I'm a numbers individual, so I pay close attention to my family's spending budget. For the most part, we're a pretty simple family, but the one particular spending category that really bothers me is just how much we spend on food. And I don't mean eating at restaurants... I'm talking about how much we spend on groceries each week. For a small family, our grocery budget is out of control.

Thus when I learned about weekly menu planning, I was excited. Especially when I realized how much menu planning may reduce our grocery budget.

Save Money

There are lots of benefits to weekly meal planning, but the greatest benefit to my family is the amount of money we save on groceries. By planning our dishes in advance (I usually plan our meals one week at a time), I am aware exactly what I need to purchase at the store, and I avoid purchasing foodstuff that we won't eat that week. Before I began planning our meals, we wasted a lot of food because it spoiled before I got around to preparing it. Meal planning also reduces the number of times I go to the food store (I did previously go almost every day!), this means fewer impulse buys. I don't know about you, but each time I go to the store to get one or two things, I've spent $50 or $60 before I know it. Weekly meal planning aids decrease unnecessary purchases, which means huge savings over the future. Cutting out the daily grocery trips probably saves me a lot in our grocery spending budget.

Save Time

The next benefit to weekly menu planning is the time it saves you. First, because you devote less time figuring out what to cook for lunch (or utilizing the net for ideas). Second, since you already have all you need to cook dinner (for the whole week!) you won't have to run by the shop after picking the kids up or on your way from work. Imagine how much time you'll save only from cutting out daily trips to the shop. If you're much like me and go to the store many times a week, you could save a couple of hours of time simply by planning your meals in advance.

Eat Healthier

Another huge benefit you get from weekly menu planning is that it helps you eat much healthier. People who do meal planning tend to eat healthier because they go out to eat less often. By dining out less frequently, you cut out a lot of the oily foods that you would normally eat at fast food eateries. Also, when you cook at home, you're able to choose fresh, healthy ingredients for your meals.

As you can see, meal planning has numerous benefits, which includes saving your time, money and helping your family eat healthier. At My Weekly Menu Planner, we offer content articles, tips and free tools, including free menu planners and shopping lists to assist you begin saving time and money with menu planning today.

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