Nesting: Meal Planning and Grocery Lists

Yesterday I went through all my recipes and said I hoped to get through some meal planning, and I am so happy I did.

When hubby got home from work, he asked what did you do today? My response, well you might think I am crazy but I know what we will have for dinner for the next two months after the baby. 

His response: Not crazy. Smart. 

See?

Here are a couple tips/tricks I use for meal planning:

I start by plugging in my meats/proteins. This way we wont end up with chicken four nights in a row.

Then I try to make things with like ingredients. For example we may have Chicken Parm early in the week and only use a cup of cheese, but on Friday we will use the rest of the cheese for Pizza. It makes for less waste.

Also, I don't plan meals for the weekend, because we either do take out or leftovers.

Once my plan is made, I actually look at each week and create a main grocery list. It only contains what we need for dinners, and when it comes time to go shopping I add the other items we need, and cross out what we have ( in the pantry, fridge or freezer).  

Now this was a first, but I made a master Meat List. We go to a butcher, or BJ's and buy in bulk. This way if we go on a "meat" run there is no guessing how much we need or how long it will last.

Do you meal plan? What are your favorite tips or tricks?

How about crock pot recipes? I put some new ones into my September plan knowing I probably will be too lazy to cook...