How to Create a Menu Based Meal Plan

In order to save time (and money) and get a homecooked meal on the table each night, I have two rules I follow each week.

1. Make a menu for the entire week.
2. Go to the grocery store only once a week and buy everything I need.

I do all of my grocery shopping on Saturday before lunch so my menus run from Saturday’s lunch to the next Saturday’s breakfast.

To make my menu, I get out the grocery store sales ad and start filling in dinners based on what’s on sale and the day of the week.  To make meal planning easier, each night at our house is assigned a category:

Saturday: Grilling Night
Sunday: Crockpot Night
Monday: Leftover Night
Tuesday: Breakfast for Dinner Night
Wednesday: Oven/Stove Night
Thursday: Sandwich Night
Friday: Pizza Night

Once I have my menu created, I create my shopping list organized by aisles and I’m ready to tackle the grocery store!