Meal Planning Works For Busy Moms

Yesterday was on of those days where NOTHING went right. It started first thing with spilling my first cup of coffee. I should have realized it would go down-hill from there.

In the afternoon I had to take my dog Molly to the vet to have a boo-boo taken care of. And Little Dude came with us. Oh what an exhausting experience! A 45-pound nervous and hurt dog and a 35-pound toddler – not a good combination when you have to wait 1/2 hour in the waiting room!

Then to top it off, there was an accident so we got stuck in traffic on the way home. UGH! After all was said and done, the whole trip took almost two hours! Twice as long as I had anticipated.

What does this hectic day have to do with meal planning?

The whole ride home (actually the whole time we sat in traffic) I was starting to panic because dinner time was very soon. I was anticipating a toddler melt-down.But when I arrived home, dinner was already cooking! All I had to do was steam the veggies and set the table!

How did this miracle of miracles happen?

Hubby realized we were running late. So he looked on my meal plan list for the week, saw what was planned, and did the job. And because I prepared in advance, all he had to do was throw it together and pop it in the oven!

Meal Planning Saves Time and Sanity

Each Sunday afternoon I plan our family’s meals for the coming week. I post the menu for the week on my fridge. I create my shopping list. I pull ingredients from my freezer and pantry to have them handy.

Advanced meal planning saves me time at dinner time (aka The Witching Hour). Because I know what to make, and have the ingredients ready, cooking dinner is easy-peasy! And the bonus is that Hubby can jump in and help when needed. I didn’t even have to tell him what to do – everything was ready for him to just put together.

Do you meal plan? Do you need help planning your family menu? I have a how-to guide to help you get started. It provides step-by-step instructions on how to save time and money by planning your family meals in advance. Chapters include The Strategy Session, Making The Shopping List, Short Cut Cooking, Plan Your Leftovers, Storage And Reheating Tips, Recipe Suggestions and more. Click here to learn more about Meal Planning for Busy Moms.