I have owned an Instant Pot since Christmas, and have only used it twice. There are a ton of free recipes that you can find on Pinterest, and that's usually my go-to source. I find most of my recipes online and will start posting weekly meal planning updates on Sunday for the recipes that I am using for the upcoming week. Not only can I see which foods are about to expire so I can use them, but it lets me know what I have on hand so I can create recipes around those items. I can't tell you how much this has helped me. The calendar is blank at the beginning of the month, but as I plan my weekly meal plans, I fill it out as I go along.Īt the beginning of every month, I take inventory of everything in my pantry, refrigerator, and freezer. I use this as a reference tool so I can repeat recipes by month, week, or day. The first page of my binder is a monthly meal plan. No more throwing away old food! HOW I CREATE AND USE A MEAL PLAN I create recipes that use these ingredient before their expiration date. Not only am I able to create a successful meal plan, but I am also able to reduce food waste by using my inventory checklists to see which foods I have that are about to expire. I created the TBM Meal Planner Workbook to help me organize my recipes, create a weekly and monthly meal plan, track my pantry and freezer staples, and to help me build a planned grocery list. Today, I want to show you how I set up a successful meal plan and the steps you need to take to make it a reality in your own life! I sat down and created the ultimate meal planning solution to my food budget problems.Įvery Sunday, I spend a half hour creating a successful meal plan and prepping lunches for the upcoming week. I decided to give this whole meal planning thing another try, but this time, I am going to do it my way. It didn't take long to realize that it's impossible for me to stick to my food budget if I'm regularly eating out. I am not a very good cook, I hate being in the kitchen, and eating out makes things so much more convenient.Īs most of you know, I use the cash envelope method for my budget. The longest I lasted on a meal plan was two weeks.
![grocery budget sheets and meal planning grocery budget sheets and meal planning](https://i.etsystatic.com/8233931/r/il/e3c4c6/2074484226/il_1588xN.2074484226_jc7t.jpg)
I try it for a week, get busy with life, and then stop doing it.
![grocery budget sheets and meal planning grocery budget sheets and meal planning](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/cd/59/76/cd5976abed756fe50829f44e40f3678a.jpg)
I have always been horrible at meal planning.