I'm a numbers person, so I pay close attention to my family's spending budget. For the most part, we're a pretty frugal family, but the one particular spending category which really bothers me is just how much we spend on food. And I don't mean dining out... I'm talking about how much we spend on groceries each week. For a small family, our grocery budget is out of control.
So when I learned about weekly menu planning, I was delighted. Specially when I realized how much menu planning could reduce our grocery budget.
Save Money
There are numerous benefits to weekly meal planning, but the greatest benefit to my family is how much money we save on groceries. By planning our dishes beforehand (I usually plan our meals one week at a time), I am aware exactly what I need to purchase at the store, and I avoid buying foodstuff which we won't eat that week. Before I started planning our meals, we wasted a lot of food because it spoiled before I got around to making it. Meal planning also reduces the number of times I go to the grocery store (I did previously visit almost every day!), which means fewer impulse buys. I don't know about you, but each time I go to the store to pick up one or two things, I've wasted $50 or $60 before I know it. Weekly meal planning helps decrease unnecessary purchases, which means huge savings over time. Cutting out the daily grocery trips probably saves me the most in our grocery spending budget.
Saving time
The next advantage to weekly menu planning is the time it saves you. First, because you devote less time figuring out what to cook for dinner (or surfing the net for suggestions). Second, since you already have everything you need to cook dinner (for the whole week!) you won't have to run by the food store after picking the kids up or on your way from work. Imagine how much time you'll save just from cutting out daily visits to the store. If you're much like me and go to the store more than once a week, you could save a couple of hours of time just by planning your meals in advance.
Eat Healthier
One more huge benefit you get from weekly menu planning is that it helps you eat healthier. People who do meal planning tend to eat healthier because they go out to eat less often. By eating out less frequently, you eliminate a lot of the fatty foods that you would normally eat at fast food eateries. Also, when you cook at home, you're more likely to choose fresh, healthy ingredients for your meals.
As you could see, meal planning has many benefits, including saving your time, money and helping your family eat healthier. At My Weekly Menu Planner, we offer content articles, tips and free tools, including free menu planners and shopping lists to help you begin saving time and money with menu planning today.
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