Kitchen Challenge: Meal Planning!

We have been meal planners for quite awhile now.  And like everything else in our life and home, it's always changing and evolving.

I don't intend to hash the subject to death around here, but it is a big part of how we stay organized when it comes to the kitchen.  So, I thought that it would be fitting to pop in with a quick update on our process and see if you all have tips and ideas to share for the readers as well.  It's all about making our lives quicker, healthier, simpler and less expensive in the meal department. 

Like I said, we have been meal planners for years now, you can find my last post on the subject here.  Do we stick to it every.single.day.  Not always.  Do we still eat out occasionally?  Absolutely.  However, growing up, we ate home cooked meals nightly, and eating out was a huge privilege.  My parents worked full time and still managed to provide us with wonderful meals every night of the week.  Looking back, it created more memories and values than I ever realized in the moment.  And we have always found that when we come together and eat together in our own home with our own kids, that we are bonding, laughing, learning and cherishing our time together. 

So, plan meals for the family time, but we also do it as a sanity saver.  The weeks that we take the time to plan ahead are the weeks that we have less stress and eat better.  It allows us to save time and money at the grocery store and doesn't cause as much waste at the end of the week when it comes time to clean out the fridge.  We can also select our meals based on our schedule, and plan quicker meals on nights we have plans and make the larger meals on nights we are going to be home.

When we plan our meals, I plan them on our shopping list so that it's all in front of me at the store.  I also jot them in my planner at the same time, since we plan our meals around our schedule. 

But my hubby doesn't carry my planner and to ensure he is on the same page, I also transfer the list to our kitchen memo board, that I created awhile back out of a $5 cabinet door from the Habitat ReStore.

Since it is kitchen month, I decided to grab a bit of paint and do something crafty, just to get my fix.  The menu board was functional, but I wanted to beef of the top with some molding to give it a little extra oomph.

We used a simple piece of wood molding found at our local hardware store to create a cap to the menu board.  To affix the trim, we used a small amount of wood glue, combined with our brad nailer.

Next, we filled the holes with paintable wood filler, and once dry, lightly sanded the putty away.

A new coat of paint and some updated vinyl labels {cut with my Silhouette}, and we had an updated menu board!

Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain....  It is just a piece of fabric that I clipped up as a test run as I am in the mood for a bold print in the dining area.  Not sure it will stay, I change my mind faster than a cheetah taped to grandma's back...  I will be sure to keep you updated.

Anyway, back to menu planning.

The biggest change to our process is that we signed up for a weekly meal planning service.  Sure, this costs us a very small chunk of change each month, but we have found that it has saved us so much time, and provided us with healthy, quick and full course menu options.  In the past, I would spend a few hours of my Sunday going through coupons, recipes, pinterest and more recipes, putting together a huge shopping list and trying to come up with new ideas.  Now that I use a meal planning service, they do it for me!

Every week I receive a menu for an entire week.  The menu includes the recipes and the grocery list for that week as well!  I keep each week's plan in our meal planning binder with our other favorite recipes, that way if there is something listed that doesn't work for us, our stomachs or our schedules, I can quickly find a replacement item.  The longer we are subscribed, the longer we can build up a good selection of recipes.

That means I spend far less time on the process, still save money since I am not over-purchasing random foods, and spend more of my Sunday playing with my kids. 

Organizing always comes down to investing some time upfront to save time and money down the line.  Our meal planning process is a good reminder to me that sometimes it is important to assess ways to save even more time, by utilizing the smart and savvy businesses we have at our fingertips.  Some people purchase groceries online, some people have someone help clean their home or watch their kids for a few hours a day so they can be more productive.  We can't do it all...

And no, this is not an infomercial and no, I am not being paid or compensated for chatting about meal planning services.  In fact, it is just my way of sharing how we decided to utilize a service that is helping us make better meal choices and saving us time to boot!  Win win!

Here are a few online meal planning sites, all with similar philosophies and services:

5Dinners1Hour:  Michelle has been a long time sponsor and she fits IHeart Organizing like a glove.  She offers a service that helps you to make your dinners for the whole week, in just one hour on the weekend.  Imagine opening your fridge each night after work, and popping dinner right into the oven.  Sigh...

emeals: Every week, your meal plan arrives in your inbox, complete with seven simple, creative, family friendly dinner recipes.  Each includes an entree and side dishes.  Along with the meal plan, you'll receive a details grocery list organized by section and coordinated with the weekly sales at selected stores.  A variety of options are available based on your eating style.

Food on the Table:  An online budget meal planning service designed to help families eat better and save money.  The meal planning template combines the weekly sales from your local grocery store with your family's food preferences.  It is also available on the web with apps that let you manage your lists from your smartphone.

The Six O'Clock Scramble:  Menus include the nutritional value and won't take more than 30 minutes to prepare!  Meals also feature seasonal fruits and vegetables for great flavors and savings.

Relish:  A weekly menu planner aimed to help busy families put wonderful meals on the table every night. No sloppy casseroles or expensive kitchen blunders. Instead look for everyday food...with a gourmet twist.



How do you save money and time when it comes to meal planning?  Where is your "go to" for new recipes?  What other ways do you utilize fab companies to save you time and sanity?