Free Menu Planner

Here is the worksheet I use to create our weekly menus. It is free for download, and if you post it on your blog, I would really appreciate a link back to Frugal Family Fun Blog. Thanks so much!

It is simple, but it works for us. To get more menu planning ideas, see this post.

Meal Planner

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Want to be extra frugal? Print out the worksheet and use a sheet protector, write with dry erase markers, and your menu planner is reusable!

Frugal Meal Planning 101

For many households, food can be one of the highest monthly expenses (second to rent or mortgage). Fortunately, there are several tricks to slashing your grocery bill while still maintaining a healthy diet.  Meal planning is one technique, and you may find it works well for your family. If you have never tried to reduce your food bill before, this may be a good place to start. You can begin by just planning meals for one week, and try increasing this to two weeks to help limit the number of trips you make to the grocery store.

First, draw up a chart for each day of the week Sunday-Saturday. Next, list a week's worth of breakfasts for your family. Here's an example of one week worth of breakfasts for our household:

Sunday: Banana Nut Waffles

Monday: Scrambled Eggs and Whole Wheat Toast

Tuesday: English Muffins with Peanut Butter

Wednesday: French Toast and Sausage

Thursday: Homemade Granola Cereal

Friday: Breakfast Burritos - scrambled eggs, cheddar cheese, and sausage wrapped in a whole grain tortilla

Saturday: Pancakes and Low Sodium Bacon

(We usually drink orange juice, water, or hot tea)

Next, draw up the same chart, but list lunch items for one week. Here's an example from our household:

Sunday: Grilled Cheese Sandwich and Tomato Soup

Monday: Tuna Melt on Whole Wheat Bread, Apple, and Fat Free Yogurt

Tuesday: Mini Pizza on Whole Grain Tortilla

Wednesday: Bean Burrito with fat free refried beans, cheddar cheese, and salsa

Thursday: Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad

Friday: Loaded Baked Potato with leftover chili, cheddar cheese, and low fat sour cream

Saturday: Leftover Homemade Buffalo Chicken Pizza

(we usually drink seltzer water, juice, or hot tea)

Getting hungry yet?  Another tip -- Do not do the grocery shopping when you are hungry. The best time to go is after you have had a good meal, or at least a snack to tide you over. Why? When you are hungry, you are much more likely to pick up impulse purchases which can wreck havoc on your food budget!

Now it's time to think about dinner.  Here's a one week example from our household:

Sunday: Broiled Salmon, Brown Rice, and Green Beans

Monday: Blackened Cajon Pork Chop, Roasted Potatoes, Honey Glazed Carrots

Tuesday: London Broil, Baked Potato, and Petite Peas

Wednesday: Beef Fajitas, Spanish Rice, and Fat Free Refried Beans

Thursday: Homemade Chili with Corn Bread

Friday:  Lemon Pepper Chicken, Brown Rice, Broccoli

Saturday: Homemade Buffalo Chicken Pizza

(we usually drink water, skim milk, or hot tea)

The next step is to the list the ingredients for the week onto a shopping list, and compare your list to the items you already have in your refrigerator, pantry, or freezer. Try to only buy what you need so no food is wasted. Cross off whatever items you already have at home, and the remaining items will become your official shopping list for the week. 

Tip -- Some ingredients can be used for more than one dish. For example, our family rarely finishes a London Broil in one dinner, so the leftover meat is used for Beef Fajitas the next evening. Similarly, we usually have some leftover pizza from dinner, so we will have this for lunch the following afternoon. You may want to try cooking a slightly larger dinner and having leftovers for lunch the next day.

Have you tried meal planning? I would love to hear from you! Leave a comment and share your stories with us!

Frugal Family 101 -- Part II

Here is Part 2 of the Frugal Family 101 Series.  To see Part I, click here.  Is your family new to the frugal lifestyle, and not quite sure where to start?  Here are some simple ways to get everyone on board with cutting back and being more resourceful.

