Meal Planning Made Easier!

Am I right?!  After years of trying to figure out what to make for dinner every night, I have developed a meal planning strategy that makes our weeks a heck of a lot easier!  Weekends are the best time for me to plan and shop, but you can make this method work for your own schedule! 

Here's what you do: 

1.  On a blank sheet of paper, write out the days of the week, starting with your shopping day.  Mine is always Sunday!  You can also use my handy meal planning printable!  

2.  Get out your calendar and review the upcoming week.  (I'm still a paper calendar kind of gal, but open up Google or Cozi if you are more tech-advanced than I am!)  What events do you have going on that might interfere with dinner prep and/or dinner time?  Make a note of the busy nights on the corresponding days on your paper.

3.  Use your favorite family recipes, cookbooks, your Pinterest page, etc. to plan out your meals for each day of the week.  Consider having leftovers on the busy nights, or easy meals, like rotisserie chicken and veggies.  Planning ahead helps you to avoid those last-minute trips through the drive thru too!

4.  As you plan for each meal, write your grocery list on the same sheet of paper.  Be sure to check your fridge and pantry for items you already have on hand!
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5.  Go to the store and buy everything you need for the week ahead.  Your kitchen will be stocked and you won't have to run to the store after work to pick up ingredients, or even worse, to try to figure out what to make for dinner!

I hope this method makes your life a little easier too!  ENJOY!  XO