and you have saved that much money to put back into your budget.

Step 7:  Have a backup plan and be flexible

Especially when you start, make sure that you can substitute something in case the plan doesn't go right.  If you forget to take out the meat to defrost or you simply didn't have enough time to make the meal, have a few go to dishes that you can whip up.  I used to never plan for a pasta meal and that was my go to in case of an emergency.  Now I put it on the calendar and if things aren't working right, the nights get switched with the pasta night.  It still leaves the same things on the menu for the week just in a different order.  Whether you are doing this to save money, be healthier or whatever goal, a frozen pizza is not the end of the world as a dinner solution on a busy night.  It is still much more healthy and frugal than getting in the car and going to a restaurant.

Do you think that you can do this??  I do!!!  If I can do it, then I think that anyone can do it.  Do you want help??  I would love to help!!  Just let me know what questions you have and what I can do to help you start your way to saving money through menu planning.