If I want to survive the week without eating out multiple times, I have to have a meal plan. Typically I take time Friday night to print out a blank weekly meal plan and sit down with the calendar (to check for activities), the daycare menu (to note which days I have to send substitutes for egg items), and the grocery list. Oh, and usually a few recipe print outs or a cookbook.
I used to check the grocery store ads, but I found I usually wasn't inspired by it and it just took space and added to my already large pile of organizing materials. Obviously budget is not my number one concern for better or worse. I've found that I would rather buy what I want at the store than try to be cheap. Obviously other people might have different priorities.
I also have a large family calendar where I track what meals are successful each month (this means really tasty and/or Bit ate it well). That's a valuable resource when I'm blank for inspiration. Let's Dish also makes this process easier, giving me a stock of frozen made-ahead meals. Once a week I aim to use the crockpot, on the day I go to Weight Watchers in the evening, so that dinner is ready once we're all home. I just started tracking our favorite recipes on CookbookTree, so in a little while I'll have a cookbook customized to my family!
I'd like to get better at including fruits and vegetables and having healthy snacks on hand. Also I want to keep better track of my pantry and keep it stocked for "emergencies." I'll be looking for hacks, tips, and tools for these goals in the new year.
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