Once-A-Month Menu Planning and Grocery Shopping List

I've had a lot of people ask me what my tricks are, and how I plan all my menus for a month in one sitting. "It seems too difficult." That's what I hear the most. But, what if it really isn't? Personally, I think trying to come up with something an hour before dinner should be served is harder. I'm going to share my full process with you today. Trust me, it's really not hard at all!

SIDE NOTE: If you want the abbreviated method, look for the bold text throughout the post and see the examples.

First, write a list of family favorite meals. What are your family's favorite meals? I'm sure you can come up with at least 5 favorite meals on the spot. Write all these down. Keep thinking and writing, then keep this list nearby your monthly menu so you have it for next time. For example, here is my list of family favorite meals:

Don't be intimidated! I started this list nearly 3 YEARS ago. I've also added, removed and refined this list almost on a monthly basis. Just start with what you can think of, and go from there. Trust me, it'll grow fast, especially if you keep trying new things.

Second, plot out a monthly menu. A month sounds pretty intense. Really, it's not. Especially if you formulate it. Looking at the blank menu for the month is scary, but if you break your month down into "theme nights", then you don't have 28-35 meals to plan, you have 7 "themes" of 5 meals. Doesn't sound anywhere near as bad, does it? Below is an example of how I plan my monthly menu:

I start my menu on Thursday because I do my grocery shopping on Wednesday.

See? Breaking it down makes it seem much less tedious and scary. Anyone can do this with a little spare time. It took me about 10-20 minutes to get this menu together. In this menu example, I've moved some things around a bit. I don't make nachos or philly cheesesteaks in the Crock Pot. But, the idea of theme night gives you an easier idea as to what to cook and breaks it down some.

Confession: I don't always stick to the specific days. I don't religiously have left overs on Tuesday and pizza on Wednesday. This is mainly just to get my plan going. Once I have all the meals planned for the month, I'll mix the meals up on a weekly basis. Example: the 5th row. I'll stick with those meals for week 5 of this month, but I'll probably have pulled pork sandwiches on Sunday and the rice bowls on Saturday.


GROCERY SHOPPING

I do about 75% of my grocery shopping at the beginning of the month. I have a warehouse, employee-owned store about 12 miles away. They have the best prices around on most of the stuff I buy on a regular basis, so I'll go there only once a month to save on gas. I'll buy just about all my non-perishables this day. That way, if the perishables for a meal on the third week go on sale on the second week, I have everything I need to make that meal on the second week already, so we can swap meals week to week as needed.

Because grocery prices are so much more expensive in WI than they were in CA, I've started couponing and price checking prior to purchasing anything. It takes a lot of time, but I've been able to stay in my CA food budget, which, when we first moved here, we thought was going to be impossible. I'd say the prices of everything are between 25%-50% more in WI than in CA. This made me crazy! In CA, I could get everything for the month I need, and had plenty of money left over for snacks and treats. When we moved to WI, our snacks and treats immediately went away (bye-bye ice cream!), and we were eating spaghetti just about every other night! It was pretty awful. Once I started to get to know all the stores in the area, what the standard prices were at each store, when things went on sale, and I noticed we got coupons sent to us on a weekly basis, my grocery life got a little bit easier. Still, I spend about an hour once a week marking up the circulars to ensure I get the best prices, and clipping coupons, but for me, saving the money is worth my time. It's not for everyone, but if you have the time, you can save a lot of money if you do it right.

So, how do I do it? Here we go.

First, write out your shopping list for the entire month. Below is a template I use for my shopping list.

With this, I start by writing everything I need for the meals on my menu, whether I'll be getting them on this initial shopping trip or not. EVERYTHING. Then I'll add staples not needed for my dinners, like breakfast and lunch items, fruits and veggies for snacks, other snacks and treats, random condiments, etc. So far, for April, my list is 3 pages long, and will probably be at least another page by the time I'm completely finished.

Next, write in the prices for comparison, or mark which store you plan on getting each item at. I'll use receipts from the month before for the price comparison, or just bring my list with me, to the stores I visit weekly, the week before I do my initial trip and gather the prices there. I also use the circulars and write in the sale prices too. I'll mark on my list if I have a coupon for that item as well, either manufacture or store coupon.

While I'm getting my grocery list started, and using it throughout the month, I'll mark my circulars with big hi-lighted boxes around what I'll get at the store. 

This week, I don't have any coupons for anything I'm going to get, but if I did, I'd write 'Coup' across the box with a hi-lighter for the items I have coupons for. I'll take my marked circulars with me to the stores, along with my grocery shopping list.

The day I do my initial shopping trip, I make sure my kitchen is spotless and mess free. That way, it's not so overwhelming when I bring home a million bags of groceries.

After the initial trip is done, I'll put everything away and prep everything as needed. More on that in a later post. I'll take pictures, add my tips and post that in a couple weeks when I go!

Hope this can help you save time and feel better about planning your menus!

If you would like a copy of my Excel spreadsheets for my monthly menu and shopping lists, please email me at amberstocksdale@gmail.com. If you have any questions, please leave a comment.