Save money on groceries by planning a monthly family menus. Prepare three and rotate them out quarterly. Plan ahead. Shop Smart. Eat well.
here are many ways to save money on food for the family. Some families shop weekly grocery sale ads and plan meals for the week based on what's on sale during that week. A few families save by cooking from scratch and avoiding going out to eat. Others feel victorious by completely a vigorous round of Once a Month Cooking.Wouldn't it just be easier to plan a monthly family menu plan? Better yet, plan three great monthly menu plans and rotate them out each month. The family would eat the same thing about four times a year. It seems like a lot of work, however, it can make meal planning easier in the long run. Plan ahead, shop smart and enjoy a family meal plan that is cheap, healthy and enjoyable.Family Food PreferencesWhat does the family like to eat? This should be the first question addressed when planning a monthly family menu plans. Don't waste money on food the family won't eat. Design a menus around the food preferences everyone enjoys.Planning Monthly Menu PlansPlanning a whole month's worth of menus does take some time, but it can make things very easy, especially for a busy family with a hectic schedule. Keep it simple. Plan out seven basic menu themes and prepare recipe variations on each theme once a week.Seven Possible Menu Themes:
- Mexican – tacos, burritos, quesadillas, nachos, enchiladas
- Chinese – sweet & sour chicken, beef & broccoli, fried rice, lo mein noodles, stir fry
- Italian– lasagna, spaghetti, fettucini, baked ziti, ravioli
- Pizza – Calzone, stuffed crust pizza, pizza margherita, deep dish pizza
- Hamburger – Hamburgers, meatloaf, meatballs, sloppy joes
- Chicken – chicken & rice, BBQ chicken, chicken sandwiches, fried chicken, baked chicken
- Soup/Stew/Chili – potato soup, broccoli & cheese soup, vegetable beef soup, Texas chili
Also, allow a little in the budget each week for at least one take-out or dining out meal for the family. It doesn't have to be much. It can be $1 cheeseburgers off the value menu at the local fast food place. Just allow a little splurge in the budget once a week. It may come in handy on a busy night or be a nice treat after church on Sunday.
Plan All MealsPlan all the meals for the month, include breakfast, lunch, snack, dinners and desserts. Look for budget stretching sale items that can be used to create many different dishes. Basic staple items like eggs, cheese, rice, beans, chicken and hamburger can be combined in many different ways to create a variety of dishes.The concept and idea is simple. Plan a menu based on simple daily themes and around the foods the family likes to eat. Never eat the same thing twice in the same week unless the family really wants to. Keep the menu interesting.
Budget Food OptionsConsider meatless options at least once a week to cut grocery cost and stretch the weekly food budget. If the family enjoys rice and beans. These two foods can be incorporated into several different dishes. Enjoy beans and rice together one night. Have bean & cheese quesadillas another night. Make a broccoli, rice & cheese casserole for a Sunday dinner or stir an egg into leftover cold rice and fry it up for a quick Chinese supper.
Monthly MenusOver time, setting up monthly menus actually makes family meal planning easy. Shopping is simplified. Patterns of spending will be established. The family will begin to anticipate certain meals on certain days. There will be less impulse to eat out or order in. It will definitely save money on the family budget.To save even more money, before the monthly shopping trip, look through that week's grocery sale ads.Try to plan as many meals as possible for the following month based on sale items. Also, consider setting up a monthly food budget and stick to it. This will help avoid impulse buying or overspending.However, remember to always allow a little indulgence in the budget once a week for one take out or dining out meal. Everyone needs time out of the kitchen. Always keep the menu interesting, and always challenge one another to do more with less.
