Meal Planning on a Budget: Seeking Advice!

[AshleyAllison]

Does anyone meal plan? My husband has given me a challenge to meal plan for the rest of the month and try to spend as little as possible. I've never meal planned before so I don't even know where to start. I'd love to use PC recipes but am also indecisive, especially when it comes to food.

Any help is appreciated!

 

[esavvymom]

I'm not very consistent, but what I've found works best for ME is just to sit down with the cookbooks I use most often. I have a notebook that I keep a list of meals we like (ie- a favorite mexican dish, italian dishes, quick meals (pizza, soup), etc). Then use my calendar to see what days I need to plan meals for, and what days we might be busy with activities and either need to eat out (1x week usually), or plan for the leftovers those nights, etc.I put labels on my notebook for Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner ideas, plus desserts and snacks. I go through my cookbooks and pick out my recipes as needed.it's not pretty, but for me, it is the simplest to start with - no extra equipment or software.I'd love to find a software program, but loading recipes into it seems too daunting.Good luck! it does help alot when you have a plan. Because then you can make your grocery list. And then KEEP that meal plan to know why you bought a particular item! (I can't tell you how many times I have forgotten why I bought a specific product!).

 

[pchockeymom]

A great way to start is to use our Weekday Dinners Done Recipe Card collections. They include grocery lists for the week, a pantry check list that you add to your grocery list, the recipes and instructions for 2 weeks (5 meals per week). You could start with these, and use the time to explore recipes you like, read your sale circulars, go over your family schedule, and then plan a few weeks ahead.

 

[Shari in TX]

I love to meal plan, try new recipes, etc. However, if my goal is to spend as little money as possible, I do it differently. I go through my freezer, fridge and pantry and try to figure out what meals I can make with what is in them adding as few extra ingredients as possible. Of course, by the end of the time period, those stores are depleted and need to be restocked so I spend more money doing that. But when money has been tight for a specific period of time (maybe some extra expenses came up), this way of meal-planning has worked well for me.

It's amazing what you can put together when you really try. During this time, we usually eat fewer foods with meat in them because I don't always have a lot of that on hand and it tends to get expensive fast. But there's a lot that can be done without meat -- pasta meals with a few chopped veggies (onions and peppers or whatever is in the fridge), rice sauteed with black beans, canned tomatoes, some corn and a little Southwest Seasoning served with tortilla chips or in a tortilla with some cheese, mac and cheese with frozen peas and canned tuna, spaghetti and meatballs (I buy the frozen ones from Sam's) with spaghetti sauce or just canned tomatoes and Italian Seasoning.

I posted a while back that I bought 20 24-oz pizza dough balls at Sam's for about $16 so right now, I have a lot of pizza dough. Each ball makes 2 large pizzas (thin crust) so when I make those, it serves all of us plus leftovers. I just throw on whatever we have that sounds good together. My kids don't like pizza sauce so I skip that and just brush on olive oil. I've made Mediterranean (spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts), BBQ (leftover chicken, red onions, bbq sauce), Ranch Chicken (ranch dressing, chopped bacon, leftover chicken, green onions) and Random Veggie. They were all great.

To get the leftover chicken for them, I buy a whole chicken because it is a lot cheaper than the boneless/skinless chicken breasts we usually eat. I cook it either in the DCB in the microwave or last week we grilled it using the Roasting Pan with Can over a can of beer. We eat what we want of the meat for one meal (usually most of the white meat served with pasta or potatoes or rice or some other starch and veggies) and then I take all the rest of the meat off and it's enough for a pizza. Or, I have hubby grill chicken breasts and grill just a couple extras which can be used on pizza, in a pasta dish like the Grilled Chicken Penne al Fresco) or in eggs.

Breakfast for dinner usually makes it into the plan because it's cheap and I usually have ingredients on hand for breakfast burritos or eggs and coffee cake or something.

