Weekly Meal Plans

Do you plan your weekly meals? I know many mums who sit down each week and plan their meals for the coming week. I think it's great to take some time each week to plan ahead, to write out a list of things to buy so that you can do one big shopping trip rather than several trips to the markets or supermarkets. It also saves you money when you only buy what you need for the week. I have found those extra trips to the supermarkets usually ends up with buying other items that were not on the list.

I used to plan my meals for the week. Since my return to work, my Mum has been cooking our dinners on the days  I work. So, this leaves me with three days in a week that I have to plan. Out of these three days, we usually eat out once, which leaves two. Chris cooks on one of those days so I only end up cooking for one day a week. As a consequence, I do not plan anymore. When we want to cook, we will then go and buy the ingredients, and most importantly stick to the list. We live close to the shops which is good and bad.

There are number of mum's blogs which published their weekly plans online which is helpful for those seeking ideas of what to cook for their family. I have found these two to be the best that I've across in the web:

• Planning with Kids - Nicole has a comprehensive blog with numerous recipes and a weekly menu planner that you can subscribe to.
• The Organised Housewife - As her blog title indicates, Kat is a super organised Mum. Her site has many ready to print lists, recipes and planners for her readers.

What do you do in your household?