Each
week I create a menu for my family that details what we will be eating
throughout the week. I decided what will be for dinner in advance and I do my
grocery shopping accordingly. I have decided that doing this every week has
become a bit tedious. In order to avoid getting into a food rut by eating the
same thing every week, I would create a monthly meal plan for my family. The
monthly meal plan, starting with the January monthly meal plan, will detail
what we will be eating for the whole month for breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
Why a
monthly meal plan you might ask? Well… it is a way for me to take a broader
look at the way my family eats and to make sure that our dinners do not become
redundant. It also keeps me in check throughout the month so that we do not go
out to eat frequently and it makes grocery shopping a breeze. I simply check my
recipes to see what I need and add it to my grocery list. Speaking of grocery
lists, I have been stopped frequently in the grocery store and asked about
where I got my list template. I created it about two or three years ago and I
will never again shop without it.
My
grocery list divides the grocery store into sections so that I can place the
items I need directly in the section I can find them. This eliminates the need
for me to ever have to double back to find something I missed the first time I
went through an aisle. It also eliminates unnecessary purchases and helps to
keep me on budget.
By
having everything written down I tend to get through the grocery store in about
an hour {I usually have one or more of my children with me when grocery
shopping – so I do not move at supersonic speed when shopping}. This used to
take a lot longer, but since I started using my grocery shopping list template
I have cut down on time. I have also noticed that the fewer children I have
with me when shopping the faster I can get through the store. Go figure.
Feel free to follow along with my monthly meal
plan and/or snag a copy of the grocery shopping list template. I put these
together to help me stay organized and efficient. I share them with you so that
you can benefit from my hard work as well. Life can be complicated and busy and
when something comes along that makes my life easier I am thankful, so as a
result whenever I create something that makes my life less difficult I like to
share it.
If you
are looking for links to the recipes I use in my monthly menu I have provided a
majority of them below. Some of the recipes are ones that I am working on
perfecting and as a result, they are not ones that I have shared yet {when the
recipe has been perfected it will be shared on the blog and a link will be
added}.
