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I’ve been getting a lot of emails lately from people claiming that they love the recipes we share on the blog, but that they just don’t have any time to ever give them a shot. Believe me, I get it. We are all busy and honestly, as the years go by, it seems like we all just keep getting busier. But I have found that cooking and playing with new recipes can be therapeutic in a way and it’s also a great way to bring your family together at the end of a busy work day. While it would be so much fun if we could all afford to dine out every single evening, that’s a pretty unrealistic (and pretty unhealthy) way to live. So today, I thought I’d help you map out a plan to fit cooking at home into your regular routine so that when you DO go out to eat, it’s more of a special occasion than necessity.

You don’t need to be a professional in the kitchen to benefit from meal planning. The meals can be as basic or as complex as you’d like. The idea is just to have a plan so that come dinner time, you’re not scrambling to figure something out.

Below are five simple tips for creating and sticking to a budget friendly meal plan, one week at a time.

1. Be realistic: This is coming from somebody who LOVES to play around in her kitchen and cook as often as possible: don’t start out by making a huge commitment to cook every single night of the week, ESPECIALLY if you are just starting out. Depending on how often you already cook and how much you enjoy it, I recommend starting by committing to 3 to 5 meals per week. Starting small will help you to avoid feeling guilty if you’re just not into one night and keep you from wasting ingredients aka money.
2. Don’t try to be a Food Network host: You can find a million incredible recipes and ideas on TV, in magazines, and on the Internet but that doesn’t mean you have to try them all. I’m sure that your family has some favorite staples that you’re already comfortable making. Stick to those! Adding new recipes is fun but try to sprinkle them in throughout the month. A full week of brand new ideas that you’ve never tried before will burn you out more so than help you out.
3. Gather your recipes: Once you’ve determined which meals you want to make for the week, compile all of the recipes in one place so they’re easy to access come dinner time. I like to print mine out and hang them on the refrigerator but you could also save links in your phone as a note, or bookmark recipes on your tablet or laptop. The goal is to keep everything as organized as possible in a way that makes sense to you.
4. Make your list: Okay, you’ve got the meals picked out and the recipes organized so now you need to make your shopping list. You can’t make meals without the ingredients, right? Figure out exactly what you need and how much (bonus points if you have meals with over lapping ingredients so you can save more money for those date nights out!) and hit the store. Once you get really comfortable with meal planning, you can plan meals based on what’s on sale too so that you really get the most bang for your buck.
5. Prep what you can: The best thing you can do is take an hour or two each weekend to prepare some of the items you’ll be using throughout the week. There are a ton of things that you can make ahead of time to save you time during your busy week days including marinating meats, chopping veggies, making and portioning out side dishes, etc. Anything that can be done ahead of time is worth the weekend effort so that when it comes time to eat, you can do so ASAP.

Meal planning isn’t the easiest thing in the world but it also isn’t the hardest. It’s worth getting into the habit though because ultimately it will save you both a ton of time and a ton of money. When I first started really planning out my weekly menu, I started saving nearly $200 a month because I wasn’t throwing away unused ingredients or buying random things at the store. Start slow, start simple, and see how it goes. I’d love to help you out too! Just comment below if you have any questions or reach out to me directly at coachbeckymckinney@gmail.com

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Rebecca McKinney

I was born a foodie. My dad is a chef, baker, and restaurant owner and my mom might as well be because she owns whatever kitchen she walks into. I grew up working in my family’s restaurant and bakery in Pawling, New York – McKinney and Doyle. I started behind the bakery counter at 12 years old after begging my parents to let me start working. At 16 I worked as a hostess. By 18 I was serving tables and training behind the bar where I then worked every other weekend throughout my college career. Even now, when I am visiting my family in New York, I help out where I’m needed. To make a long story short, the food and restaurant industry has been my life for as long as I can remember.

I wanted to create this blog for a few reasons. First and foremost, to share tips, tricks, and knowledge about the food and beverage industry in general but also to help people see a different side of the restaurant world. Every restaurant has a totally unique culture and world within it. I want to help open people’s eyes to more than how fast the service is or how easy or hard it is to secure a reservation.

So, thanks for stopping by! I welcome your ideas, input, and feedback and hope you enjoy!

Eat well & travel often,

Becky McKinney

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