Creativity and knowing what you have in your fridge, freezer and pantry can make for a fun meal plan for the month without spending much money. Of course, if I'm completely off topic about the doing it to save money part and your husband just wants to know what's for dinner, sorry about that.

Shari in TX

 

[esavvymom]

Shari - I like the idea of going through the pantry and/or freezer and figure out what you can make with it. How many of us have hidden mysteries in our freezer or pantry that we have forgotten!? It would force me to clean out and USE what I already have. I may have to add a few items, which means a cheaper grocery store run!I know this is an area I need to work on too again, and then hopefully get back into some couponing. The budget needs more wiggle room! Too many times "Mr. Murphy" has come knocking on the door lately!

 

[monicag]

I posted a while back that I bought 20 24-oz pizza dough balls at Sam's for about $16 so right now, I have a lot of pizza dough. Each ball makes 2 large pizzas (thin crust) so when I make those, it serves all of us plus leftovers. I just throw on whatever we have that sounds good together. My kids don't like pizza sauce so I skip that and just brush on olive oil. I've made Mediterranean (spinach, sun-dried tomatoes, artichoke hearts), BBQ (leftover chicken, red onions, bbq sauce), Ranch Chicken (ranch dressing, chopped bacon, leftover chicken, green onions) and Random Veggie. They were all great.
Shari in TX

Shari, I have bought the already made pizza crusts at Sams....they started with really thin (which is what we like) and then got a little thicker and then even thicker......which we don't like. I've seen the dough balls on the menu board.....are they pretty easy to roll out? And that would be really great to get 2 pizzas out of one ball. We love pizza and have it a lot and it's pretty cheap to make.

 

[Shari in TX]

Shari, I have bought the already made pizza crusts at Sams....they started with really thin (which is what we like) and then got a little thicker and then even thicker......which we don't like. I've seen the dough balls on the menu board.....are they pretty easy to roll out? And that would be really great to get 2 pizzas out of one ball. We love pizza and have it a lot and it's pretty cheap to make.

I thaw them in the fridge overnight and then cut them in half horizontally so they start out pretty round (hope that makes sense -- they tend to spread out slightly when they thaw out so cutting them vertically makes them not as easy to roll out). Then I just use a combination of my hands and the Baker's Roller to roll them out. I try to get the edges to be just a little thicker than the middle. I'm still playing with it, but I think it's worked pretty well.

I have found that cooking the crust first (I brush it with a little olive oil) helps the crust to really crisp up well. I'm still playing with the times, but it's something around 10-15 minutes to cook at first and then maybe 7-8 after putting all the toppings and cheese on.

I don't think this is any more challenging to work with than Pillsbury, I can do it on the round stones rather than the Bar Pans and it's so much less expensive. Now I'm trying to think of what else I can do with it. I'm thinking mini pizzas in the Brownie Pan?

Shari in TX

 

[iteachurkid]

I was playing around on Pinterest (I'm obsessed!) and found this blog. It made me think of this post. Hope it helps!

Greater Things: Monthly Meal Planning

 

[chefa]

Don't forget the PC Power Cooking recipes for Beef and Chicken. Each makes 2 or 3 meals, and it's good ideas for stretching your meal $$$. I buy ground beef in bulk and cook it up then keep pre-cooked hamburger in serving size portions for quick meals. I've also been known to have pasta & rice cooked and frozen, so when I get home from work, I thaw the meat in the microwave and toss the frozen pasta in some boiling water for 5 minutes, add sauce & some grated parm and we're good to go.

 

[babywings76]

These are great posts, ladies! I do a little of all of them. I always plan my meals before I shop so that at a moments notice, I can be sure to know we have various dinner options. The only thing that gets me messed up is buying too much produce at once as I plan meals. If we end up eating over at my mom's once or twice or going out, then those veggies that I planned to use start to go bad. So I only struggle with that aspect. But I try to look through my cupboards and freezer first to see what I've got to work with, then look through favorite recipes and see what I want to do. I shop weekly, or at least hit my local farm stands once a week. We also buy fresh milk and eggs and butter from our neighbor's dairy farm mini store.

