You know that old saying “Failure to plan is planning to fail?” This old adage holds true in our businesses, our homes, and every aspect of our lives. Flying by the seat of your pants only leads to stress, and mistakes, and often costs you more time and money than you want.
By doing things willy-nilly, it’s easy to become out of control which in turn feels like you never have any time for yourself, your kids, or your life. Having a plan also makes it easier to say no to things that needlessly suck up our time. We’re all looking for more hours in the day and a plan can help you do just that.
We plan our days, we plan our menus, we plan for special events, and this time of year especially we plan for the future. Did you see how I sneaked menus in there? Having control of the food department of life is a huge part of making your life easier.
When making a menu plan, it’s best to start from the end and work your way backward. Here’s how I do it:
1) List several of your family favorites–make sure it’s easy-to-do stuff that can be done on a weeknight.
2) Take a look at the recipes so you can see all of the ingredients you’ll need and begin making the list. Be sure and think of your whole meal including side dishes, beverages, bread, and condiments.
3) Go through your pantry, cross off what you don’t need and now you have your final grocery list.
Planning meals is easy; getting them done is quite something else. Remember to enlist your family members to help with the grocery shopping, meal preparation, and clean-up. Meal planning for the family is a family affair, not a one-woman show–don’t be a martyr, ask for help!
Need more help planning meals? Look no further than Dinner Answers!