Then life happened. We bought our first home, then moved into our second, added a child, acquired some debt, became a single income family, added a second child, and acquired more debt. Something had to change. We were spending almost every penny that came in as we watched our savings account dwindle, while making minimum payments on our debt. We were in trouble financially. We were "making it" from day to day, but were unprepared for any emergency, big or small. We began searching for ways to cut back and save money.
It was during this time period that I began menu planning. I worked out a 4 week menu that we repeated monthly. It included easy recipes (loved by my family), crock pot meals, make ahead dinners, church lunches, breakfasts, snacks, and even occasions when we would eat out or entertain friends. Having this menu allowed me to stockpile shop, make the most of sales, and avoid dinner time panics that often resulted in ordering pizza or takeout. My husband could even take dinner prep on occasion. We were saving money and time...it was great!
Well, life happened again. We took the leap into homeschooling, I took on a part time job (to give some added help to debt elimination) and we found ourselves in the car more often with extra-curricular activities. I needed to simplify even further. It was my husband who suggested that I move to a one week menu that we would repeat. I hadn't considered this, because...well....if you're super mom, surely you go to great lengths to give your family mealtime variety. But I had to admit that I loved the simplicity of the idea. With the help of our family, we created a weekly menu (breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks) that we liked. I created a single shopping list and updated needs as the week progressed. Now, I could really stockpile shop, take full advantage of sales, prepare ahead, work around our schedule, save money and time. We have been doing this for almost a year.
The big question that always arises...don't you get tired of eating the same thing all the time? Sometimes, we do. When that happens I replace one meal on the menu, two if necessary. But for the most part, I haven't had any complaints. This type of menu planning is not for everyone, but for us, it was a great way to simplify our lives. This is also a good way to start if you are new to the concept of the weekly menu. We may, at some point, return to the 4 week menu plan, but for right now...the extra time spent with my family and the money saved which helps to further reduce our debt is well worth the sacrifice of variety.
Our Weekly $60 Menu
(recipes will be updated throughout next week/ $60 amount does not include Sunday's meal out)
Sunday:
Breakfast - breakfast quiche, fruit
Lunch - eat out using certificates from Restaurant.com
Dinner - Soup, crackers (toast, sandwiches, or potato), green salad
Monday:
Breakfast - Pancakes, egg, fruit
Lunch - Macaroni and cheese, diced chicken, fruit, veggie sticks
Dinner - Burrito bowls, green salad
Tuesday:
Breakfast - Cold cereal, yogurt, fruit
Lunch - sandwiches, fruits/veggies, cookie
Dinner - Spaghetti w/meat sauce, green salad, roasted veggies
Wednesday:
Breakfast - Sausage/cheese balls, fruit
Lunch - green salad w/diced chicken, cheese, eggs, cranberries, nuts
Dinner - Sandwiches, potato wedges
Thursday:
Breakfast - Cold cereal, yogurt, fruit
Lunch - sandwiches, fruits/veggies, cookie
Dinner - Breakfast for Dinner (biscuits/pancakes/waffles, eggs, potatoes, sausage)
Friday:
Breakfast - Toast, egg, fruit
Lunch - Chicken and Rice primavera, fruit
Dinner - Homemade pizza, green salad, fruit or dessert
Saturday:
Breakfast - muffins, eggs, fruit
Lunch - cooks choice (leftovers)
Dinner - Grill out (grilled chicken, beef, pork, hamburgers, or hotdogs), roasted veggies, green salad
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