How to Create a Meal Plan to Save Money

If you are trying to find ways to save money, one way to accomplish that goal would be learning how to create a meal plan. When I work with a client to organize their kitchen or schedule, one of our tasks is to create a meal plan.

The problem is not that my clients don’t want to cook at home, the problem is that they don’t know what to cook or they don’t have time to prepare meals.

If you create a meal plan, it will make a HUGE difference in your eating habits and your bottom line. You and your family will eat healthier meals, and you’ll save money at the same time!

I’ll share with you the tips I give to my clients when we create their meal plans.

1. Think about the meals your family likes to eat. Jot down as many meals as you can off the top of your head. The goal is to come up with at least 25 meals. They don’t have to be elaborate meals. Crockpot meals, soups, and sandwiches work well for busy nights when you don’t have a lot of time to prepare a meal.
2. Next, grab your calendar and write down a meal for each day of the month. Spread the meals out to offer variety. For example, if you have four chicken meals, write one meal each week. (My calendar fills up quickly because I only have to come up with four chicken meals, four sandwiches, four shrimp meals, four meatless meals, four turkey meals, four beef meals, and four fish meals.)
3. Take note of your schedule to see which nights you won’t be home for dinner or those nights when you will be coming home late and won’t have much time to prepare a meal. Also, think about which days meals need to be prepared quickly and which meals need more time. Keep filling up the calendar until all the meals you’ve written down are on the calendar.
4. If you couldn’t think of enough meals to fill the entire month, you could repeat a few favorites or treat the family to a few, inexpensive meals out. Eating out a few nights a month won’t break the bank as long as you have budgeted for the cost.
5. Look into recipe websites like AllRecipes.com or Better Homes and Gardens for inspiration. You can slowly add new recipes you’d like to try into the rotation.
6. Purchase a binder to store all of your recipes for the month. Use these dividers to label each section (chicken, fish, pasta, etc.) to help you find and prepare the meals quicker. Pick out a pretty binder that coordinates with your kitchen or a simple white one.
7. Once you have your calendar complete and your binder set up, you’re ready to go shopping. Jot down the ingredients needed to prepare all of your meals for the week (or two!), and you’re all set!

The great thing about creating a meal plan is that you only have to do it once. Once you have your meals on the calendar, keep moving them to the following month, and you’ll always have an answer when your family asks, “What’s For Dinner?”.

4-Week Dinner Meal Planner

Below is a 4-Week Dinner Meal Plan I created to help my clients out with meal planning for their families. This plan features 28 delicious family-friendly meals that can be rotated from month to month. It also includes a shopping list for all of the required ingredients, which makes preparing dinner a breeze! Click here or on the photo below to download your 4-Week Dinner Meal Plan, so you’ll never have to wonder or hear “What’s for Dinner?” again.

You’re welcome! 

Do you currently use a meal plan? If so, what type of meals do you prepare? Enlighten us with your comments below! 😉

Related Articles:

• Free Meals for Your Birthday
• 8 Quick & Easy Ways to Save Money
• 6 Tips to Avoid Overspending