I'm a numbers person, so I pay close attention to my family's budget. Typically, we're a pretty simple family, but the one particular spending category which really bothers me is how much we spend on food. And I don't indicate eating out... I'm referring to how much we spend on groceries each week. For a small family, our grocery budget is out of control.

Therefore when I learned about weekly menu planning, I was excited. Particularly when I realized how much menu planning could help reduce our grocery budget.

Cut costs

There are many advantages to weekly meal planning, but the greatest benefit to my family is how much cash we save on groceries. By planning our dishes beforehand (I usually plan our meals one week at a time), I know exactly what I need to buy at the shop, and I avoid purchasing foodstuff which we won't eat that week. Before I started planning our meals, we wasted a lot of food since it spoiled before I got around to cooking it. Meal planning also decreases the number of times I go to the supermarket (I did previously visit almost every day!), which means fewer impulse buys. I don't know about you, but every time I visit the store to get one or two things, I've expended $50 or $60 before I know it. Weekly meal planning helps reduce unnecessary purchases, which means huge savings over the long run. Eliminating the daily grocery trips probably saves me a lot in our grocery spending budget.

Saving time

The next advantage to weekly menu planning is the time it saves you. First, because you spend less time determining what to cook for lunch (or utilizing the net for suggestions). Second, since you already have everything you need to cook dinner (for the whole week!) you won't have to run by the store after picking the children up or on your way from work. Imagine how much time you'll save merely from cutting out daily visits to the store. If you're like me and go to the shop several times per week, you could save a couple of hours of time simply by planning your meals in advance.

Eat Healthier

One more huge benefit you get from weekly menu planning is that it helps you eat healthier. People who do meal planning tend to eat better since they go out to eat less often. By eating at restaurants less frequently, you eliminate a lot of the fatty foods that you would normally eat at fast food restaurants. Furthermore, when you cook at home, you're able to choose fresh, healthy ingredients for your meals.

As you may see, meal planning has many benefits, including saving your time, money and helping your family eat healthier. At My Weekly Menu Planner, we offer articles, ideas and free tools, including free menu planners and shopping lists that will help you begin saving time and money with menu planning today.

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