Hi Ladies,

I would like to make my next step in organizing, simplifying, and saving: menu planning. I thought about sitting down with a pencil and paper and going at it the old fashioned way, just laying out plans for next week's meals. But then I thought there might be a format online already that I could borrow. So I googled "menu planner" and I found out that there are websites you can join which send you detailed menu plans for a week, plus a shopping list.

Cool! But they all cost money. I am too cheap for that, unless I know that the menu and recipes will actually improve my life and diet (and preferably take off all the baby weight while they're at it ). That led me to considering creating my own database with all our standard recipes in it, from which I could create my own weekly menu (and if I were very good, I would generate a shopping list at the same time). But that sounds suspiciously like a lot of work, and I wonder if the average $5/month that these sites charge is perhaps worth it after all.

Then I wonder whether it is really so difficult to sit down with a pencil and paper once a week and plan.

If you're still following my train of thought here, my next step is to write to you all and ask what your method is. Has anyone tried the website membership? Any comments? Has anyone built their own recipe database? Or are you all old-school pencil & paper planners? (don't get me wrong - I'm a math teacher and I LOVE pencil and paper for working things out - all kinds of things!)

I'm looking forward to your input here. I would like to create a system for myself that I can sustain and will actually use, so I'm putting plenty of thought into it before I start. Let me know what works for you!

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~ mama abroad

"Be the change that you want to see in the world." -Ghandi

check out my culture shock blog: A View from the Outside

My method is the old pen and paper.. I also enlist my family to help though, every Tues before payday (every other week) I ask each (3 children and dh) to list 5 items they would like that we haven't had lately. I then compose my menu going from what they asked for and filling in with new recipes and such. This gives me Wed to go through the freezer and pantry to see what I need and complete my list cause Thursday I go shopping. We have been doing this for a couple of paydays now and it seems to be working out great cause we aren't eating the same thing every other day. It is also helping me to get healthier meals into my family without force cause they know that the next day will be something they really like. I have even been able to add some recipes they wouldn't try before and found out they loved it all...

As for the website menus, I have seen the samples and they weren't worth it for me cause my family is so meat and potatoes that we wouldn't even eat half of their ideas.. so before spending money on them make sure to check out their sample menus...

(sorry didn't mean to drag that out..LOL)

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Kristi
Mom to Eric, Alex, and Taylor
Happily Married to Joe:love:

I make a list of meals and buy the ingredients I need to make the meals. I keep the basics around for breakfast and lunch. I plan for dinner. I also keep a few esy things around if I am not in the mood to cook like chicken patties and pizza.

Jen

I plan out our meals at the end of the month for the next month. I use one of the Microsoft programs that we have where it has a calender and plug in the meals then print it out for everyone to see what we are having each day. During the month if someone suggests something or likes something a lot I plug that into a spot for the next month. I also use the Cooking/Food Forum a lot to help me get ideas on what to make.
I really think that you can do this without the help of a paying website. It may take a little bit longer but you are saving that money to be put into something else that is needed.

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~~Sonja~~

My 3lynns~ Ashlynn-8, Brooklyn-4 and Kaylin-3

I have a hand written list of meals that our family likes. Now that I have a printer again, I will be printing off a calendar and writing in the meals for the week. On the back of the calendar, I write the ingredients I'll need for each meal, check the cupboards and write a list of things I need from the store.

I've looked at the paying websites and they don't really look worth it to me, but some people swear by them. I think the better idea is to use the cooking/food forum that 3lynns mentioned and go from there.

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www.myspace.com/vioburn

Frugal is being wise with your money and resources and cheap is forcing everyone else to.

Check out my blog, I'm starting to add more to it, as I can...vioburn.blogspot.com

I usually handwrite my menus, but if you are looking dor something free, kraftfoods.com has something on their website that gives you meals for 5 days of the week and gives you the shopping list to go with that week. Some of the meals are really good, but I like to do my own most of the time. But that is free if you are interested.

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Loving wife to Matthew 6/26/04
SAHM to Jacob Matthew 4/19/03 & Evelyn Grace 2/15/06
Baby #3 due 3/14/09

It's easier for me to plan with pen and paper. I only make my menus up for the upcoming week because our schedules seem to change a lot. I see what's left in the cupboard and fridge that can be used up, plus I use the weekly grocery ads to decide what else we will have by what is on sale and what I have coupons for. It's just me, my dh, and my 1 yr old dd though, so it's pretty easy right now. It might be different for larger families with older hids.

I print out a blank calender. Then I decide what Im going to eat on what day, i.e. monday is meatless. So I write meatless on the top of the calender over monday . Then I sit down with my recipes and pick out 4 or 5 of my favorit meatless meals and write one into each monday on the calendar. Then I move on to tuesday. Tuesday is chicken so I pick 4 chicken recipes and write one into each tuesday .Follow me? IT makes it quick and simple.

I do the blank calendar routine -- filling in for what I have in the cupboard first. Then, I check the Sunday sale papers, plan what to buy and add meals based upon sale items to the list.

I also use a pre-made shopping list, so all I have to do is check off most items, and add some stray items at the bottom. I think I got the list at the Mainstreet Mom site. I just keep this taped up on the fridge throughout the month.

Have fun!~

Marlene

I do this do.. I plan a week at a time 'cause hubby is paid weekly, so this works for us. We have 3 kids and 1 more on the way... and I find this method easy.

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~@~ Carla ~@~