Menu Plan Monday: September 19-25

Over the past year, there have been many changes in our lives....namely, the birth of our sweet boy. But we've also had our share of job changes and financial uncertainty this year, too. All of these things have forced us to reevaluate how we spend our money. We've both done some serious brainstorming and soul-searching about how to cut back, but not so much that we feel deprived. It's been a difficult process. However, I am happy to report that some of these changes have made our lives easier. One change in particular has eliminated the cause of many past arguments between Kurt and me. And that is so much more important than saving money, don't you think?

So I finally decided to plan our meals. 

Before I started planning our meals, we were always trying to decide what to have for dinner. And that's part of meal planning, too. But the problem came when we waited until we were hungry to decide. If you know Kurt at all, you know that getting him to behave civilly when he's hungry is pretty impossible. (Sorry to call you out like that, babe.) So eventually, we would somehow make a decision. Then we would have to go to the grocery store, of course...at 5:30 when every other cranky, hungry person in Bellevue is at the store, too. No bueno. 

But meal planning has been oh so bueno for us. We don't argue about what's for dinner. We save money by buying only what we need. We also save money because I check to see what's on sale as I make the plan for the week. What a difference.

Oh, and one tip that has helped me tremendously. Before you start your plan for the week, make yourself a master list of your family's favorite dinners...the ones that someone is always requesting or that you make most often. My list has about 40 different dinners. When I sit down to plan and make my grocery list, I look through the master list and pick what sounds good to me! 

So, without further ado, I present our plan for dinner this week! 

(You might notice that I don't plan which day we'll have what. I just plan 7 dinners. This way, Kurt still has some say in the process.)

• Braised Boston butt, steamed broccoli, salad
• Spaghetti and meatballs, garlic bread
• London broil, Texas Caviar
• Potato soup, wannabe Red Lobster biscuits
• Sloppy joes, homemade buns, oven fries
• Pork tacos, rice and beans
• Ritz chicken, brussel sprouts, macaroni and cheese, and sour cream biscuits

As we make these things, I will post the recipes and maybe some pictures, too. I will also try and work on posting my own master list, for your viewing pleasure!

If you want to see more menu plans, then go visit I'm an Organizing Junkie. Every week, Laura hosts Menu Plan Monday. She posts her own menu plan for the week, and lots of other bloggers then post links to their own weekly menu plans.