You are such a good, clear cut teacher. There's not a lot of useless chatter or dead space in your videos. I love that you don't show off in front of the camera or try to say funny things. So, keep up the good work and thanks for your easy to understand tips.
I came back to tell you that’s year later and I’m still using this. You’ve turned me into a meal planner! Edit: make that 2 years! Thanks so much, Dawn!
I've been watching your videos and have found a ton of great info in them! I'm not a single 20 something dude that want's to prove some point by being a "minimalist." I'm a 40 something year old single parent and my time is already spread out to the max. Tips like this save me time, which translates into more time that I get to spend with my daughter. Keep up the good work!
And I’m a 21 years old woman who wants to have good habits, especially with her 21 years old kid (who cooks and does it very well, but isn’t that good at not wasting food). 😆😁
I also organize my list in order of how our store is laid out. I tend to pick 7 meals for the week, and buy enough to double the recipes so it ends up being two weeks worth of meals. Then I spend time preparing the meals into gallon ziplock bags and freezing them. I can put one in the fridge the night before to thaw and put it in the crock pot in the morning. 🙌🏻 as a homeschooling mama of 6 this saves me so much time and energy during the week.
Meal planning completely changed our lives! When people hear how we meal plan, they’re kind of astonished, but then they’ll try and now they’re hooked too! It’s saved us thousands- not even exaggerating! It’s save time and energy and makes like a little less stressful! I used to be the kind of person that kept a STOCKPILE of food - in the fridge, pantry and freezer- seeing food go to waste made me sick! Cutting down on the inventory (whole house inventory too) has made a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE!
You. Are. A. Life. Saver!!!!! I almost started crying while watching this because meal planning and grocery shopping has seriously been THE hardest thing for me!!! I always wonder why the heck it has to be so dang hard when I do it every single week?? It should be easy by now! This is exactly what I need in my life right now! Thank you so much!!!!!
Here I was feeling guilty that we don't seem to have that much variety! You have given me permission to keep it simple by using the tried and true recipes that work and everybody loves.
we gravitate towards the same foods, band dont have nuch variety. then when we eat out because we are craving variety, we get the same things at the same restaraunts haha. wow!
I have officially been using this idea for one month. I can honestly say it has changed so much about the way I grocery shop and meal plan. I used to take forever in the store and go down every aisle half guessing at what we need which meant I was buying too much and food was going to waste. This plan has stopped me from having multiples of things because my pantry is cleared and so is the fridge. I can easily see what is needed and what is not needed. It takes me about 15 minutes to plan the menu and see & highlight what we need and an hour (or less) to grocery shop.
Your mind shift "inventory I have to manage!" LOVE IT and it has been my motivation this year. It is a great mindset to determine "What is a manageable amount for me/us?" Thank you!
If you keep an inventory of foods you freeze, include your intention for that item in a way that is meaningful for you: Ground Beef: 1lb. Meatloaf Chick. breasts 1/2 lb: burritos Chicken cutlets 5 ea.: Chicken Parm
I use a dry erase marker to write the date on my containers of leftovers so I know when it was made. It helps me to make sure leftovers are eaten within 4 days.
@@stefanielynn84 I have my leftovers list on the door with the date written beside it. Definitely helpful. Especially when I’m hungry and I don’t remember what in there.
Im confused that anyone would put this a thumbs down This is so thought out and precise and worked through... Its genius and fool proof... Who disliked this??? So confused
I just discovered you and this has been so helpful to me as a mom with ADHD. It's great to have something like this that I can use to make things easier on myself.
Helpful video. Love the whiteboard. The food wastage was the one thing that was bothering me almost on a daily basis. Also the meal plan system you have is fantastic. So much energy and brainpower it takes to keep trying to decide what to eat and looking for recipes all the time which is my least favourite thing to do. Thankyou!!
I've been using this as I weekly grocery shop and I realized quickly that I was buying way too much inventory! My pantry was so full the kids couldn't see the forest through the trees. Now I buy only what we need for the week (I do add to our storage located in our basement but only buy non perishable items and get the same things we use often). Instead of our kiddos having 8 options for breakfast, they now have 2 options. It's made mealtime so much easier in the morning and our grocery bill has decreased weekly as well. Such a great idea. Love your videos!!
Single mom of 2 here and I’m struggling with home, work, school, kids, housework, you name it. I found you from someone else’s video who commented about your channel! I’m glad God put you in my path. Thank you so much for all of your tips! I aspire to be as balanced as you are. Now I am going to binge and put it all into practice! Thank you!!
