How I Choose My Menu

When talking about couponing a lot of people naturally ask if we eat the cheapest stuff I can find each week.  The answer to that is yes and no.  Yes I look for deals, but no I don't always go with the cheapest items on sale for that week.  Like most people I try to make sure my family eats a well balanced diet like Michelle Obama's new Food Plate...

A lot of times I find some really good deals on junk food.  Even though the junk food is really close to free, I rarely purchase it because I know I'll be paying for it in medical bills later.  I've found that my kids stay healthier when they are well fed with their fruits and vegetables.  Okay, I didn't mean to get off on that tangent, but it sure did came out didn't it?



When choosing my menu for the week this is what I do...

{Please don't judge me on my dirty pantry.  It needs some TLC.}

• First, I do pantry, freezer, and fridge check.  I take note of what items I have that need to used and/or can be used for the next week's menu.  I have a gigantic binder of recipes that I sometimes reference if I can't think of anything to make with what I have.
• Next, I check the local sale ads for what's on sale.  If there are lots of fresh vegetables on sale, you can bet our meals are full of veggies...casseroles, grilled veggies, roasted, etc.
• My final step for completing my menu is a little more difficult.  Since I'm familiar with what prices are for the groceries I typically buy, I begin to piece together meals that fit within my weekly grocery budget.  For example, if there's a new recipe I want to try and I don't have any of the ingredients, then I have to see if I have it in my budget to make it for that week.  Sometimes I have to do a little internet searching for recipes until I find what will fit within my budgets and standards of what I would normally feed my family.

All this does take a bit of time, but like anything you get faster and faster.  It takes me about 10 minutes to make my weekly menu now, and it reaps great benefits.  For one, I already know what we will eat each night so there's no last minute fast food pick ups that compromise what we like to feed our kids.  Don't get me wrong, my kids have had McDonald's.  However, we try to make those outings as treats instead of the norm.

If you are not a menu planner, I really encourage you to try it out.  You'll save yourself a lot of frustration and money.  Doesn't that sound appealing?

Now, for all you seasoned menu makers.  What's your secret?  Anything I'm missing that you could help me with?