Can Planning Meals Save You Money?  You Bet!

OK….let’s see a show of hands.  How many of you know how much money you spend on groceries per month?

A recent unscientific survey conducted outside a grocery store in San Francisco offered some surprising results.  It doesn’t seem most people keep track of how much money they spend on groceries, because trips to the grocery store usually include non-food items such as health and beauty products, pet products, etc., and there are usually several trips per week.  Who scrutinizes receipts?  Do most of us go to the grocery store armed with a list of just the essentials?  The answer is a resounding “NO!”

Multiple trips to the grocery store almost always seem to include purchasing unnecessary items.  You have a coupon.  You see a new product that looks interesting.  You pick up two even though you only need one because there’s a sale, and never get around to using the second item.  A federal study conducted in the ‘90s estimated that the average family of four throws away about 120 pounds of food each month in waste – that’s about 1 pound a day per person.  Now where do you suppose some of those 120 pounds comes from?  From buying food items that are only half used, not used at all, and eventually go to waste…literally.

What does this mean to the average consumer?  Very simply, it means you are spending your hard-earned money on food items that you just aren’t using.  During these turbulent economic times, we can certainly learn how to avoid wasting some of our money by just following a few simple guidelines.  Here’s how, in a nutshell:

After several weeks, once you have mastered preparing the menu and shopping list, you will begin to see a pattern emerge.  You should be spending about the same amount each week.  If you follow these simple guidelines, you will be amazed at how much you can lower your grocery bill.

Planning meals in advance not only saves you money, but is also a more balanced, intelligent way of eating.  With careful planning, you will also only have to make one weekly trip to the dreaded grocery store!  By cutting out the spontaneous shopping trips, you will have more time to prepare the meals from the menu you devise.  Eating out and fast-food take-out can also be eliminated.  That’s not to say that eating out should totally be eliminated, but it should be something to look forward to, instead of a last-minute necessity.

By planning your dinners ahead of time, you eliminate multiple trips to the grocery store.  You have more time to spend with your family, in a time where less than half of American families eat dinner together.  Even if you play taxi often after work or school, you can breathe a sigh of relief knowing you have a meal plan, recipe, and ingredients when you get home.  Plan your meals!  De-stress your life!  Save money!  What’s not to like?

This post provide courtesy of: My Weekly Menu Planner where you can find meal planning tips, recipes and more.

Why Meal Planning is so Important During These Bad Economical Times

Today, less than half of American families eat dinner together and when they do, these meals last less than 20 minutes and are lacking in proper nutrition.

The fact is our life styles have changed from those magical days of Ozzie and Harriet. Thanks to the Internet, cell phones and palm pilots, business is conducted on an almost 24/7 basis. Even conversations with our children are often times through text messages or cell phone.

Sporting events and outside activities for children have become almost maniacal in the demands made upon the family. It has become a race against time so that we can fit it all in. Something has to give, and that unfortunately has been the family dinner hour.

When we squeeze out the family dinner we sacrifice more than you could ever imagine. According to a study conducted by the National Center on Addiction and Substance Abuse at Columbia University, the children that dined regularly with their families were 31 per cent less likely to smoke, drink or take drugs and do better in school.

Healthy self-esteem for children can be built around a family dinner table. Parents can take the time to listen and help their children sort out the struggles of the day without interference of phones, tv’s and computers.

Our hectic life styles only give time for overly processed foods or even worse “fast foods.” This poor nutrition has resulted in children contracting what was once considered “adult diseases” at an alarming rate. High blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes and obesity all stem from poor nutrition and processed foods.

Not only is the family dinner hour a great time to catch up on each other’s lives, it also offers more tangible benefits. Family dinner hour can improve grades at school and promote a richer vocabulary. Younger family members that do not have the interaction of speaking within the family group often struggle with poor communication skills. In troubling times such as these, the routine of a family meal helps to ease tensions and frustrations of teens and young children by receiving guidance and assurance through other family members.

Planning these meals, shopping for the ingredients, and to a lesser extent, cooking the dinners, is a time consuming task. In many cases, time needed for both professional careers and for the children’s extra-curricular activities make it nearly impossible to coordinate the family dinner. However, now more than ever, it is important to invest this time. The dividends are worth the effort. Today, make your family feel special. Prepare a nutritious meal and sit down to a family dinner. Find out what is up with your children and make the time to talk with each one. Unplug the world and plug into your children for one hour ever day.

Continue reading.

This post provide courtesy of: My Weekly Menu Planner where you can find meal planning tips, recipes and more.

The Importance of Family Meal Planning

But first, if you find the idea of family meals daunting, take a look at Dine Without Whine. It’s a monthly subscription, which gives you weekly meal plans, recipes and grocery shopping list. Dine Without Whine definitely simplifies meal planning and preparation.

Ok, now back to my challenge. It’s been hard, but here you go, 10 OTHER reasons to gather around the dinner table:

1. You’ll have a ready audience for your jokes.

2. You can get instant feedback on new recipes you’ve been wanting to try.

3. You’ll have a venue to plan family activities, such as your next vacation, or a child’s birthday.

4. Your family members can help you stick to your diet.

5. Family mealtimes can teach responsibility. It’s a natural time to give children chores, such as setting the table, clearing up, and washing dishes.

6. Enjoy your good china and silverware, instead of saving them for special occasions. Because any time you’re together IS a special occasion.

7. Family dinners give structure and routine to your day, which is especially important for small children.

8. By having meals together, you can reduce the time your kids spend watching TV, playing video games or surfing on the Internet.

9. Family meals are good times to give each other props – talk about everyone’s latest accomplishments, such as good grades, a new drawing, a new skill learned.

10. Family dinners remind you daily of your blessings: food on the table, a roof over your heads, and loved ones all around you.

Having family dinner every night may be hard for most families nowadays. But if you can manage it on most nights, then you’ll enjoy the benefits.

Cut down and simplify on other areas of your life, so you can cook a meal and sit down to dinner together. Dine Without Whine provides a weekly menu of kid-tested recipes, as well as a grocery list to simplify your shopping as well. Go here now and try Dine Without Whine for only a penny.

This post provide courtesy of: My Weekly Menu Planner where you can find meal planning tips, recipes and more.

10 More Reasons to Gather Around the Dinner Table