 

[kam]

A good way to save money is to plan around your weekly circulars from the supermarket.

Ours comes out on Sunday, so I sit on Sunday morning and see what is on sale. If cauliflower is on sale, then I am having that with dinners and making roasted cauliflower soup. If avocados are on sale, those will be some of my snacks for the week. When non-perishable things are on sale, I pick up enough to last me.

I also will go to both grocery stores in my area for the sales. If I need something that is not on sale at the first store, I get it at the other one. I bring both circulars with me when I go. (In case I see something and don't know if it is on sale at the 2nd store.)

To speed things up while in the store, I write my list in order of the aisles (generally). I also will mark which store to buy it at according to the sales.

I am now able to do almost a full week's grocery in 1hr 15 minutes and that is both stores!

The store which has the most of the ingredients I want on sale for the week is my "1st" store and that takes about 45 min. I "fill in" with the second store.

Also, if something is on sale at store 1 only...and they are out of it, I will "move" that meal to later in the week so I can come back mid-week to get that item. I will not buy it full price at store 2.

It is all in the planning.

Not sure if any of that made sense of helps at all!

Good luck!

 

[kam]

Yes, and as Bobbi mentions, write all your meals down. Start a list with every single recipe/meal that is available.

I used to have note cards listing by type (poultry, beef, slow cooker etc).

Once a week, go through the list and "pick". It is SO much easier to have everything in front of you to choose from.

 

[esavvymom]

Yes, and as Bobbi mentions, write all your meals down. Start a list with every single recipe/meal that is available.

I used to have note cards listing by type (poultry, beef, slow cooker etc).

Once a week, go through the list and "pick". It is SO much easier to have everything in front of you to choose from.

Because then, you are doing the WORK once. After that it should be easier. (I am saying this outloud to remind myself!!! Every night I kick myself when the question of "what's for dinner?" comes up )

 

[cincychef]

I use the Bamboo Dry erase board to list that weeks meals on the front of my fridge that helps us stick to the list AND if I am not home it is supposed to give my husband an idea of what to make.
I love meal planning too, I have been doing it in one form or the other since the day I got married, if you have never planned ahead before it should give you a significant savings when you first start.

 

[nikked]

... .I've also been known to have pasta & rice cooked and frozen, so when I get home from work, I thaw the meat in the microwave and toss the frozen pasta in some boiling water for 5 minutes, add sauce & some grated parm and we're good to go.

I didn't know you could freeze pasta and rice... learn something new every day! Any special instructions (especially the pasta) (like undercook a little bit, add oil, no oil, etc.)

Thanks!

 

[chefa]

No, not really. I despise "al dente" anything, so I cook my pasta between 10-13 minutes. I was taught not to add oil or butter to pasta because it won't hold the sauce, so unless I'm just doing butter and parm, I don't add those. You can thaw the pasta in the micro too and avoid putting it in water again if you want, but I've never had any issues with tossing it in the boiling water. Of course, maybe I've just been too hungry to care! You know how you are at the end of the day - just git 'er done.

 

[pchockeymom]

A good way to save money is to plan around your weekly circulars from the supermarket.

Ours comes out on Sunday, so I sit on Sunday morning and see what is on sale. If cauliflower is on sale, then I am having that with dinners and making roasted cauliflower soup. If avocados are on sale, those will be some of my snacks for the week. When non-perishable things are on sale, I pick up enough to last me.

I also will go to both grocery stores in my area for the sales. If I need something that is not on sale at the first store, I get it at the other one. I bring both circulars with me when I go. (In case I see something and don't know if it is on sale at the 2nd store.)

If you have a WalMart in your area, you can take your store circulars, buy everything at WalMart, and they price match so you only have to go to one store-saves time & money (on gas!).

