Meal Planning, Food Budgeting, Grocery Shopping...How I Manage the Details

I have had a request to blog about how I handle meal planning, grocery shopping, and budgeting for food. I'm not sure that my method is the most efficient, but here it goes...


I will start with meal planning.  Every two weeks, I sit down with a chart that is really a calendar that I keep in "My Brain" and plan out the meals for the next two weeks.  Here is my meal plan for October.  You can see that we were eating out every Thursday.  We try to plan for eating out and not eat out unless planned.  (This is a budget category outside of groceries.)  In October, Thursday afternoons were quite busy.  We were going from PE to the library and then straight to soccer practice.  This means that we were out of the house from about 1:30-7:00pm.  So, we decided for the soccer season just to eat out Thursday evenings.  We have a favorite family friendly pizza place just around the corner that has a great "family meal" that is really cost effective:)  Now that soccer season is over, we are not eating out weekly.

Breakfast:  I don't plan individual breakfasts but have things available that the kids can get independently such as instant oatmeal, whole wheat bagels, whole grain cereals, bread for toast, fruit, etc..  Or, I will have steel cut oats in the crockpot...so good on a cold morning.  It has taken a little trial and error to understand just how much we will eat in a two week period but I have it down to a science...for now...it will change over time as kids grow and eat more:)  I will add a few things like eggs that I can make on Saturdays when we have a more relaxed schedule and we can all have fun cooking in the kitchen together.  I also buy fresh and frozen fruits and greens to make green smoothies (which I have exclusively for breakfast on a normal school day). 

Lunch: Lunch planning is much like breakfast in that I ensure that we have supplies for sandwiches and salad to last the two weeks.  I also get supplies for mac and cheese to make a few days as this a favorite in our house.  Some days the kids will eat dinner left overs instead of sandwiches and salad, but I stick to spinach salad most days as I have so much more energy and actually feel less moody when I am eating all of those raw veggies:)

Dinner:  Dinner gets the most planning.  However, even this is a really simplified process.  I need to plan fourteen dinners, but I really only plan seven and then repeat the next week.  For example, this next two week period, we are having soup & wheat bread on Mondays, tacos (taco salad for the adults) on Tuesdays, baked potatoes on Wednesdays, spaghetti and meatballs on Thursdays, waffles or pancakes on Fridays, fish and veggies on Saturday, and a crockpot meal that I can put on Saturday evening and wheat bread that I can bake on Saturday for Sunday lunch.  We usually have a movie night with popcorn for dinner on Sundays.  I also plan some kind of dessert and buy grape juice as part of our Sabbath Celebration...just because everyone loves these:)

I create my lists by store, so I will have a Costco, Wal-Mart, and Sprouts list every shopping trip...but all on the same page:)  Occasionally I will have other stores listed that I need to visit, but these are the staples.  I also try to list things according to the path that I take through the store (because it is hard to backtrack with six kids!).  For some reason, I tend to make a counter clockwise circle in the stores and rarely go down the center isles.  I guess the basics are around the edges:)

I have a general "base" list of things that I buy every trip or every other trip that I can jot down by memory.  For example, I know that at Costco I will buy three boxes (2 gallons each) of milk, one gallon of orange juice, and so on every shopping trip.  But eggs (5dz) and butter I buy every other shopping trip.  I put the date of the shopping trip on the top of each list so that I can have multiple list going at once.  This way I can jot down things that I will need to get on a later shopping trip for a specific event.  I can also add items to these lists that I notice are getting low around the house like olive oil, trash bags, etc. right when I notice that they are low...because I won't remember later:)  I can also add occasional items like little boy's socks that need to be purchased soon (these items can be adjusted to a later list if I am tight on the budget that trip).

Here is the list that I have started for my next shopping trip...pretty bare but it will fill up!  The numbers that you see in this list are how many I need of that item but I do put the price also...more on this later.

After I have the basic items listed, I add the items that I will need for meal planning.  So, for my shopping list, I know that I need to add double items for soup, wheat bread (berries that I buy in bulk every few months), tacos, baked potatoes, spaghetti and meatballs, waffles, fish, veggies, two crockpot meals, and popcorn.  Then I add in the breakfast items, and lunch supplies. 

