FREE Printable Meal Planning Journal + Meal Planning Tips

Meal Planning can save time and money and is something that I need to be better at. I’m excited to share this free meal planning journal along with some tips and tricks for meal planning and some recipe ideas.

Eating out can be so expensive, so planning meals in advance will help eliminate the need for something quick and expensive for your budget. This is where meal planning helps us the most. When I get home from work, I don’t want to think too much about what I could make with what I have out or defrosted. If that was the case, we would eat the same thing over and over.

You can plan your meals weeks or months in advance with meal planning and even have your grocery list ready to go to save you time and money. If you want, you can plan them 2 weeks in advance around what is on sale at the grocery store.

There are also some amazing freezer meals that you can make to help you save time and money if your meal plan doesn’t go as planned or you need an extra meal for something. We always try to have at least 1-2 quick dinners in the freezer so that we can be ready.

To help you get your meal planning on track, here is a FREE Printable Meal Planning Journal complete with pages for grocery lists, meal plans, recipes and reflections for the next meal plan. This is a good plan for a month at a time so you can choose to do a week at a time or the entire month.

Tips for Meal Planning

While you’re planning your meals, think about the holidays, or events that you need to celebrate. Think about the weather and what kinds of things are in season and on sale. For example, around the 4th of July and Memorial Day you’ll find grill items on sale — hamburger, hot dogs, fixings, etc. Around Thanksgiving and Christmas you’ll find turkeys and hams on sale. Knowing the main items that will be on sale is helpful for saving money.

Once you have the main dish, you’ll want to think of sides. Grilling out? What about some fresh Watermelon? Making a turkey? What about some mashed potatoes or brussel sprouts. There are so many variations and so many awesome recipes that you can find online!

I start with a week at a time, and then go on from there if I find some awesome meal ideas online or from my friends. There are so many meal ideas on Pinterest, so that is usually where I start. Then, I just fill in the gaps with some other recipes that I know we like.

Free Meal Planning Journal

Print this awesome and FREE Meal Planning Journal complete with grocery lists, recipe pages, and more. This journal will be helpful for a month and you can plan at your own pace. Apply the tips that I shared above and the recipe ideas below for a successful meal planning session!

Recipe Ideas

Some of our favorites are: Oven Fried Chicken, Asian Shrimp Fried Cabbage, or Taco Potato Boats!

If you have an Instant Pot, you can make these Mouthwatering Chicken Recipes. A Crock Pot is awesome for Chili and Ranch Chicken with Bacon!

These are just some thought starters for you! What recipes are your favorites? The thing about meal planning is that you do what is best for you and your family. You customize how far in advance you want to plan, any dietary restrictions you or your family have, and what your favorite dishes are. Plus, you can plan in family vacations, trips and more.

Meal planning can save you SO much time and I highly recommend giving it a try for a few months and seeing how much extra time and less worry you have. Plus, it will save you money in the long run. Print this FREE Meal Planning Journal and get started on your journey!

Looking to streamline your cleaning routine? Check out this FREE 5 Minute Cleaning Checklist + Monthly Cleaning Calendar!