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Hey everybody! I am so glad to be back and to be writing again. It feels so great to get back into my creative bubble and to create more content for you all. However, I need to ask you all a question? Do you make your own meal plans? Do you budget for said meal plans?
I have been making a meal plan for my family for the past few years and I am the person who does the budget. It goes hand in hand, but it can be exhausting at times. Especially now, since my child has become the pickiest eater (I like to think she gets it from her dad haha) and I have become lactose intolerant (I will discuss this in a later post), it has become more difficult to find recipes that we all like. Both my husband and child LOVES anything chicken. I do too, but sometimes, I need beef in my life. However, since I am an online health coach, on my journey to getting me more healthy, and the whole lactose intolerant thing, I have been REALLY serious about ingredients, calories, and the amount of the portion.
I have been describing my method as going through the scientific method of meal planning. I say this because I observe my family when making meals to see which ones they like and which ones they dislike. Then, I hypothesize on what they do/don’t like and go from there. If they do not eat that meal again, then I take it off and start over from scratch. Once I have predicted and narrowed down on what they will eat, I put the meal plan together. I give the meal plan to my husband to look it over as a peer review. If he likes it, then my theory is correct and I can make the grocery list.
See, it’s not that hard…right? Well, that is the first step because I look it over to make sure that it is something that all three of us can eat, which has become quite the task lately. However, once I get the grocery list together, I look for coupons and get my reminders in the grocery store’s app on what we need to get. Usually, the app will let me know the rough estimate of my grocery bill, so that makes it easier for me to budget. When I know what our paychecks are going to be, I set out a budget for everything from groceries, gas, miscellaneous, shopping (on what we need), etc.
Whew! That was a lot. Budgeting and meal planning go hand in hand because you have to plan these things. Planning is the essential ingredient in this equation because it’s the most effective in making sure that you are organized and that you do not overspend. That used to be my problem, but now, I just get in, get what I need, and get out. I love to window shop, but as I am growing older, I just don’t want to deal with shopping and being out for too long haha. Gosh, that makes me feel old!
Anyway, here is a sample of my meal plan for next week:
I only do meal plans week by week because it’s cost effective (meaning I don’t overspend) and that gives me an opportunity to see what my family likes/dislikes. If you subscribe to my blog or if you are already a subscriber, then you will be getting a blank meal plan sheet. Welp, that is all for this post. If you have any questions about meal planning, comment below and I will be happy to assist if I can! As always, I hope you all have a great weekend and I will see you in the next post!
