How to Make a Meal Plan + Free Printables

Are you looking to save money on your groceries in 2024? Ever heard of meal planning? Meal planning is the most effective thing I have found to save money on groceries. You can shop most anywhere on most things and you will still save money if you have a good meal plan set in place!

How do I make my own meal plan?

Choose your length
- Do you want to do a week at a time? Bi-weekly? Monthly? If you’re completely new to meal planning, I would suggest doing a week and going from there. Once you’re more comfortable, I suggest doing it as often as you’re paid. Then, you can start pushing it out as far as you can. The idea is, the less you’re in the store, the less impulses you will experience. For now though, let’s start small.
Take inventory
- Go through your fridge(s), freezer(s), and pantries. See what you have on hand and consider making a list. This can help you visually see what you have on hand at all times. Even if you don’t keep a physical inventory every week, at least look through what you have to know what meals you can make.
Shop sales
- The next step is to choose where you’re going to shop and take a look at their sales ad. Try to aim for the items on the front page to be the star of the show. Even if you shop at Walmart, you may be able to skip this step, but they still have deals from time to time on certain items, even on the app.
Pick your recipes
- Once you know what’s on sale and what you have, you can start picking your meals. Pinterest is my go-to for every type of recipe. If chicken is on sale and I have potatoes, I may search “chicken and potatoes”. Try to keep your meals simple to save the most money.
>>>> Here’s some crockpot meals to get you started! <<<<
Make your list
- Now that you have your meals chosen, you can start working on your list. Don’t forget to include things like breakfasts, lunches, and snacks.
Go shopping
- Now that you have your list made, it’s time to shop! Be sure to not go hungry and stick to your list! It’s great if you can do a pick up order as this generally cuts down on impulse spending. I enjoy Kroger for this reason. I can get amazing deals, but also do a pick up order. If you spend a certain amount, they waive the pick up fee!