Many people avoid meal planning because it’s about as much fun as washing dishes. But if you consider how much money a plan can save you, it’s almost like being paid to do a chore! Does that make it any better?
We are entering our busy season, so I’m trying to plan simple meals that are easy to make (or even better, slow cook so they are ready whenever we are!). It’s ball season, so we are eating on our way out the door some nights.
As usual, I don’t assign a meal to a night, and I plan for 2 weeks at a time. Because once I actually start this job, I’d rather do more of it at once than have to sit down next week and do it all over again.
To make it even easier, pair the meal plan with a standard grocery list.
Our 2 Week Meal Plan
Breakfast:
- cereal
- toast
- Scrappy Baked Oatmeal
- bagels
Lunch
- sandwiches (PB&J, Nutella, PB&honey, lunchmeat, apple butter)
- quesadillas
- leftovers
- muffins
- hard boiled eggs
Supper (with sides of potatoes, rice, noodles, and fresh cut veggies)
If you need meatless meal suggestions for Lent (or just because!), check out this post. If you can’t convince the family to go meatless, I can help you with that, too!
- steak (Here’s the story about why you keep seeing steak on a frugal menu.)
- bean burritos
- fish tacos with sauce
- tacos
- grilled chicken
- big salads
- chicken with corn & black bean salsa in the crock pot
- roasted whole chicken
- spaghetti
- ham & cheese sliders
- leftovers
- beef stew
- homemade pizza
- leftover casserole (using anything I can find in the fridge)
Our snacks and extras include
- fresh fruit
- cookies
- popcorn
- key lime pie bars
- buffalo chicken bombs
- butterscotch pie (for Pi Day!)
Those are the meals we love and the new ones we can’t wait to try this week!
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Do you meal plan one week at a time, or in a different way?
I'm Jamie, and I want to help you afford a beautiful life with your family. 
Oh, it’s been so long since I’ve had key lime pie, in any form. So delicious!
Also, peanut butter and honey sandwiches are fantastic. However, there is peanut butter that has honey in it, and it makes it even better! It’s also the best to make peanut butter cookies with, or just regular pb&j or…anything, really. I just wish it came in a chunky variety!
Oh, I bet that stuff is great in cookie form! I’ll have to keep an eye out for it on my next grocery run.
Those looks like some yummy meals! Those key lime bars looks really good too- I’m gonna have to try making them one day.
We meal plan 1 week at a time because we go shopping once a week. I like to know what meal we are eating on which day so that I can take meat out from the freezer the night before or do prep early in the day.
I share our meal plan every Friday on my site.
I have been wanting to start meal planning. I just gave birth, so Im definitely not going to sit down to figure out dinner every day. Lol. Thanks for sharing!
Congratulations! Meal planning definitely has looked very different throughout the different seasons of life for me, so it’s important to know what works for you. 🙂
Can I come over and eat??? 🙂 This looks both delicious and completely doable! Thanks so much for sharing at Funtastic Friday!
Your meal plan really does look delicious – and nutritious too! Love the desserts as well – Butterscotch Pie and Key Lime Bars? Count me in! Sharing. Thank you for bringing this post to the Hearth and Soul Hop, Jamie.
I neeeeeeed to get better about this…. hmmmmmmm….. thanks for the inspiration!