I have found that having a menu really helps me save on the grocery bill not to mention my sanity. If I have a menu I can pick something off the list in the morning and make it for dinner that night. I usually make a menu for 2 weeks because I only do major grocery shopping every 2 weeks. I really don’t have the energy to do it more often than that. Fortunately, I have several grocery stores very close by if I need something real quick.

When I make my menu I add in some easy dinners. I need to be realistic. I know that I am not going to want to cook every night. It is my nature, so I plan for that. I know that processed foods are not good for me, but buying a package of chicken patties and some buns is a lot cheaper than the fast food that would be calling my name on a night that I don’t feel like cooking. If I plan for these nights, I don’t feel as guilty. I also have to plan for the nights that I am not going to be home until late. I don’t want to plan a roast that needs to cook for 3 hours if I am not going to be home until 4:30. These nights are crockpot or spaghetti nights. I really try not to use my processed foods for these nights because I always know that these days are coming. I can not count these as lazy nights because then when I am really lazy I won’t have the chicken patties to fall back on.

I planned my menu last Friday while I waiting for my son to get out of science class. I planned for two weeks. I also organized my coupons. I felt prepared going to the commissary. (Until I realized that I was going on a Saturday and a payday, but that is a whole ‘nother post! LOL) I did pretty well at commissary. I stayed close to my list and came out of there in budget! Whoo hoo!

I don’t know if anyone is interested, but I thought that I would post my menu. I like reading other people’s menus. It gives me new ideas. So, here you go.

• Chicken Bow Tie Pasta
• Taco Soup
• Pork Roast Sandwhiches
• Spaghetti
• Tacos
• Baked Potato Bar
• Baked Fish and Veggie Packets
• BBQ Shrimp
• Hawaiian Ham Skillet
• Crunchy Cashew Pork
• Country Style Casserole (I have no idea what this is. I don’t remember. It is good thing I wrote down the cook book and the page number. Yikes!)
• Chicken Parmesan
• Papa Murphy’s Pizza

I don’t plan the sides for dinner unless there is really something that I want to try. I just make veggies or a salad. We usually have some kind of bread or potatoes and rice. The more basic I stay the easier it is on me.

Oh, and one more little tip. Keep your menus in a notebook. That way you can rotate your menus and it becomes easier to make a menu. I finally pulled out the menus in my notebook from 5 years ago. They were getting a little old and I wasn’t making those recipes anymore. LOL