 

[Shari in TX]

If you have a WalMart in your area, you can take your store circulars, buy everything at WalMart, and they price match so you only have to go to one store-saves time & money (on gas!).

Am I the only one who feels like I would be annoying the cashier if I did this? Or that I would get the wrong things and they wouldn't actually price match them?

I literally live across the street from Walmart and I've never done this. I either pay more for the item at WM or drive to the other store and buy it there. Any suggestions on how to get over the phobia and save money? Or it is like picking up the phone -- I just have to do it!!

Shari in TX

 

[pchockeymom]

I personally have several cashiers at walmart that will tell me "that's on sale at Martin's so I can price match it for you!" You actually don't have to have the circular with you,you only need to tell them it's in there. They should have all the local circulars at their register. And, they have a button they push then key in the price. It's not that big a deal.

It's your money. If you can save some of it, do so. Who cares what other people think!

 

[nikked]

Around here, Walmart is KING. I'm quite certain that we have highest concentration of walmarts per capita than ANYWHERE else in the country! And, you HAVE to have the add your matching, or no go. And they do NOT keep the circulars at the register. Would be nice though!

However, to adddress the issue of bothering the cashier, it's their job. I do, however, try to let anyone behind me in line know that I am add matching, and it might take awhile. I make a list of everything I'm add matching, by store, and I place each store's add match together on the conveyor. It makes it go faster when matching each price to not have to figure out which add has which item and go back and forth between several. I have also started circling any items I'm matching in the add, which makes it easier to find as well.

Oh, and I write the price and other specifics on the list so I'm able to compare apples to apples. And if it's a store brand, Walmart will match it with their own brand (Great Value), so don't forget those.

I also JUST learned that walmart will match competitors coupons, which I did not know before (You know, like Walgreen's has coupons for their store only... walmart will match those)...

HTH! And thanks to everyone sharing. I have learned a lot of great things here!

 

[KristinB1023]

I have to agree with the Wal-Mart posts as well, but also check your local supermarkets for when they have sales on things like the 5lb+ bags of frozen meatballs, chicken breasts, etc. I pick up a bulk size at a reasonable price and it's easier for me to have a few meals planned out after that. Chicken and meatballs especially, because there are SO many things you can make! I like the PC Power cooking Beef and Chicken recipes also because you make ahead for at least three meals. Mainly, I scour the online store websites and circulars for good sales on expensive things like meats, cheeses, etc. and plan my week from there using my PC cookbooks, especially 29 minutes to dinner! Hope this helps!

 

[esavvymom]

Keep a journal or log of the big items for sale cycles and stores.....ie, I know my local store will have the brandof chicken we like on sale at least once every 4-5 weeks....a GOOD sale. i know they have a few "levels" of sale and am finally teaching my dh those levels. He will ask if something is a good price.."..if I need one now, it is ok, but wait...it will go lower soon."

But maybe in the back of your meal notebook, have a sale file. Google for coupnoers in your area....you may find they have a blog or forum site to help with that. i know in our area here in NC, we have one. (savvydollar.org)

 

[lt1jane]

I know Wal-Mart will ad match, but I find their selection to be extremely limited. We have a high latino population in this area and they sell NO CHORIZO and they don't carry HOT salsas! Also, the quality of their produce is marginal. I stick with the local grocery stores because the prices are so close and the quality and selection is better. My time is worth a lot to me and less hassles for me is always a plus. I find the hassles/headaches/etc all comes out in the wash anyway. I save some on this but not on that...

 

[Shari in TX]

I'm loving this thread! Thank you NikkiD and PCHockeyMom for reassuring me that it's ok to have the cashiers price match for me and for the tips on how to get through it the fastest way possible. I'm actually one that uses the self checkout every chance I get. I like bagging my groceries a certain way and watching the prices to make sure they're right. It gives me a sense of control. But money is tight right now, so I'm going to pull out the sale flyers that just came out, bite the bullet and do some price-matching at WM next time I shop. I'm sure it won't kill me!

