I cannot tell you how much time and money has been saved with my new meal plans. This not in the sense of the penny pinching sort of saving of money, but for my family it's a start! I have a bad habit of getting overwhelmed with my long days that often I want to stop and grab dinner on the way home. It's a blessing and a curse all in one that we live in a town with little to choose from.
I recently was introduced to Wildtree products and their concept of freezer meals. I never really thought about freezing meat with their spices and marinades, but this simple concept has saved both time and money. While freezer meal workshops run around 85 dollars for 10 meals worth of seasonings and spices, I think it's worth it in terms of time saved as well. I've been doubling freezer meals and creating 20 meals for the month. Many times we have leftovers and we use that for lunches.
I plan our full month of dinners. Here are the steps that I take:
1. Fill out the calendar with dates and dates of things going on for the month.
For example, we meet up with our parents about twice a month. My family usually eats Sunday dinner and my husband's family goes out on Tuesdays. I do not plan dinners for two Sundays and two Tuesdays. If we do not meet up with them, we usually will do a "find what you can" night.
2. I "shop" our freezer and pantry for any meals already on hand. For example, I already have the makings of chili. I will put that on my calendar next.
3. I then select my freezer meal workshops that I would like to do for the month. I try to select one I already have the seasonings on hand and then I will purchase the other bundle. It saves me money in that I am using up the leftovers from a previous workshop, but I can also rotate in a new workshop for a change of pace.
4. I select crock pot meals for the days that I know will be busy at work. For example, I know that Mondays are my faculty meeting days, so I put the meal in the freezer the night before. Then, it's crockpot ready by morning.
5. I save grilling for nights I know my husband will be around as he's better at gauging the cook on the grill than I am.
6. I am sure to rotate in family favorites each week like tacos and spaghetti.
7. I post the recipes and the meal plan on the fridge so that everyone knows what to expect and when.
Notes:
-I recently discovered a local butcher that offers monthly specials. I recently got a special that was 44 lbs of meat for 160 dollars. That's a little less than 4 dollars a pound and included ground beef, chicken breasts, pork chops, pork and beef roasts, breakfast sausage, bacon, and a couple of steaks. I will definitely be back!
-Aldi is a great place for breads and buns. I buy them and some produce at the beginning of the month and freeze.
-Sam's Club is good for deli meats and cheeses as well as snack foods and soda (if on sale).
- I also use Door to Door Organics for most of our produce. I like the flexibility and the quality. I can choose to skip a week, and most months I do a small basket twice a month. It saves me a trip to the store and the temptation of buying things I don't need.
Eventually, I will start planning breakfasts beyond oatmeal and cereal as well as lunches.