Yes! Love your mindset of “managing inventory”. We eat a lot of leftovers, double batches to freeze and rotate 20 or so meals as well. I also inventory my pantry, fridge and freezer every few weeks to see what I can use up.
Meal planning video! Yay!!! Xoxox❤️🎃 This is by far the best meal planning video I've found as with every other video you've made. You talk about things that nobody else talks about in their videos. For example, how to recycle the food you make extra of and don't have a use for yet. Nobody talks about that stuff. You're simple and to the point and make it easy for others to follow your advice. This is why i love your videos!
Dawn, I love your channel and I know I'm being productive when I watch your videos. I can't say that about most of TH-cam. I'm glad you mentioned managing inventory. As a stay at home mom, my husband has always describes my job as manager of our house, and having less inventory, makes life easier.
Thank you for this video and all the work you do for us! When I first started to tackle this grocery/meal planning I was overwhelmed. But soon realized that I'm preparing too many crazy (but fun) meals that only my husband and I eat and then need to make something else for kids. So i started with all my recipes, came down to 11 that the whole family likes, plus about 5 quick, mostly kid friendly meals that I can use when time is running out or when I have that time to make something that is more labor intensive for me and husband. Making the shopping list from there is helpful. But I think this will really help make shopping and cooking much simpler!
Yes! If you are struggling it’s because you have too much to manage! That is why I have spent the last 2 years decluttering and simplifying! This video is great and my method is very similar but I do it all on my phone... I use the google keep app and have a checklist of meals and a checklist of grocery items listed in the order I would find them walking through the store. I keep the items checked off and as I make a list each week uncheck only the things we need and then check them off again as I go through the store. To double check I am staying on budget I will write my list out on a piece of paper with the prices next to it and add it up
To use apps is a good idea to those who are single. Otherwise you want to involve everyone and get them into doing things and creating the same habits you're proposing. And visuals like the ones showed here are great to start a conversation in the kitchen or talk about shopping. I believe it helps to spend less time on our phones too.
I love the 1-page sheet! I find for us that the dry-erase can get accidentally swiped off by one of the Littles; wet-erase markers on the whiteboard are a good switch. Recently I've begun snapping pics of the fridge, freezer & pantry for reference before a shopping trip, or before putting together a delivery order.
This system has been a life saver for us!!! I used to spend a lot of time every week prepping my meal plan and grocery list. I used to have my recipes scattered and often forgot about family favorites. This has organized it all in one spot and cut it down to about 10 minutes every week to prep. We have about twice as many recipes as Dawn but we also have kids that are homeschooled and the hubby works from home so the whole family is here for 3 meals a day. Thanks Dawn so much for sharing this method with all of us!!!
Dawn, this has been a real big blessing to me. I have been using this method for 3 or 4 weeks. I am so thankful to have found your youtube channel. I consider you my friend! Love you!
WOW! This is EXACTLY what I have been trying to figure out for my family (me, sister and mom) because we're just walking around the grocery store looking at sales and spending all of our time seeing if things go together for meals or figuring out how to use something up. THANK YOU!
You are such a Godsend and answer to prayer. I relate to you so much everything that you say and it is so amazing how you simplify everything. It is just so smart and I wish I would have discovered you years ago. Meal planning is my biggest Struggle and now I understand why. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom. You Are the most relatable person on TH-cam. My favorite thing you say is " I think we could be friends." That is so endearing. Keep teaching it truly is a blessing. I watch all your videos over and over.
Never has a meal planning method made more sense! Husband and I are excited to try it. We eat what we eat because we like it, why would we want to change that up and make it more difficult by trying something new every evening. We don't have the time or energy for that. Having a printed shopping list is going to encourage us immensely to look through our existing food and use it up. I can't believe how simple but genius this is!
Thank You! I appreciate that you are real and authentic. I do think we could be friends. 2018 was my year to realize I had too much stuff and was trying my best to make changes... but now watching lots of your video's my closet is now more manageable, laundry system more efficient, kitchen is getting less cluttered and it is starting to be more fun to cook. THANK YOU for sharing your experiences!!!
Such great suggestions! I love hearing how others manage dinner time. The absolute best thing I have done was to implement menu planning in 2014 and I have stuck to it since. We use Google calendar and Google Keep (note taking/list making app). I have a separate calendar for the menu that is shared with my husband so he never has to ask me what it is for dinner. I use the Google keep app to keep lists for the different stores I shop at and those too are shared with the husband and he always knows to check the lists when he is out and we can both pick up groceries. I usually plan 2-6 weeks of meals ahead of time to take the thinking out of it and we have almost zero food waste. I also keep a link to any recipes I use from online in the calendar menu for easy access. So easy!