I also wanted to second the Power Cooking recipes. I love the chicken ones and like the beef ones. I've found that when I do them at home, the easiest way to stock up my freezer is to do make a triple batch of the same recipe, eat one that night and freeze the other two. Do this for 10 meals and you'll have eaten well for more than a week and have 20 more meals in your freezer. Of course, you won't want to eat them right away, but you'll be happy to eat them in a couple weeks. For the Cheesy Chicken Tortilla soup, I think I quadruple the recipe because it calls for 8 oz of Velveeta and I can buy a 32-oz box and use it all. I would love for PC to come out with a second set of each kind of recipe - beef and chicken.

Thanks for all the great tips. I'm eager to read more.

Shari in TX

 

[esavvymom]

menus4moms.com - they have some Free Meal Planning guides, as well as a few other things. And look along the top of the page for links to articles and such. Lots of info.
I've used ideas from them for years.You can "buy" meal plans...but they also give lots of free articles and tips too.

 

[eelime2185]

emeals.com is another online meal planning site. They offer store based plans and include a shopping list with prices.

 

[AshleyAllison]

Wow, thanks guys! I love to cook and try new recipes, I'm not a great cook and I am afraid to actually experiment with different things. I'm so nervous I'll mess up a perfectly good meal but I guess it's something I need to get over. I have had to teach myself how to cook since getting married 5 years ago so I'm not very confident...couldn't tell could you?

 

[nikked]

Wow, thanks guys! I love to cook and try new recipes, I'm not a great cook and I am afraid to actually experiment with different things. I'm so nervous I'll mess up a perfectly good meal but I guess it's something I need to get over. I have had to teach myself how to cook since getting married 5 years ago so I'm not very confident...couldn't tell could you?

The best tip I can give you is to meal plan, and INTENTIONALLY plan 2 meals a week that are a new recipe. The rest of the week do what you're comfortable with. I find that if I don't plan, I make the same old stuff over and over again. But if I plan to do a new recipe, and it's on the schedule, then I do it!

And it doesn't hurt to have a couple of frozen pizzas on hand in case of a disaster! They do happen, it's okay, but you'll never learn if you don't try, right!

 

[Shari in TX]

One of the reasons I love Pampered Chef recipes is because the test kitchen people keep trying the recipe until it's perfect or nearly so and it's harder to mess up when than recipes from other places. One of the things I find so amusing about the comments on Allrecipes.com recipes is when someone says, "This recipe was great, I just doubled this and added a pinch of that and left out this other thing." So, from that review, I actually have no idea if the recipe will work as written or not.

When my sister got married, I bought her the two 29 Minutes to Dinner recipe books and she tried lots of recipes out of them. She said she loved that not only were the recipes easy and delicious, but they also looked as pretty as the pictures. I think that says a lot for the PC test kitchens.

I'm not an experimenter -- I follow recipes to the letter the first time I try them. Occasionally, I'll decide that I could do something different next time, but I've never had any PC recipes that I tried be a lost cause. Some I don't make a second time, but nothing has ever been inedible. So, take a chance on a few new ones (2 a week like the previous poster said is a great idea). They might become your family favorites!

Shari in TX

 

[KatLdyKC]

Look below under "Similar Threads". Click on Meal Planning and there is a document link that has a month's worth of meals, recipes and a grocery list.

 

[AshleyAllison]

One of the reasons I love Pampered Chef recipes is because the test kitchen people keep trying the recipe until it's perfect or nearly so and it's harder to mess up when than recipes from other places. One of the things I find so amusing about the comments on Allrecipes.com recipes is when someone says, "This recipe was great, I just doubled this and added a pinch of that and left out this other thing." So, from that review, I actually have no idea if the recipe will work as written or not.

