This O.C.'s Life : Meal Planning

I decided I'm going to do a (hopefully) weekly series. I am calling it a series instead of an indefinite weekly post because eventually I will run out of subjects on this topic. I am a self diagnosed obsessive compulsive. Maybe only when it comes to certain things. But there are kind of a lot. And they make the day to day tasks of life easier for me so I thought I would start sharing. So first up is...

This O.C.'s Life : Meal Planning

A while back we started a new budget that was...well, much tighter than we were used to when it came to groceries. I have learned that meal planning is the only way I can feed us all week and stay on budget. Thus I have now realized there are certain tools I require for my meal planning. They are as follows (in order of use):

1. "Time To Get" list : It stays on the side of the fridge and is used to mark throughout the week as we run out of things. I was always forgetting when Micah said, "Hey babe, next time you go to the store can you get ______ please?" So I grabbed this and it has done the trick! (purchased at target)

2. "What To Eat" list : Ever since starting meal planning this has been HUGE for me. It is also magnetic and stays on the side of the fridge. Aside from planning my shopping trip this helps for three reasons: 1. Food doesn't get wasted. I have a clear list of our planned meals and I don't forget about those green beans in our not-clear drawers. 2. It helps me remember to take whatever needs to thaw out of the freezer the day before. 3. I am usually working 2 nights a week and this means Micah never has to do much thinking about what he will eat for supper. (purchased at anthropologie)

3. Red & Green Notebooks/Computer : Red - has many different lists but one page is "Recipes To Try." When I see recipes that sound good in my Martha Stewart (love her!) magazines I jot them down in here with which magazine I saw it in and what page. Green - This is my "Dorsey Favorites" recipe book. I write down recipes we LOVE in here to keep in the regular cycle! Computer - If I ever come up empty, The Pioneer Woman is my go-to girl. That woman can cook. She's always got somethin' delicious for us! (purchased at: red - anthropologie, green - book people)

4. Map Grocery List : This is a must have. I don't know what it is about this grocery list pad but it is PERFECT for me. I love the spacing of the lines. It is the perfect number of lines for my list every week. I never run out. And my sweet friend Heather created them and sells them over here!

5. Calculator : (not pictured) I use the calculator on my phone while doing my grocery shopping, and I don't put anything into my cart with out adding the price onto my continuous calculation. This has been a huge stress reliever at the end of my trip, when my items are being scanned. I never have to worry that I have gone over budget. Love that.

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I hope some of you find some of these tools as helpful as I do. Are there any meal planning tools you can't live with out??

XO