Meal planning is essential when cooking in the home, especially if you are a mom. I am a mama of 7 children and I have some tried and true tips that have kept my family eating well without spending a lot of money.
One of the things I've incorporated into my weeks is a
baking day. Once a week in my
Planner Perfect, I use one of my free days as a day to bake. I roll up my sleeves, wrap around my apron, and get going. I make homemade breads, rolls, muffins, pizza crusts, and cookies. It varies from week-to-week of course depending on my menu and what our particular needs are for the month. Another tip is when I make a pancake and/or waffle breakfast. I always double or quadruple (since having a family of 9) my recipe and keep in Ziplock bags in the fridge so the kids can help themselves to an amazing breakfast.
This saves money. Period. Whenever I bake my bread for my family, create breakfasts from scratch and our snacks are homemade...I save money. And not to mention the accolades from my family and friends of the smells wafting throughout the house.
Plan your menu for the week! Another essential ingredient to a well organized, woman in the kitchen. Write out each day of the week, get cozy with some of your favorite recipe books for inspiration, and jot down your menu plan, down to the ingredients needed for your baking day. This will ensure a smooth week, full of amazing dinners you took the time to think through.
Menu planning is wonderful and saves time because if you take the time to think through your week, you'll know if you had a birthday cake to bake or if you knew a friend was coming by for coffee in the week, you could plan to make something for your time together. All of this makes you a Planner Perfect woman, organized and on top of her game.
Stick to your grocery list it will save you money.
What about coupons? I am not a fan of coupons because when you buy foods that are whole...there just aren't any. If you want to feed your family well, you simply cannot on processed foods. But no worries, you can still save money and the key is to plan a baking day and plan your menus.
Buy in bulk. Once a month I plan a day to buy in bulk. I write down what I need and a day in the month to make it happen. Either a Costco or Sams is great. This is where I do buy my non-food items, such as paper goods, but let me tell you, sometimes they have amazing prices on organic fruits, so keep an eye out because their items change quite a bit and you can take advantage of some great prices.
Creating delicious foods in your home create a home that is cozy, and feeds the soul as well as the hunger pangs.
I hope you get inspired to try some of these tips...
