Frugal Menu Mamas

So, you all know I believe in menu planning 100%.  I wrote about it awhile back.  Today is not about why to menu plan or even really how…it is about getting organized so you can menu plan!

So, you decide you want to start menu planning.  What would be a good templete or method to use?  I have tried SO many over the years.  I first just started by making a list….Monday-burgers, Tuesday-chicken, etc…  That is a great, simple what to get started.  However, it just wasn’t working for me.  I would dread sitting down to make the plan and could never think of what to put on my plan.  We did not want to have tacos every week!  So, then I went through and did a whole bunch of work creating 4 months worth of plans and I decided to rotate those plans.  This eliminated lots of guess work and made shopping easy.  But guess what?  I did not like this method either!  I hated being tied down.  I couldn’t shop the sales very well and I couldn’t try new recipes.

My favorite method is so simple and works fantastic for us!  I use a blank monthly calendar!  So easy!  Here is a site that allows you to print your own.  That does mean that I actually plan my menus one month at a time.  I just get out the family calendar and the blank calendar.  Then I plan leftovers and easy meals on the busy nights.  I usually plan something simple or a crockpot meal on grocery shopping days as well.  I check what’s in the freezer plan to use those items.  I look through my recipes to try and add a few of those in.  I love planning once a month because I don’t dread it!  I don’t have to do it that often. 

Now, in an effort to become more frugal, I thought I should start planning breakfasts and lunches, too.  Can I say that this is much more difficult?  I have been using a template from OrganizedHome.com.  The template is only for a week at a time.  I have the hardest time planning breakfasts and lunches.  Usually, I just keep the stuff in the pantry or freezer and we just pick what we want each day.  So, I’m wondering…is it worth the extra effort to plan the breakfasts and lunches?

Now, if you are a working person (I stay at home) and want to make life easier for yourself there are menu planning sites.  They do all the work for you and mail you the recipes and grocery lists each week.  I love this simple idea, but we are too picky to utilize one of these.  :)  Friends have directed me to two great ones:

Menus4Moms

Menus4Moms has so many choices of menu plans.  You can choose the “busy moms” menu plans, “basic” menu plans, or even the “frugal mom” menu plans.  I like it that their frugal mom plans actually have a cost analysis of each recipe.  Of course, there is a cost to use the service…$5 monthly for the frugal mom plans…not too bad!

E-Mealz

E-Mealz also has several choices of menu plans.  Their menu plans are organized by store (Kroger, Publix, etc…) or you can choose a couples meal plan.  They even have meal plans for various diet plans like vegetarian, low carb, low fat, and the points system (Weight Watchers).  So cool!  Each meal plan also includes a grocery list.  This makes your job so easy!

Hope this helps you!  Remember that I organized my recipes last week?  This should also help with my menu planning…I organized my recipes by chicken, beef, etc… so if I want another beef recipe, I just flip to that section to find it.  Streamlining the process is always great!

Well, it has taken me longer than I expected to re-do my recipe notebook, but it is just about done!  I was well on my way last week when I promised to reveal it today.  Then we have had guests in our home and numerous illnesses.  I will try not to make promises like that again!  :)  Anyway, so here are some thoughts about a recipe notebook and photos of mine!

-I do not use recipe cards for several reasons:  they are too hard to look through, you have to hand write each one if sharing the recipe, matching recipe cards are an issue for me… you get the idea

-A recipe notebook saves time:  it is organized so you can find your recipe quickly, it is organized so you can remember what recipes you have, it is organized to make menu planning quicker

-A recipe notebook saves money:  if you can find your recipes easier then you are more likely to menu plan, therefore saving you money!  (was that a stretch?)

-My recipe notebook includes the recipes one per page and two pages per plastic page protector.  I only put recipes in here that we have already tried and enjoyed.  I will keep clipped recipes to try elsewhere.

Here is the old notebook: The old notebook has a cute theme and uses Microsoft Works database.  This makes it hard to copy the recipes for posting on the blog etc…  I decided not to use a database on the new one, just a word processing program called Open Office Writer (like a FREE Microsoft Word).  I used dividers, but they did not extend past the page protectors, making them useless.  I kept clipped recipes in the notebook too, which made it a mess inside and hard to flip through.  The notebook had an “O” shaped ring, which did not make looking through easy.  The new notebook has a “D” shaped ring.

This is the cover, each page has a little picture, too.

See how the divider does not extend past the page protector underneath?

Here is the new notebook: The new notebook is very simple and uncluttered.  I kept it all in black and white to eliminate visual clutter.  I decided to keep an index of each section on a title page and list the sections in the front of the notebook.  I decided to create sections just for chicken, beef, pork, freezer meals, and crock pot recipes, instead of generic sections like “main dishes”.  Now, when I plan my menus I can actually do one crock pot and freezer recipe per week without having to search for them.  I realized I need more ground beef recipes in my new notebook.  I did not include recipes for items we know how to make easily like tacos or mashed potatoes. I still can’t decide what to do for tab dividers…maybe use Post-It flags at the beginning of each section?  Got any ideas?

This is the plain, uncluttered cover.

The chicken section...

I hoped you enjoyed the tour and I hope it inspired you to get organized!  Here is an article to help you get started!

How do you organize your recipes?

I am loving doing this blog.  It challenges me on so many levels…trying new recipes, tracking my costs, reducing my grocery bill, honing my writing skills, thinking creatively.  It is now challenging me in a new way…organizing for frugality.  I work hard to be a Frugal Menu Mama…it does not actually come super easy.  However, I am discovering with a little more organization, it could be easier!  So, I will be working on a few projects in the next weeks and sharing them with you on Wednesdays.  I hope they will help you on your quest for frugality.  Some of the things I will be organizing are my price book, recipe file, meal plans, and coupons.  I will provide you with photos of my journey and links to help you as well.

I need your help!  What other areas of organization would help or have helped you be frugal with your families grocery budget and meals?

I hope to have my recipe file completed and up for you to see next week.