I usually run back over the meal planning for each day thinking about each meal and the items needed and check that against my list to make sure that I am not leaving anything out.  Then I do a quick check in the pantry and kitchen drawers for things like paper plates, ziploc bags, etc..

Now that I have my list, I am ready for the budgeting.  I start by going through my shopping list and putting a small number next to each item.  This number is an estimate of how much that item costs.  Sometimes it is exact because I have purchased that item hundreds of times (like milk) and sometimes it is the most that I am willing to pay for an item (like socks...so I might end up buying a smaller package of socks to stay within budget and then buying more later if needed).  I then add up what I am spending at each store and write the total at the top of the list...total the totals...and compare to my budget.  If I am over budget, then I look back over the list for things that I can remove (like black olives for tacos...not a must).  There are months (like around the holidays) when we purposefully increase the budget to buy special treats or items to take to events.

If I end up under budget, then I can add in any "extra" things (like socks) from the next shopping list...this rarely happens:)

Now for the actual shopping.  I do most of my shopping with all six kids at this phase of life.  I don't have any kids old enough to babysit the little ones and I like to spend time together as a family when Peter is home.  So, we will take a morning field-trip to Costco and Wal-Mart every two weeks.  Sprouts I do in the evening either alone or with just one of the older kids for some one on one time:)

I LOVE the shopping carts at Costco.  I can put my two littlest kids in the front of the buggy.  I have one of the older boys be the "list master" and read off the next item to purchase.  Because the list is already in order (for the most part) of our path through the store, we can walk together and the little kids can be sent to grab the items that we need.  This works well for Costco and Wal-Mart because I am buying very little produce (I get mine at Sprouts when I have just one child with me and I can teach them how to pick out good produce).  As an item is placed in the buggy, it is crossed off the list and the "real" price (rounded up to the nearest dollar) is exchanged for my "estimate number".  This is the job of the "list master".  See...it really is a learning experience worthy of being called a field-trip!  After I get all of my items I do a quick count of what I am spending to ensure that I am not going over and then check out.  (I have a small calculator in my purse.) 

It can be difficult to keep kids behaving in a store but getting them involved in the process helps so much.  It seems like it takes longer at first but it is SO much quicker and more peaceful than dealing with melt-downs or fighting from bored children!  I will post later on different age appropriate jobs and entertainment ideas for kids while shopping:)

So, now I have made my list, checked it twice...well really once:), budgeted and adjusted the list, gone through the store and purchased what we will need for the next two weeks.  I repeat the same thing at Costco and Walmart although I usually have the baby in a backpack at Wal-Mart as their buggies have only one seat and I despise the huge "train" style ones (I mean really...It's hard enough to shop without trying to manage bushing a train too!.  I did push one the other day when I was out with only the little ones to get a few items for Lit. Club because they begged me.  They loved it and I enjoyed saying yes to their pleading little faces:)  But, it is not the norm.)

I have all the kids help with the unloading when we get home and then I put things away in the pantry, fridge, freezer, etc..  It is usually time for lunch at that point:)

Feel free to post any ideas that you use to get your shopping done.  I'd love to hear other ideas!

There is NO secret ingredient...or is there?

I remember going to a session at a homeschool convention that was going to be about how to "get it all done" (I put this in italics and quotes because we all know that moms never really have it all done).  I can't remember the name of the session but just that I was excited to finally get the answers that had been alluding me all these years (as if there were some magic formula).  I had four little ones five years old and younger and felt that I was always a few days behind in everything that needed to be done.  And, I had long since given up on perfection and decided to go for survival...haha.  Still, I was having trouble getting it all done.  With great anticipation, I watched the speaker go up on stage as I balanced my newborn baby on my lap with paper and pen in hand.  I was ready to jot down the secrets.  This was going to be my breakthrough.  The secrets to the universe would soon be mine...haha.  The first words that the speaker said went something like this..."I'm not going to talk about how I get the dishes and laundry done.  I'm going to focus on how I get the schooling done."...or something like that.  I felt the wind go out of my sail.  I wasn't so worried about how to get the school done.  My kids were still little and we were having a great time going through the Science based theme units that I had designed around the days of creation.  What I really wanted to know was how to get it ALL done...the dishes, house cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, time with preschoolers, individual tutoring with older kids, grading, quiet time, time with my husband, staying in touch with family members, writing "thank you" notes, etc.  I can't remember anything else but the opening line from that session.  However, over time I have had different moms share with me some of their secrets to "getting it all done".  The biggest secret is that there is no secret...haha.  It took me years to finally learn that.  I was really looking for that one secret or magic formula.  It is much like the line in Kung Fu Panda "There is NO secret ingredient".  Although in my case, there is no magic...but there is a secret ingredient...or several actually:) 

