How To Meal Plan on a Budget – The Beginner’s Guide

Often meal planning is mistaken for this extra long, daunting process that overwhelms even the most organized person. Add a budget to the meal planning for beginners and the recipe for disaster is nearly complete. But what if knowing more about how to meal plan on a budget could change that?

There are some tricks to meal planning for beginners; creative ways to stick to a meal plan on a budget. When a meal plan is executed well, it’s easy to stick to a grocery budget and not overspend on food. By the end of this post, you will know exactly what steps to take to create a meal plan and stay on budget.

What is a meal plan?

A meal plan is simply a list of meals for a certain time period. A meal plan on a budget is simply a plan constructed to save money. In my house, I grocery shop once per week, so a new meal plan is made each week.

An Unforgettable Thanksgiving Starts with premium turkey and ham, sides and desserts from Perdue Farms!

Some may find it easier to plan meals for longer, but I still recommend grocery shopping once per week. It’s easier to stick to a grocery budget when broken down weekly. Plus, produce is fresher if you buy it weekly instead of stretching it out longer. You do you, boo-boo.

Related: How to Start a Grocery Budget.

It’s preparation and planning, hence the name. It’s playing offense instead of defense. Learning how to meal plan on a budget is simply putting together a meal schedule that optimizes a given amount of money.

Remember back in school when the lunch ladies would send out the calendar that had what was going to be for lunch each day of the month? That was a meal plan. A meal plan on a budget, too, of course.

Why is a meal plan important?

Figuring out how to meal plan for the week for the family and on a budget may sound a little daunting. But, it is so important for saving your time and money, and keeping up with your health!

Sticking to a budget and saving money are so much easier with a meal plan. Not to mention, the time saved alone will be beneficial to your health. amiright? Goodbye everyday stress, hello new plan.

You won’t find me preaching some elaborate budgeting plan to you, ever. Honestly, I wouldn’t devote the time to keeping up with a highly detailed budget or keeping track of which envelope should have this cash or that, so I won’t preach those methods to you, either. 

Totally cool if that’s you, my brain just doesn’t keep up like that. Too many squirrels distracting me all the time.

Now, just wait a second before you roll your eyes at me, it may be easier than you think. I can just about guarantee it will be more beneficial than you think, IF you stick to it. There’s the trick: stick to it. Lucky for you, I’ve made it more simple. 

How do you make a meal plan?

First, get a pen and a piece of paper if you’re old fashioned, or open your note taking app on your phone. Yes, now, do it right now.

Ok, write or type all of the meals you can think of that you know how to make without recipe searching.

If you’re anything like me, this list may be super long as I rarely follow specific recipes anyway. That’s ok. If you have a short list, that’s ok, too. Just make a quick list of meals that your family enjoys regularly.

Related: Meal Planning Action Guide

Make sure to keep your list handy, so that you can refer back to it often. Maybe put this on the fridge. Keep it in your planner or journal, or maybe your purse. I don’t know, just find somewhere easily accessible. Great, proceed on! 

Free Printable Meal Planning Template

Second, I created a pretty meal planning template that you just print off and hang in your kitchen.

*I put mine inside a Dollar Tree 8×10 picture frame and have it hanging on the wall beside our giant calendar. Then I write on it with wet erase markers and simply erase it each week. Some people take an 8×10 frame, attach magnets to the back, and then display their meal plans on the fridge. It’s totally up to you and what works best for you. 

I like to display mine where the whole family can see it, that way I’m not asked what’s for supper a hundred times a day. #momhack

How do I make a weekly meal plan?

Once you’ve printed your meal plan, grab your list of trusty meals, and head to your kitchen/pantry. Now, using your list and the food already IN your house, plan a list of meals for the week.

There’s the catch, using what’s already in your house. That’s a large part of my reason for creating a meal plan on a budget. It keeps the food circulating so there’s less waste, and it saves money!

Related: How to Stick to a Grocery Budget.

BONUS TIP: I don’t use a paper grocery list anymore! Why? Because, I kept forgetting the dang thing at home, leaving me stranded at the store with no game plan! Now, I put my ENTIRE list in my phone’s note taking app. I include the meals we’re having that week, what ingredients I have on hand, and each main section of the grocery store. I even have handy checklist bullets beside each item so that I can check things off as I put them in my cart. 

​Don’t fool yourself though, grocery shopping is by far the most organized part of my life!

What are meal planning strategies?

Obviously you likely won’t have every ingredient on hand to make every meal idea racing around your brain. That’s ok. The key is to develop a meal planning and grocery shopping strategy that works for your lifestyle.

But so often, people think meal planning for beginners involves buying all or most of the ingredients for every meal. It doesn’t have to be that way. I promise you can find ingredients to throw together a meal (or two or three or maybe even four) if you simply think outside the box.

Sticking to a meal plan on a budget doesn’t have to be complicated. Having a running list of meals you already make regularly will help eliminate some of the pressure for choosing meals each week. In no time at all, you will discover the secrets to how to meal plan for the week, just by using what you already have in your kitchen!

It’s that simple! Begin with what you have on hand and choose from a list of your regular meals then shopping weekly to make up some of the difference.

Get creative! You won’t regret it and neither will your bank account. After all, meal planning for your family is crucial for staying on a budget!

Now hurry, click HERE to download your FREE goodies and start meal planning today!

Stay courageous,

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How do you plan a meal for beginners?

Get started with The Ultimate Meal Planning Action Guide! It’s a beautifully designed guide to meal planning that goes along with all the steps you just learned above. A printable download, you can use it again and again! Using the pages in the guide, you’ll learn how to meal plan on a budget and stick to meal planning week after week!