When my sister got married, I bought her the two 29 Minutes to Dinner recipe books and she tried lots of recipes out of them. She said she loved that not only were the recipes easy and delicious, but they also looked as pretty as the pictures. I think that says a lot for the PC test kitchens.

I'm not an experimenter -- I follow recipes to the letter the first time I try them. Occasionally, I'll decide that I could do something different next time, but I've never had any PC recipes that I tried be a lost cause. Some I don't make a second time, but nothing has ever been inedible. So, take a chance on a few new ones (2 a week like the previous poster said is a great idea). They might become your family favorites!

Shari in TX

Thanks Shari! You guys have officially sold me and I'm definitely getting Weekday Dinners Done and 29 Minutes to Dinner when I put my next show in. I am like you, not much of an experimenter but I love when other people experiment and I learn from it. HaHa!

Thank you so much guys, I am definitely a planner that's why I'm actually surprised that I haven't meal planned before. I have a dry erase board in my pantry, I think I'm going to write the meals I have on the menu for the current week on the board so that we know exactly what we have ingredients for. I have a ton of vegetables and other random stuff that I could use to start off just without meat. I have like 2 chicken breasts in my freezer.

I'll keep everybody posted on how it goes!

 

[Brenda.the.chef]

we plan our menus for the week by what is on sale. After church on Sunday, we get the paper and plan our meals. I say take full advantage of your freezer and freezer containers!

Sunday is our prepping and cooking day! We cut up all of our vegees from the garden, farmer's market, etc and place them in freezer bags and toss in the freezer. We also cook up our bulk ground beef and put it all into one big bag. We just break off however much we will need for a recipe. This way, we save on freezer bags, too!

I have cooked rice and pasta and frozen them, but I don't like the texture of thawed pasta, reheated. Pasta doesn't take long to cook, so I cook it when needed. Rice does freeze well and is nice to just drop a freezer bag of it into boiling water for a few minutes for a quick side dish.

It is a great family project to work together in deciding a menu and having them help gather the ingredients when it's time to cook.

I also ad match at WalMart. I don't care if the cashier doesn't like it. I will politely tell anyone that arrives in my line that I'm ad matching so it will take a bit longer. I used to work at Kroger and was an ad matching fool! I will do anything and everything to save as much money as possible. I've been known to get $400 of groceries for $80 by ad matching and coupons. It's a lot of work but worth it.

 

[scottcooks]

Two things: (1) The best we've eaten as a family, with some experimentation but good success, was when my wife participated in a Freezer Club - kind of like a cookie exchange, but you make 6 copies of a recipe and take them, then go home with 6 different ones others have made. This could even be a service you offer at your home for people, just another 'value added' with you as consultant. Maybe you could tie PC to it, by doing a PC recipe. EVERY RECIPE gets 6 copies so you have the original and everyone gets a copy of the recipe to take home and freeze. Their rules were any nuts had to be separated and double-wrapped in saran and then a ziploc bag. Good variety, low cost.
(2) The best I ever did personally was buy a Costco/United Grocers/Cash & Carry/Sam's Club 50 lb bag of potatoes and a Costco/United Grocers/Cash & Carry/Sam's Club 50 lb bag of onions, then incorporate them into at least 1 meal each day. Total cost was maybe $30 but gave us food for a month. We ate well and had yummy leftovers I took to lunch, and the budget stretched! We also figured out, that each time we buy milk at Costco, we basically get a gallon for free, including gas and time. I go at the end of my day when there is little traffic at the store, 4:30 or 5pm.

 

[Bren706]

I am awful at meal planning on a regular basis, but our finances have really required me to take a look at getting better at it.

This month, I took advantage of our grocer's "MegaSavings Pack" in the meat department. They have packs ranging from $52 to $99, and the week I went shopping they had an online coupon for $5.00 off a $20 or more meat purchase. I bought the $74 deal (paid $69). The flyer said it would make $16 meals, but with our family, I was able to plan 22-23 meals. This package saved me $44!!! From there, I planned meals from those meats. The package included country ribs, hot dogs, bottom round steak, chicken drumsticks, split chicken breasts, bacon, pork chops, 8 pounds of ground beef, and a ham steak.