Through the years, I have taken suggestions from other moms, changed a few around, and finally pieced together a good reliable plan that works for our family and will allow me to get it all done...well, most of it anyway...on a good day:)  I wanted to share them here in the hopes that somewhere out there in cyberspace is that young mom with four kids five and under, that was me a few years ago, looking for some "ingredients" that will help to create a smooth and workable homeschool experience.  So, take the ones that work for you and leave the rest behind.  As my dad says "Eat the watermelon and spit out the seeds"...or eat the soup and spit out the noodles...or something like that:)


I have a great deal to get done EVERY day.  I know you are all shocked upon hearing this...haha.  I get up, have my quiet time, feed the baby, get little boys diapered and dressed, wake older kids, start laundry, get breakfast, adjust laundry, check to see if chores are done, adjust the laundry again, get out the curriculum that we will be going through that day...and did I mention laundry?  And, this is all before nine in the morning.  Whew.  I get tired just listing it all.  Here is what I do to "get it all done"...the vitals anyway.

1. I have a daily schedule.  I used a great book "Managers of their Homes" http://www.titus2.com/ecommerce/products/prod_listing.php/1100 to help me put together a workable schedule.  Every child has a place to be and an activity (sometimes free time and yet scheduled) to be doing all the time.  Our days are scheduled from wake up to go to bed.  Now, I can see you all running for the hills.  Come baaaack!  It really isn't that bad.  I can choose to NOT follow the schedule any day.  But, it is there for me and if I stick with it everything will get done...most days:)  When we stick to the plan, I get to have time alone with each older child...and Peter does too.  And honestly, the days go much smoother when we stick to the plan.  Everyone knows what to expect and the little ones get to stay in a good routine.  Here is a picture of the detailed schedule that we follow...most days:)

Notice all of the white blank spots at the beginning of the day?  I am NOT an early riser:)

2. I have lists...yes the plural is intentional.  There is a list on my bedroom door telling me what to do before I go down stairs and another list telling me what to have done before retiring to upstairs at night.  (I really want to minimize the trips that I make up and down each day.)  There are several lists by the washroom door leading to the garage telling me what I need to have packed in the van for...PE, church, park outings, water play, etc.  It is basic enough that the older kids can read and then pack the van for me.  Believe it or not, the older ones usually like it when I trust them with an important job like this and are pretty willing to help...especially my organizer.

3. I have a chore list and Saturday cleaning rotation for the kids.  Each child has a chore to complete after breakfast every morning of the week, except Sunday morning, and another just before dinner (the evening chores are mostly related to picking up the mess of the day so that Peter comes home to a peaceful environment).  The two little boys are buddied up with an older brother and "help" them with their chore.  For example, Nathan puts the dishes away each morning and Wesley "helps"...the Padawan learner.

  Nathan puts away glass dishes and has Wesley put away the plastics that mom conveniently stores in low cabinets.  On Saturdays, rooms are cleaned (this is more in depth than the daily pick-up) and then everyone works together on one large chore from the rotation.  It may be yard work, or cleaning out the cars, etc.  These are jobs that can be done once a month or less.  After this, Saturdays are "free days".  The list below is old and needs to be updated.  From time to time, change is needed and I adjust when I see that one thing isn't working.

