Spring Cleaning: Meal Planning

Is there any better way to get organized at home than to start with Meal Planning? I think not!

Today’s Meal Planning Monday will kick off a week packed full of spring cleaning tips, projects, and freebies! I’ve had the cleaning bug over the last few weeks, and have worked on more than a few projects that I’m ready to share with you. Not to mention, I’ve got some great links for you, and…even better…free printables!

Let’s start with a giant dose of truth. Confession: I am not good at cleaning.

At all.

In fact, I’m pretty much the worst ever. I don’t notice when things get dirty. Clutter, I notice. Dust on the baseboards, not so much. Wife of the year, right here.

But I’m trying to get better. Honestly! So the things I’m sharing with you this week are things I’m super proud of. Not because they were incredibly difficult or creative. Just because I actually did them. 🙂 So here’s what you’ve got to look forward to.

Monday {today!}: Meal Planning and Weekly Grocery Shopping

Tuesday: Paper Clutter, Be Gone!

Wednesday: Recipe Organization that WORKS

Thursday: From Stuffed to Sparkling – A Closet Makeover

Friday: Home Management Notebook {Plus discount codes and more freebies!}

Sound good to you? Me too! So let’s dive right in. 🙂

Meal Planning is one way that REALLY helps me keep things organized and within our budget. Cooking is just easier when meals are planned, groceries have been bought, and things are prepped early. It takes the thought out of dinner, which is great at 5:00 on a day when babies and spouses and work have all been clamoring for your attention.

I have tried to meal plan a month at a time, and that seems to work well for us. However, I also look at the meal plan each week and tweak it based on sales and coupons. Then I make my shopping list, grab my coupon folder, and head to the store!

Some Meal Planning Tips:

As you’re planning, take stock of what you have on hand already. Try to use up fridge and pantry items at the beginning of the week. When I remember to do this, I can usually get 1-2 “free” meals out of the week, meaning I have less to shop for.
Try cooking 1-2 meats at the beginning of the week, and using them throughout the week for different recipes. For example, if you bake a chicken on Monday, you can use the leftover chicken for enchiladas, pot pie, or chicken salad later in the week.
Base your snack and lunch ideas on items that you have coupons for. I try to match sales with coupons and get healthy snacks for a very minimal price. This helps when packing lunches and curing the munchies. 🙂
Make your shopping list right away, consulting weekly ads, coupons, and your meal plan. Stick to the list!

And now that you’ve got some tips, let’s get planning! Here’s what’s on our plate this week:

Monday

Baked Lemon and Oregano Chicken with Steamed Veggies

{Baking my meat for the week}

Tuesday

Ranch Chicken Wraps and Sweet Potato Fries

{Using leftover chicken from Monday}

Wednesday

Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup

{Already on hand in the fridge and pantry}

Thursday

Artichoke Pasta Bake with Chicken and Basil

{Again, using leftover chicken}

Friday

Date Night!

Saturday

Chicken Caesar Salad with Fresh Croutons

Sunday

Baked Potato Bar

And just to make things a little easier on you, I’m offering free printables each day this week for Finding Hope Readers! Today, you can download my Meal Planning Calendar and Shopping List! Just click on the links above the documents, and they will take you to the downloadable {is that a word?} version. 🙂
Meal Planning Calendar – Finding Hope

{For some reason the Meal Planning Calendar is cut off on the right side in the preview, but it downloads just fine. :)}

Printable Shopping List – Finding Hope

Now it’s your turn! Link up your own Meal Plan or your Favorite Recipe. Here’s how it works. Every Monday, I’ll post my meal plan, and Kelli will post hers. Each Meal Planning Monday will be a link up, so we can all share recipes, tips, and meal planning ideas! We only ask that you do two things in order to participate:1. Follow Finding Hope on GFC and The How To Mommy on Bloglovin’.2. Grab our button code from the box below and include our button somewhere in your post!

Kayse

Kayse Pratt serves Christian women as a writer + designer, creating home + life management resources that help those women plan their days around what matters most. She’s created the most unique planner on the market, helped over 400 women create custom home management plans, and works with hundreds of women each month inside her membership, teaching them how to plan their days around what matters most. When she’s not designing printables or writing essays, you’ll find Kayse homeschooling her kids, reading a cheesy novel with a giant cup of tea in hand, or watching an old show from the 90’s with her husband, who is her very best friend.

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