I wrote out the meal ideas on a sheet of notebook paper as a draft, and then on another sheet, I wrote them down again, categorizing them by type of meat (Pork, ground beef, chicken, etc.). It is not a plan for a day by day, or week by week, but it is a month of meals to choose from.

It is soooooo much better than the usual daily habit of trying to decide what I am going to cook that afternoon, and then running to the store.

 

[esavvymom]

Look at your leftovers too. Obviously, you can make them into a "leftover" repeat night, but for some things, for example- cooked chicken breasts, I like to REMAKE them into a new recipe- like BBQ Pizza, or something else that might call for cooked chicken, and doesn't need lots of it.And plan a soup and salad night. (Don't buy bagged veggies obviously...too $$$). Even if it is summer, you can do that OR substitute a meatless pasta dish. We like to do those in the summer- a pasta, saute in oil and garlic some broccoli, cherry tomatoes and then add to the pasta. Put some Parmesan cheese in...yum. Light and cheap.

 

[Brenda.the.chef]

I love to make a roast beef in the crock pot with a can of beef broth and italian seasoning. The leftovers make a great vegetable beef soup! Just add a bag of frozen mixed vegetables, another can of beef broth and a small can of tomato sauce.Leftover chicken makes great tacos, chicken salad, and chef salad toppings too.Leftover pork loin makes great shredded bbq pork sandwiches.The list goes on, but I will say once again that your freezer and storage containers will be your next best friend.

 

[carlajanes]

I've been meal planning for over 30 years. I started when my girls were toddlers because of finances and now it is a habbit I can't break. I've always planned the main meal for each day and then added the other 2 if I knew we were all going to be home or it was a special occasion.

I plan the meals, check the pantry, fridge and freezer then make my grocery list and go shopping. I started with 2 week time increments because of my hubbys pay. Now I do a month at a time....of course saving back some money for more produce type things for later in the month.

As soon as you can afford one....BUY A FREEZER!! Then buy your meat in bulk. It saves sooooo much money!!!! I have 2 fridges and 2 freezers. We buy 1/2 calf at a time from a friend who raises beef, chickens from another friend and pork when it is on sale. We don't eat a lot of pork. I can most of our veggies from the garden or from a Farmer's Market. I make my own spaghetti sauce, bbq sauce and ketchup. I save the bones from chickens and beef to make my own stock and freeze it. I freeze some veggies but prefer to can them. I get fruit on sale and freeze what I can to make jelly and jams. I even love to make my own pasta but do buy some from the store.

When my girls were little and I had to work, I would shop on a Friday and then cook up the meals on Saturday and part of Sunday and freeze them so all we had to do is pull it out and pop it in the oven each day. I would cook up what was needed to precook and then package everything together that could be frozen and label and date it. Or say we were going to have hamburgers, I would make the patties and freeze them in a bag. And made sure the buns were right beside them in the freezer. The same with the stuff in the fridge so it wouldn't get "accidentally" eaten Of course I always kept some staples on hand for unexpected company etc...

I've taught this method for years to hundreds in my "Lost Art of Homemaking" classes. It is sooooo freeing and saves time and so much money.
Be sure to rotate your freezer and pantry goods so they don't become out of date. Sometimes I write the menus on the computer but I wrote them for 20 years without one so still love to hand write them I collect cookbooks so there is always a new recipe I want to try.

Now that it is just the hubby and me, I have adjusted the process a little. And don't forget to put in "leftover" days because no matter how well you plan you will have them. And it's good to have flexible and interchangable menu days.

Good luck to you!! You can do it!!! Of course you can always go back to the '50's time and have Meatloaf Monday, Taco Tuesday, PorkChop Wednesday etc.....