subject: Save Your Grocery Budget - Be Prepared For The Unexpected [print this page] You already know that planning your meals ahead of time saves money and time. That is why your menu is all laid out for the week. But, everybody runs into a glitch in their plans every so often. You end up staying at work a lot longer than planned and have just gotten a nervous call from your daycare provider requesting that you come get your little sweetheart now, please, as they are locking up. You are seriously frazzled at this point.
If you had gotten home on time, as planned, you would have started the Chicken Parmesan, as planned, and had dinner ready at 6:00 p.m., as planned. Well, the plan has been derailed, and now you don't even have enough time to swing through the grocery store and pick up something quick for dinner. So, it's the drive-thru tonight. Not exactly frugal or nutritious. Your carefully structured menu is just a vague, happy memory.
You've got all your meals planned out perfectly for the week. Sounds ideal, correct? Of course it is, but what if something goes wrong... and something always goes wrong. Just like a good Boy Scout, you should always "Be Prepared" for the inevitable disruption to your great meal plan. That's where your back-up plan needs to take over.
Creating a back-up plan for meal-time isn't as difficult as you might think. Start by using some of your favorite "go to" recipes, you know the ones... they're always quick, easy, and delicious. That way, when you end up running late and there just isn't enough time to get the chicken in the oven, you've got an alternate route to take, and we're not talking about the route through the fast food place! We all want our families to eat a good, hot dinner; a dinner that's nutritious as well as quick and easy. By using the recipes you've routinely turned to in the past, you can create a type of index of recipes that you can grab and go. We're going to help you create that back-up meal plan in 3 steps.
FIRST STEP: Gather seven of your favorite really fast and really easy recipes. The recipes that require very few ingredients are the best. They should be nutritious and delicious so that when you serve them, you won't feel like you're sacrificing. They're typically a one dish meal that you throw together and your family asks for again and again. You know you've got a few of these types of recipes rolling around in your head, so just quickly jot them down. Write these seven quick and easy meals on individual note cards.
SECOND STEP: You need to put these seven recipes in a handy spot in the kitchen. You can tape an envelope to the back of a cupboard door and slip them inside. Another option is sticking the recipes to a bulletin board. Where ever you put them, just be sure they are easily accessible so that you can call on your family to start some of the meal preparation when you're running late.
THIRD STEP: A grocery list that is specifically made for your new back-up recipe plan is essential for this method to work. This is a list that you keep in your purse or car. You will create this by first writing your seven recipes down, then list the ingredients needed next to each recipe title. Be sure to simplify the list by eliminating the items that you have on hand all the time, like salt, pepper, butter, etc. When you pick the list out of your purse, you'll choose your recipe, then go quickly through the grocery store picking out just the ingredients you need. When you get home, just pull your recipe out of the envelope, and dinner will be ready in no time. You won't have to stop and think when you start down the grocery store aisles. The decisions have already been made, courtesy of your back-up plan.
If having a back-up meal plan seems like a lot of extra work, it's worth it. Once you choose the recipes, copy them on the note cards, and make a permanent grocery list, you can sit back and relax. Now, the very next time you get frazzled because you're not going to make it home in time to start your delicious, planned meal, you'll be glad you developed this quick "go to" meal plan. No more greasy take-out bags thrown on the table in front of your hungry family. You can still have a nice, hot nutritious meal with just a little preparation.
The next time your dinner plans go astray, you'll go zipping through the grocery store aisles with your little list and arrive home in time to create a quick and easy nutritious meal. Give yourself a pat-on-the-back. You can feed your family healthy, satisfying meals, even when your plan is disrupted. Because you've got a back-up plan!
by: Susanne Myers..
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