4. I have a daily cleaning and laundry rotation for me.  
The laundry rotation means that each morning I do a different category of laundry.  So, Monday is little kids laundry, Tuesday is Peter's and mine, Wednesday is towels, etc.  So, including cloth diapers that I do every day, I am usually doing 3-5 loads of laundry every day.
The cleaning rotation means that every afternoon, I clean one or two rooms of the house.  If I keep it up, the house stays in good condition...livable anyway:)

5. I have a biweekly menu planned along with an ever growing shopping list.  I do grocery shopping every two weeks so, I plan a detailed menu for two weeks at a time.  I plan every meal.  For breakfast, I normally have foods that the kids can help themselves to such as whole wheat bagels, cereal, instant oatmeal, or something in the crockpot.  (My current favorite crockpot recipe is steel cut oats.)  I make green smoothies for myself and four of my older kids will drink that as well.  Lunch is usually salad and sandwiches or leftovers from the night before.  I have a different food planned for each night of the week.  For example, Monday nights are leftovers, Tuesdays are tacos...or taco salad, Wednesdays are baked potatoes, etc.  We do fun and exciting recipes Friday through Sunday when there is less or no school, schedules are free, and Peter is home.

So, there you have it.  These are my "secret ingredients" that really aren't secret but, when put together help our home run more smoothly.  Most of this information I keep in a three ring binder that I lovingly refer to as my brain:)

I would love to hear other ideas on how to "get it all done".  What do you do to "get it all done"?

Ya gotta eat ya spinach...

Thick, green, and straight out of a blender.  What's not to love?  Haha!  I have been on a smoothie journey for many years now and have recently gone green.   Well, green with my smoothies anyway.

Originally, I started out using organic plain yogurt, fruit (both fresh and frozen), and apple or orange juice.  These are fantastic smoothies and my kids all couldn't get enough.  At first I added a bit of honey to even out the bitterness of the plain yogurt but over time dropped that as my kids grew accustom to the taste.

A few years ago, I skimmed through part of Jessica Seinfeld's "Deceptively Delicious" and decided to start adding a few deviously deceptive things to these smoothies...and several other dishes as well:) Wahahaha.  I would add a handful of spinach.  At first, it was just a bit and I had to sneak it in when the kids weren't looking.

Over time, I have cut out the yogurt and have a 40% spinach, 50% fruit, 10% juice smoothie...or something close to that anyway.  I also stopped "sneaking" in the greens.  The kids had been drinking them for so long that they didn't seem to mind what was going in them...scary I know.

We like to use apple juice with blueberries or strawberries and orange juice with mango or other citrus smoothies.  I usually put in two or more bananas to help sweeten (the juice helps too) and then at least one other fruit.  I find that I have so much more energy and am more peaceful throughout the day when I start the day off with a green smoothie (and my prenatals and Omega3s too, of course).  It could be all in my head but, hey, it works.

Here are several of our green smoothie recipes.

Blueberry Smoothie:
Fill blender 2/3 full with baby spinach (it will be about right after blending)
Add 2 bananas
Add 2+ cups of frozen blueberries
Add 1-2 cups of apple juice
Blend on high for 2-3 minutes.

Strawberry Smoothie:
Fill blender 2/3 full with baby spinach (it will be about right after blending)
Add 2-3 bananas
Add 2+ cups of frozen or fresh strawberries
Add 1-2 cups of apple juice
Blend on high for 2-3 minutes.

Mango Smoothie:
Fill blender 2/3 full with baby spinach (it will be about right after blending)
Add 2 bananas
Add 2+ cups of frozen mango or tropical blend
Add 1-2 cups of apple juice
Blend on high for 2-3 minutes.

I have tried tons of different things but these are the ones that tend to work best for us.  Sometimes I throw in a little kale or some other greens...just to shake things up a bit:)

Here are a few things that I don't put in.

Grapes:  I tried putting red grapes in a smoothie but my kids were bothered by the skins that didn't blend as well.  I might still put them in if ever I was making a smoothie for just myself as the flavor was really great.

Pears:  When we used pears, it seemed to give the smoothie more of a "gritty" texture that I didn't mind but a few of my kids didn't like.

Since the goal is to get fresh raw spinach down my kids on a daily basis, I stay away from the things to which they have aversions:)


I do also use quite a bit of frozen fruit as I have a hard time keeping fresh fruit around with my little ones.  I mean, really, if each child (5...as the baby is still mostly on veggies) has 2-3 pieces of fruit each day, that is a ton of fruit!  And, it goes fast.

In the end, I am happy to see them all drinking down their dose of fresh, raw greens most mornings.  Makes me feel like they are healthy kids:)  And, I am doing it myself (one of my great joys in life!) instead of buying from one of the popular and expensive smoothie stores. 

How do you get your veggies?