Have you ever struggled to get dinner on the table?  Have you ever felt like your head was spinning after being asked the question, “What are we having for dinner?”  Has the subject of dinner ever started an argument in your house?  If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you probably need to start menu planning!

Now before we start, I have to confess that I am not a die-hard menu planner.  I don’t spend a lot of time making out a plan, and when I make a plan I like to leave myself some wiggle room.  Sometimes things come up, and we just don’t have the time or frankly, we don’t feel like cooking!  I also reserve a right to change my mind and my husband reserves a right to change his mind, and when that happens, we divert from the plan!  BUT…overall I find that the week goes a lot smoother when I have a menu planned out.

On one hand it’s good to know what I will be cooking each day, so I can properly schedule my cooking around the day’s events.  Secondly, by making a menu plan, I can ensure that I have all the groceries I need for the week.  (No more eating out, because we’re missing key ingredients!)  Third, I can actually save money on my groceries, because I will only buy the items on the list I’ve made, and the list is based on my menu plan! [Read more…]