1. Save Automatically --  Open a high interest savings account.  You can do this online at ING Direct.  Once the account is open, and linked to an existing checking account, set up a specific amount to be directly deposited every week.  It could be just $15.  After one year, you will have $780 + interest in savings!  Perfect for Christmas shopping.
2. Do It Yourself Home Repair --  If no one in your family is particularly handy around the house, now is the perfect time to hone on your skills.  Mark learned how to replace tile and toilets, changed the oil in our cars, installed ceiling fans, and re-modeled an entire bathroom.  Yes, it was a lot of work, but it saved our family thousands of dollars.  If you are not sure where to start, ask a friend if he/she might be able to teach you some basic home repairs.
3. Cultivate a Love of Simple Pleasures --  This is my favorite part about living the frugal lifestyle.  Once we cut back on spending, we started to appreciate good quality family time together.  We went on more picnics and spent more time outdoors.  We planned fun family game nights and got creative with how we spent our time.
4. Cook and Bake from Scratch -- Instead of using convenience foods, try cooking and baking from scratch.  This is much healthier for your family, and since you won't be spending money on all that extra packaging, it will save money too.
5. Buy in Bulk --  Sometimes this saves money, sometimes it doesn't.  The key here is to carefully evaluate the unit price of an item.  In most cases, however, buying in bulk is less expensive.  Our latest bulk purchase was a 4 pound tub of peanut butter.  It was less than $1/pound!
6. Start a Garden --  Growing vegetables and herbs can be rewarding and can help instill a great sense of pride for your family.  You don't need a lot of land, even a sunny window sill can provide enough space for a productive container garden!  For more information on this, see Save Money and Grow Your Own Herbs.
7. Exercise More --  Cut the expensive gym membership, and find ways to exercise for free.  Trying jogging in the park, or lift weights at home.  The kids might enjoy trying yoga with a video borrowed from the library.  Your family will feel better and spend less money.
8. Insulate Your Home --  One of the biggest energy savers for our family was installing additional insulation in the attic.  Check for drafts near windows and outlets and insulate appropriately.
9. Reduce Energy Use --  Replace incandescent light bulbs with CFL's, wash laundry in cold water, only run the dishwasher when it is completely full, and try unplugging all appliances when they are not being used.  Lowering your energy bills can be a great help to your family's budget.  I discovered by line-drying the clothes instead of using the dryer, our family saved over $50/month in energy costs!
10. Get Organized --  Buying in bulk, and keeping a well-stocked pantry or freezer is of no use if you don't know where things are or how much you already have.  Keep detailed lists of what the freezer and pantry contains.  Explain to your family how to update the list when an item is removed/added.
11. Obtain a Large Chest Freezer --  If you do not already own a large chest freezer, you may be able to find out for free by posting an ad on Craigslist or your localFreecycle group.  Tell friends and family that you are interested in a chest freezer.  Chances are you will be able to find one free or very low-cost.
12. Keep a Well-Stocked Pantry -- If you buy items at the lowest possible price, and keep a well-stocked pantry, you will be able to "go shopping" in your own pantry when you run out of an item instead of making another trip to the store.  This helps reduce impulse buys and ensures you are getting the most for your money.
13. Stay Motivated and Make it Fun --  Keep track of your goals, and remember to reward yourself when you have accomplished them.  Living frugally can bring your family closer together.  What could be more motivating than that?  For more motivation tips, see How to be motivated to stick to a budget.

Have another great tip for families just beginning with the frugal lifestyle?  Leave a comment and tell us about it!

Frugal Family 101 -- Part I

Is your family new to the frugal lifestyle, and not quite sure where to start?  Here are some simple ways to get everyone on board with cutting back and being more resourceful.

1. Have a Family Financial Goal --  Having a shared family financial goal is key to your budget's success.  Post your goal where everyone in the family will see it to be reminded on a daily basis.
2. Pay Down Debt --  Evaluate how much debt your family has and come up with a plan to pay it down as quickly as possible.  For each credit card that is paid off, treat the family to something simple like homemade ice cream, an afternoon picnic at the park, or a trip to a second-run theatre.
3. Pay with Cash --  If credit cards are too much of a temptation for your family, cut them up and start paying with cash instead.  Many times we loose track of how much money we are actually spending because using a credit card has become so convenient.  Having to count out dollar bills can be a great reminder of where that money is going.
4. Cut the Cable --  If you are going to cut back on one thing this year, you could save big bucks just by cutting your cable.  Not only will you save money (about $500/year depending on what channels you have), you will also gain a great deal of freedom from television advertising.  Still unsure about this?  See How to cut your cable without even missing it.
5. Shop Less Often --  If you usually go grocery shopping once a week, try spreading out your trip to just once every other week.  I do the shopping once a month, but it took awhile to build up to that.  Shopping every other week is definitely do-able, and it will save on gas as well as impulse purchases.
6. Stop Eating Out --  Eating out should be reserved for special occassions, and not be used as a substitute for poor meal planning.  Just reducing the amount of times your family eats out will help keep your spending in check.
7. Get to Know the Library --  Your local public library is a tremendous resource for free entertainment.  Try making family trips to the library about once a week and borrow DVDs, CDs, books, and magazines for free.
8. Borrow from a Friend --  Need a new appliance or gadget?  Maybe a friend can lend it to you for a short period.  Just be sure to return it in the same condition.
9. Buy Used --  When purchasing anything new, try to get your family into the habit of thinking about whether or not it could be purchased used.  Buying used saves money, and is better for the environment.  Try shopping yard sales, thrift shops, or placing an ad on Craigslist or your local Freecycle group.
10. Use Coupons & Sale Ads --  Coupons and sale ads can be very useful to help save your family money.  For more information on this, see Advanced Coupon Strategies.

Have another great tip for families just beginning with the frugal lifestyle?  Leave a comment and tell us about it!