OMgoodness!!! 😮😮 This has been the BEST and easiest way to meal plan I have EVER seen!! Our fridge stays empty and clean b/c there aren’t left overs. And we had so much food in the pantry that I literally haven’t had to buy groceries in 3 weeks!! I LOVE YOU!! 🤣🤣
Maybe others have said this already, but I've noticed that the idea of variety in meals in so much more important to adults than to children. Children usually prefer predictability, because it's comforting. So, a meal rotation might feel like it's going to be disappointing, it's often a happier situation. Added benefit! :)
I stumbled on your simplified laundry system video a few weeks ago when I was looking for laundry room ideas. It was a game changer! I'm working on decluttering and your ideas are so straightforward, and easy to implement. I love that you're ACTUALLY simplifying things. Like rethinking cooking and shopping instead of emptying all the boxes of snacks, rice, and cereal into plastic containers to make your pantry prettier. I'd rather have less in the cupboard than spend an extra 30+ minutes every week emptying one container into another. My ultimate goal is to have 1 perpetually empty kitchen drawer....not sure that will ever happen in my tiny kitchen, but it's a good carrot to chase. Thank you!
I have lived in Minnesota and in Florida. For the fact that you can leave food items in their packaging, I prefer Minnesota. However, Florida is where Tupperware came about because of its cockroaches; so while plastic is a necessity, at least Tupperware made it colorful and somewhat fun. I'm still in the south and the bugs are different here, but the plastic is still necessary.
I've been enjoying your channel and I love your suggestions! I love that you made the point that everything that comes into the home needs to be "managed", so we must weigh our need of that item carefully, including groceries. Hope the meal planning printable is up soon and can't wait for your FAQ video tomorrow!
I, too, am a mom of four and I meal plan for the month in a very similar way. What I don't do very well is shop my pantry and freezer before I meal plan. Lightbulb moment when you said you need to keep inventory of all your food. I will definitely be adding a "Use Up" column to my weekly menu :)
I do the same thing and then I plan to have my left overs night the day before I go food shopping so that my family can help clean out the fridge and no food goes to waste. I then take advantage of the emptied out fridge to do my inventory for my next meal planning day. It's actually one of my tips on my meal planning video. I'm so glad that more people take advantage of left overs, that means less waste.
This helped me a whole lot. The last few weeks I've spent less on groceries. I also scheduled an eat out day for the week and I've actually forgotten about it because it's so easy to make a great quick meal at home that my kids love. I have shared this system with my friends it's great.
You said it best! That everything that comes into the home, you have to manage & it's "inventory". You've worded it precisely...you have just helped me understand the madness lol.
Not only did I start using this for meal planning, but you also inspired me to automate a monthly project at work! Every month, I “recreate the wheel” by thinking through what I did the previous month. Now I’ve just written it down on a spreadsheet. I even created templates for the monthly emails I send. Thanks for the inspiration. Really appreciate you!
Love your thought on inventory. I’ve really changed how I manage my house this past year and it’s helped cut down on stress. I shop once a week and have a budget and it’s made life so much easier bc I have some guidelines instead of getting overwhelmed by all the options.
I loved that too. I think it will shower me with guilt (in a positive way) everytime I bring more rubbish into my home and realise it's now inventory for me to manage.
I am absolutely flabbergasted at how many of my family members forget that there is fruit and vegetables in the drawers that THEY bought intending to eat. Because it's in the drawer and not on a shelf, they don't 'see' it...But the drawers are clear!!! 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
oh my goodness.. what you were saying about every single thing in the house being 'inventory I have to manage' has really resonated with me! Love your videos
Is that weird that I almost wanted to cry watching this because it makes so much sense? I have a lot of anxiety over grocery shopping and cooking and I feel like this could actually work for me!! Thank you!
Thank you for sharing this video! I’ve been using this for several weeks now. It takes a little discipline to grab that marker but works so well to plan meals AHEAD of time!
I used this sheet method when my kids were younger. I had 2 sheets....one for groceries at our Aldi's, and one for household and personal that I couldn't get at Aldi. I slid them both into a plastic sheet protector with a piece of cardboard in between...to make it 2 aided and sturdier. Then I could use a dry erase to mark what was needed and wipe it off as I put it in the cart. It's amazing how often we buy the same things in rotation. It worked great!
