Time-Saving Sunday - Meal Planning Saves Time & Money

We love our weekend family time, but Sunday often becomes my day to prepare for the upcoming week. This will be the day I’ll call upon some fabulous mama friends to share their expertise on how to keep our homes running smoothly and our families well fed while still leaving plenty of time for school. Today's guest post from my friend Jill over at Vegan in the Kitchen shares how to save time through weekly meal planning.

Gone are the days of being that Mom wrapping up the day’s activities around four o’clock wondering, “What’s for dinner?” Meal planning used to seem like an extra step that would steal away too much of my precious time, but when our family began eating a plant-based diet I found it necessary to have a plan. Once I dove in, I discovered meal planning saves time and money that can be reinvested into my family.

So, let’s get your meal plan on paper. Grab next week’s calendar of activities, a couple of your favorite cookbooks or magazines and make a mental note of groceries you have in your pantry, refrigerator and freezer. You can use a hard copy of your weekly calendar to record your meal plan. Later, post it on the fridge so your whole family will know what’s for dinner, too.

You may also check with your local grocery store for what is on sale. Each week I use Publix’s weekly ad and look for coupon match-ups to help save my family even more money. Going into the store with a list of what I need plus utilizing sales and coupons has helped cut our grocery bill in half.

If you need a cheat sheet for your meal plan, each Sunday on Vegan in the Kitchen, you will find my vegetarian meal plan for the week. They are kid-friendly and mostly healthy, too.

I promise your life will be much less stressful when you have your meals planned. And the next time you are standing at your refrigerator, you will be eyeing your meal plan knowing exactly what you will be taking out to cook come four o’clock.

Jill is a busy homeschooling mom to four great kids who love to eat their veggies. Vegan in the Kitchen provides meal plans, frugal finds and tasty recipes for other busy moms.