If you are anything like me, most days you have little time left over to sit and breathe. Some days I feel very rushed and unorganized. Despite my best efforts there are days that just don’t go as planned. In a large family most days you have to be organized. You don’t necessarily have to have every single second planned out, but the day usually goes much smoother if you have an idea of what you expect to happen throughout the day.
I have found that if I have one particular area always planned out the rest of the day goes much better. I don’t always plan it out and when I don’t I find myself thinking that I need a swift kick in the rear for not taking the time to do it.
So, what area of our lives am I talking about? Well, I have found that if I plan out our meals it helps in so many other areas of our lives.
First, I find that I am rarely frantic about what to do for meals, making evening time in particular so much calmer.
Second, when I plan meals I stick to my budget a whole lot easier freeing up money that I might need for homeschool books, supplies, field trips or something else fun. I’m able to shop quicker and spend less money. Most people can’t believe how little we actually spend on groceries!
Third, my kids always know what is coming up and it ends the chorus of “What can we eat Mama?” or “What’s for lunch (or dinner)” that I hear endlessly if there is no menu posted on the fridge. If each child that can talk and ask only asks 2 or 3 times throughout the day I hear those phrases a minimum of 14-21 times! Talk about stressful! Making up weekly menus helps me keep my sanity!
I figured I would show you what I do and hopefully if you don’t already have a plan similar it might inspire you to do the same. I know for us it is a life saver!
Because my husband is paid every two weeks I make up two weeks worth of menus. The kids can always look up and see what we are having not only that night but the following week as well. They love it, I love it and Mike loves it. I am very flexible so that if something comes up unexpected or my husband is working later or a child is sick, I can always change the meals around. Being 6.5 months pregnant I’m often so tired by the end of the day and sometimes just don’t want to cook. In that case, I find something easier and save that night’s dinner for another day. Flexiblity is key to menu planning as well.
Below you will find our menu for last week and for this week. You should be able to click on them to see them bigger or to save them. I’m trying photobucket out for the first time on this site to post pictures so we’ll see how that goes! I’m making them big so that you can clearly see what we have on the menu. I apologize ahead of time if it messes up anyone’s screen. In addition to the meals on the menu we have fruit, cheese sticks and other snacks for the afternoon time. I don’t put those on the schedule since I let the kids pick what they want for snacks. I figure this way they feel like they also have a choice in some of what they eat for the day. We normally have juice, milk or tea for drinks at meals and only water in between. Most meals I cook are from scratch and I try my hardest to pick meals that almost everyone loves. We never have complaints and having the menu helps prepare those who don’t like the meal to accept what we are eating for the night (or day). This is definitely another added bonus to having the menu ready!
Making up our menus is a huge time saver for me. It helps in so many areas but one of the most important things it does for me is helps me remain focused and calm when so many other things (and kids!) are calling for my attention.
Do you do a weekly menu? How has it helped you in terms of saving time?
When Michelle isn’t writing menus or cooking large amounts of food for her growing family she can be found writing about her life at Pass The Flu Bug Please.
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{ 7 comments… read them below or add one }
I do plan our meals. I’m pretty flexible with breakfast and lunch, but dinner is always planned out at least one week in advance. I keep the meals on my google calendar for reference.
I usually do menu planning, I’ve fallen out of it recently, though (which has happened before, I cycle through!) I need to get back into it, it’s a big time and money saver, and it’s definitely a sanity saver, too!
I do try to plan our dinners out – lunches are a mix of whatever we have or feel like!
I have tried to write out calendars by hand or do them on the computer, but for some reason it doesn’t work well for me. I finally found a system I’m sticking with – I wrote a blog post about it a while back.
http://runwatchplaywait.blogspot.com/2008/11/menu-planning.html
Hope that helps someone – it has helped save my sanity! :)
I plan a month worth of meals, since my husband is paid monthly. I rarely actually map it out more than a week at a time though. I just keep a master list, and then each week I try to plan that week. I haven’t been good about it lately though, and it definitely does make meal times crazier.
I agree with the having meals planned ahead of time which saves the frantic rush right before the meal. I base my week on what is on sale. Last week, Albertson’s had chicken and pork chops, B1G1, so I filled the freezer and have planned meals off of that batch of meat for the past week and a half. We also like to bake a lot like breads, rolls, pretzels, etc so we have a batch of dough rising almost daily for inspiration. :)
I don’t plan our meals. I just can’t imagine trying it. I don’t know what I want to eat until right before it’s time.
I agree! I used to be very “anti” menu…thinking that spontaneity was more important as far as what we “felt” like eating that particular day…however, once I gave menus a try…and started planning them according to what’s on the shelf at home; then adding to the grocery list only NEEDED items for the rest…Well! We not only save time as you suggest, but ALSO money at the grocery store! Menus have been a GREAT blessing to me! “Who woulda’ thunk it” LOL