Recently we worked through organizing the kitchen. See Challenges 9 – 17 or 18, depending on where you keep your medication.
Today is another budget-focused, pen-and-paper exercise combining our work in the kitchen with our last couple of weeks of financial focus. I want to be very, very clear. I know that little tips like not buying convenience items can make someone facing a mountain of debt laugh hysterically. I know you cannot get water from a stone. I know this. In general, suggestions here are for those who are slowly sinking into debt through less than careful choices or are trying to get out from under student loans or have a few bad choices to undo.
Please note that there is no shame in buying convenience items. They are sold for a reason. Maybe you do not have the time, energy or physical ability to cut your vegetables. We’re not working from a place of shaming. We’re looking for places that may make sense for you or your household to make changes to reduce your food budget, whether that’s through reducing the number of times you eat out, throwing less food away, or increasing the number of recipes you can cook from scratch.
I know everyone is tired of hearing about brewing your coffee at home instead of out and saving $4 a day. I’ll try my best to refrain from those types of suggestions. Just be cognizant of the choices you make.
This week’s challenge is to sit down and plan your menu for the week.
Below is our series on menu planning, and under that is a link to the free menu plan printable.
How to Menu Plan
The Home-Ec 101 Introduction to menu planning
Learn How to Menu Plan: Part 1
We start very simply with the ideas that every meal eaten at home is a success.
Learn How to Menu Plan (part 2)
Having a plan does not make you a boring person. Having a plan will reduce the amount of energy you spend making decisions by constraining all of that decision-making into one task and making that a routine. You'll find a lot of freedom when panic isn't running the show..
Meal Planning: A Primer (Part 3)
A deep pantry is one way to ensure you are only buying your staples on sale. The secret is to only buy your staples only on sale. Learn how to do this
Choosing Sides, Meal Plan Primer Part IV
Sides can bring a lot to a meal. Here are some tips and ideas to keep your side items interesting without them turning into a burden.
Meal Planning with a Busy Schedule
You say you have no time to meal plan. It's more like you have no time not to! Reduce your stress and overwhelm by planning ahead and making your busy evenings more streamlined.
Menu Planning When Going to the Store Is a Bad Idea
COVID-19 was a learning experience for many of us. However, menu planning is a great tool to ensure you are staying out of the stores as much as possible
This week your challenge is to sit down and plan your menu. <– That is a free printable to make the process a little easier. If you need flexibility, build it into the plan. Don’t forget to account for leftovers. If you don’t like eating the same thing several days in a row, by all means, freeze everything you can and save it for a week or two down the road.
While you’re planning your menu, create your shopping list, and add any reminders to your To-Do List or App right now. (Those reminders are things like “Pull the chicken from the freezer, soak the beans.”)
It’s generally hardest the first time. But, it makes the rest of the week much easier by removing an obnoxious decision from the afternoon when you are likely already tired of making decisions. This week also keep track of what you didn’t spend on eating out. Make a plan for that saved money: add it to your emergency fund, put it towards your debt, or save it for a fun splurge.
See you next week!
I long resisted the idea of meal-planning because I didn’t like the idea of being inflexible or routine. However. I did give it a try once when life was going to be really busy for a while and I couldn’t believe how much I liked it! For me the main benefit was that I’d do my thinking and decision-making on Sunday when my brain was fresh, instead of each weeknight after I had been making decisions all day long and just could face one more decision. So much less wasted food. So much less fretting all week long. So much less take out. I still let the planning slip some times.
The thinking that helped me overcome it is, “I rule my routines, they do not rule me.” I came to this when I had decided to have a target dinner-time. Target dinner time and meal-planning made a huge improvement in my life. No exaggeration.
Decision making fatigue is a huge thing. By the time it is nearing dinner time, having to make a choice after making all the other decisions I’ve done during the day, is frustrating.
I just read Your Brain at Work by David Rock and it explained how much actual energy -not woo woo mystical energy- is consumed by your brain during decisions. By the evening, if you’ve been taxed all day, it just isn’t going to happen.
I think I’m going to pick up The Power of Habit next, I’m working to reduce the number of decisions I make each day to free up a little energy for the things I want to do.
Thanks for the comment 🙂