Why is it that at the end of every workday we find ourselves wondering what's for dinner? If you're at home, you wonder the same thing...usually too late to pull together anything that sounds good that you also have the ingredients for. Usually this ends up with an expensive order of take out or convenience meal out of the freezer. Don't get me wrong- those are fine sometimes, but the expense adds up.

For our family, one dinner out runs at least $20 if we go somewhere other than the dollar menu. We have four kids under 8, and it adds up. I always shake my head and think about how many meals I could have made for that same $20 if I had cooked at home. Menu planning is a great way to make delicious, cheap meals happen.

The Steps

Make a list-

When you begin your menu planning, think of all of the meals that your family loves. For me extra bonus points go to meal ideas that don't involve me having to take on the role of food advocate or master of bribery to get my kids to eat. Write these easy meal ideas down on index cards, in a notebook, on loose leaf in a binder...somewhere where you'll be able to find them and flip through at a glance. This will be your go-to list for menu planning.

Take Inventory-

See what you already have in your freezer or pantry. Dig out the ground beef in the back of the freezer and make it a point to use the rice this week. Don't let fresh produce go brown and rancid-use it or lose it!

Check the sales-

Very important to compare prices and stockpile good sale items. Bonus points for using coupons at the same time as a sale. Stock up on meat when it goes on sale. BOGO's and Dollar Days are great for this. Our grocery store has a rotation of meat prices, and every 4-6 weeks I can count on ground turkey to be 99 cents a pound and can get chicken breast for 1.49 a lb in bulk. Buy it up!

Buy in season-

Fresh veggies and fruits are expensive. Buy them in season and at a good price. If it's too much, bagged apples and potatoes are usually a good buy. Don't be afraid to use canned or frozen if the price is right.

Get a chart-

There are lots of templates to be found around the web, or you can easily make one yourself. I like to go Monday through Friday with sections for whatever meals ideas I am planning, groceries needed, and to-do tasks for the meal to happen like getting the chicken out to defrost. You know you'll forget if you don't write it down somewhere.

Start small and don't get overwhelmed-

Start with only planning 5 days worth of dinners. Choose five out of your master list using items you already have on hand, and/or plan around your local sales.

Consider having a theme night-

This is a great way to ease into menu planning. Monday can be pasta, Tuesday is crock pot, Wednesday is International, Thursday is upside down day (breakfast for dinner), and Friday is pizza night. You don't have to make the same meal every week (who remembers Meatloaf Mondays?!?), change it up and keep it interesting with different meats, sauces, pastas, and toppings.

When you get comfortable, branch out-

When you have dinner planning down, think about other meals/snacks and plan for them as well. Here our family easily falls into a rut. The kids like cereal in the mornings, every-single-morning. It's easy and we're busy, but it lacks variety and adds up in expense. You can try changing it up by serving oatmeal a couple mornings a week or making toast and scrambled eggs out of the microwave. It takes minutes to make oatmeal or eggs the night before for an even faster option. Let the kids choose their own toppings by leaving them brown sugar, maple syrup, fruit, and even mini-chocolate chips. You can do homemade muffins and fruit. Make a big batch of pancakes and/or muffins and freeze them for easy go-to breakfasts that don't involve a bowl and spoon.

Lunches can be sandwiches or tailored to use up leftovers. Do your kids love canned spaghetti rings? Make a big batch of pasta primavera on Monday and use the leftovers for lunches!

Meal planning is key to saving money on your food budget. You'll be able to plan for leftovers, stretch meat products, and add some much needed variety into your meals. By keeping with sales and stockpiled sales items, using what you have, and being flexible with your produce, you'll be sure to watch those cents add up!