MEAL PLANNING( HARWARD VERSION).... STEP 1

AS YOU KNOW, I HAVE BEEN DOING A FORM OF MEAL PLANNING SINCE LAST SUMMER. REASON FOR DOING IT THIS WAY WAS TO TAKE THE GUESS WORK OUT OF THE DAILY QUESTION OF WHAT TO MAKE FOR DINNER AND AN OBVIOUS ONE, TO SEE IF I CAN REDUCE OUR GROCERY BILL. IT HAS BEEN REALLY SUCCESSFUL IN BOTH AREAS FOR ME PERSONALLY AND I CANT BELIEVE HOW MUCH WE HAVE REDUCED OUR BILL IN THIS CATEGORY WITHOUT SACRIFICING WHAT WE LIKE TO EAT. I HAVE BEEN ASKED ALOT ABOUT WHAT MY PLAN IS AND HOW IT WORKS. A FEW FRIENDS HAVE TRIED AND HAVE REALLY LIKED THE RESULTS AND HAVE MADE IT THE NORMAL PRACTICE FOR THEM AND THEIR FAMILY.
SO I WILL POST MY "PLAN" STEP BY STEP AND MAYBE IT WILL INSPIRE AND HELP SOMEONE ELSE!

STEP ONE...

TAKE AN INVENTORY ON ALL YOU HAVE IN YOUR FREEZER, CUPBOARDS, BASEMENT STORAGE...ETC. IT'S AMAZING WHAT WE ACCUMULATE!

FOR AN EXAMPLE....I WENT THROUGH MY FREEZER MEAT AND PLANNED MEALS AROUND WHAT WAS IN THERE TO USE IT UP....FOR EXAMPLE.....AFTER MY INVENTORY I HAD A PACKAGE OF GROUND BEEF IN THE FREEZER, A COUPLE TOMATOES, AND SOME SOUR CREAM.....I PLANNED A NIGHT TO HAVE TACOS AND ADDED THE REMAINING INGREDIENTS I WOULD NEED TO MY SHOPPING LIST....
I HAD CHICKEN IN THE FREEZER AND POTATOES AND VEGGIES....PLANNED TO HAVE THIS AS A MEAL IN THE NEXT WEEK....NO ADDED GROCERIES REQUIRED....ON AND ON IT WENT FOR THE FIRST WEEK OR SO...I COULD PLAN MY MEALS BASICALLY JUST FROM THE LIST I HAD MADE OF THE CURRENT INVENTORY IN MY KITCHEN....THE FIRST RUN TO THE GROCERY STORE WAS QUICK AS MY LIST WAS SHORT AND SWEET!

THE KEY IS TO WRITE DOWN WHAT YOU WILL BE HAVING FOR THE MEAL FOR THE ENTIRE WEEK AHEAD...CHECKING FOR INGREDIENTS YOU HAVE AND ADDING TO YOUR GROCERY LIST ONLY AND EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED FOR THOSE MEALS.
THIS FIRST STEP OF USING UP WHAT I ALREADY HAD SWUNG ME THROUGH THE FIRST TWO WEEKS OF SUPPERS WITH ONLY A FEW FRESH ITEMS NEEDING TO BE PURCHASED.

FOR ME, BY DOING THIS STEP I RID MY KITCHEN OF EXPIRED ITEMS...SINCE I HAD SOME IN THE CUPBOARD THAT WAS THERE SINCE?....ALSO I DON'T LIKE TO HAVE MEAT SITTING IN THE FREEZER FOR A LONG PERIOD OF TIME...THE SHORTER THE TIME THE BETTER THE QUALITY OF THE MEAT. THE LARGER AMOUNT OF MEAT THE SLOWER THE ROTATION.

THIS IS STEP ONE....GET A DATEBOOK WITH BIG DAILY SQUARES AND SIT DOWN WITH YOUR KITCHEN LIST AND PLAN OUT YOUR SUPPERS USING UP THOSE INGREDIENTS FOR THE NEXT WEEK OR SO AND ENJOY YOUR QUICK DASH IN AND OUT OF THE GROCERY STORE AND THE MONEY THAT STAYED IN YOUR BANK ACCOUNT!