Why I Finally Started Meal Planning-And Why It Saves Me Money

I don’t know about all of you, but I think that figuring out what to cook for meals day in and day out can be a little daunting. You run out of ideas and fall into the routine of making the same few meals over and over again. Now, I have a huge Pinterest page full of recipes that I think sound good and would like to try, (don’t we all?) but if I am being honest, I don’t look at it as often as I should. Every single day I wander into the kitchen thinking that opening the pantry, the fridge or the freezer is going to provide me with divine inspiration. It does not. But lately, there is another layer to all of this. Groceries have gotten so expensive that figuring out meals no longer just feels annoying, it feels stressful. Because every decision suddenly feels tied to money.

There was a time when dinner decisions felt more casual and less important. Now? Every ingredient feels like a financial decision. I leave the grocery store now feeling like I have just financed a small vacation, or at the very least, a long weekend away. And somehow, despite spending more on groceries than ever before, it can still feel like you really didn’t buy anything and there is nothing to eat. That part is especially frustrating. Come on, seriously, when did a simple taco night turn into $40 or $50???

Somewhere along the way, maybe it was wanting to be more intentional with money or maybe I was just getting tired of wondering what I was going to cook EVERY SINGLE DAY, I decided to start meal planning. And I have to say…it is kind of genius. I wish I would have started doing it a long time ago. Instead of standing in front of fridge waiting for answers, for the most part I usually know what we are having, what ingredients are needed because they are already purchased and how long it will take to make so I know when I need to start cooking. It has removed a lot of low level daily stress that I didn’t really notice until it was gone.

I realized that I needed to stop approaching figuring out what to cook for meals as a daily emergency. I started loosely meal planning. Nothing fancy, no spreadsheets. Just a simple plan for a few meals a week. Just a grocery list with 2 columns, one that listed the meals I wanted to make and one that listed the ingredients needed to prepare those meals. And honestly, it helped me more mentally than financially at first. The money savings quickly followed. Fewer random grocery runs (when you always buy things that you didn’t intend to buy), less wasted food, fewer takeout orders or desperate pizza runs, and more intentional shopping. Not perfect, but a whole lot better!

How I Actually Do It (No Perfection Required!)

• I plan about 4-5 dinners per week.
• I leave room for leftovers or a spontaneous meal out.
• I write everything down, nothing fancy, just a list.
• I shop once with that list and I stick to it!

That’s it. No pressure, no rigid rules. Just a plan that I can live with…with a little breathing room.

Meal planning doesn’t mean you never order take-out again, or make a pizza run. I wouldn’t want to live in that world. What it means is that takeout becomes a choice not a rescue mission. There is a huge difference between we have nothing to put a meal together, let’s just order something and let’s treat ourselves tonight!

I still have days when I don’t feel like cooking. I sometimes still stare into the fridge or pantry and hoping a fully prepared dinner will magically appear. Grocery prices have changed the weight of meal planning for so many of us. It used to feel routine, now it sometimes definitely feels like a financial strategy. If figuring out what to make for meals day after day after day feels mentally exhausting, you are definitely not alone. Apparently adulthood is just repeatedly asking yourself over and over and over….what is for dinner… and why does it cost so much?? If you are anything like me, this is a good habit to get into and a habit worth keeping!

I have linked a few meal planners below that you may want to consider. Take a peek!

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Weekly Meal Planner with Grocery List  https://amzn.to/4udXeJu

Life & Apples Meal Planner with Grocery List https://amzn.to/42vTEOG

Weekly Meal Planner Notepad with Grocery List & Snacks Section https://amzn.to/4db540j

60 Sheet Meal Planner for Fridge https://amzn.to/4dK36nO