Love how you talk about everything coming into the house is inventory we have to manage... so true! About 3-4 years ago I came up with my own system which is very similar to yours. I wrote the categories in order of how the grocery store is laid out and put every item we buy in alphabetical order under each section. I even have an area at the top for Returns, Appts., Cash, Gas, other stores, and Bills to Pay because I tend to do a whirlwind day of everything at once as my stores are a half hour away (saves gas and works with my crazy work schedule!) I made a bunch of copies of my list and keep one one the fridge so all we have to do is circle what we need for the week. I really need to up my game and do the meal planning part like you have, too. That's awesome!
Just wanted to tell you this system is a game changer in our house! I put it into practice 4 weeks ago and I LOVE IT! My husband works at home with our 3 year old so now that I list “left-over/lunch” our left overs have almost disappeared because he knows what to use up! Brilliant!
I’ve seen others talk about simplifying their meal plan to a 2-3 week turn around. I love this concept. I just gotta now get on it myself and actually do one🤣
I've heard you say in multiple videos that everything that is in your house you have to manage. I really like the way you say that and changed my thinking of things. I said it to my husband last week and he laughed at me like I was joking but I was completely serious lol. He hadn't thought of it like that either.
I realize this is an older video but seeing your shopping/meal list laid out, it's exactly what was floating around in my mind but I couldn't visualize it. Thank you! I hate writing out a list from scratch each time when it's the same thiings, and I always forget at least one staple
We're doing this now and it's working perfectly. We always had trouble with a calendar planner because sometimes we couldn't do what was planned for that day. This way we just picked from the planned meals and we know what's in the house. We cross off items as we use them, and when I go to highlight the next meal plan sheet I already know what I have in the house. We did pantry, produce, dairy, freezer, protein, non food, and breads as categories. I like the breakfast column too because the kids pick a couple of things for the week and there's no arguments or wasted food. I'll likely switch out less desirable meals here and there, but it was so easy to shop this way. Got exactly what we needed. Perfect meal plan idea. Between this video, and the one on kids wardrobe, you've made our lives easier. Thank you!
Really like this system. I made a Dutch version of it, combined with a few Greek recipes (as my husband is Greek). Just started it but the first time already saved a lot of time on making a list! Surprising how many times we buy the same things anyway all the time.
I have a list of meals for each season. Lots of salads in the summer and crockpot in the winter. Another thing I do is have corresponding leftover meals. For instance, if I make pork tenderloin one night I know I’ll use the leftovers to make pork fried rice another night that week. None of my meals exceed 30 mins to make. Also like you, I store all my recipes by memory but also pinned photos of the recipes on my Pinterest for reference. No more recipe books! I don’t buy anything I don’t need even if it’s on sale-grocery stores usually have the same items on sale over and over anyway. Lastly,(this might be where many people differ) I shop for the week. Yes, it’s more trips to the store but food is less likely to spoil and I can manage it better. Besides I noticed that even if I try to go to the store less often, something always runs out and I need to go to the store anyway. The one thing I am trying to change that goes against all minimalist practices is to have an emergency supply of food. I live in Northern California and was evacuated this summer due to a wildfire. It made me think about what emergency preparations our family should be making. I think your idea of an inventory would work great for cycling through the emergency goods so they don’t spoil.
I do the same thing. I call it rolling meals over. I love making a big put of ground turkey which is lean to begin with and then splitting it in half. I use half for tacos and the other half for another meal. Usually I'll combine it with some brown rice and veggies and a little pasta sauce and there's my second meal.
I LOVE THIS! I already implemented it and it is so easy! Thank you for sharing this with us! It is a game changer. Just cutting out all the decision making I was making in the grocery store has been such a relief! Also the mental shift- looking at items simply as ingredients for a potential meal versus looking at them as part of a planned meal really makes managing the items throughout the week much more cohesive and less stressful. A little, easy planning goes a LONNNGGG way!! Thanks Dawn!
This video has now changed my life. Legit!! I have come up with a rotating two week plan and using your sheet I only bought groceries once in the two weeks. I don’t know why I could never give myself permission to just make meals that I get really good at cooking /are silly easy. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Woah. I have been so stubborn about the way I meal plan, even though I knew it wasn’t quite working. You are the first person I’ve ever come across that I like your way better than mine. This is amazing.
One of my favorites! I had to learn a similar system years ago after much trial & error. This video should be given to anyone just starting out to help save money & time. 🥰 this is great!
I tried this method for about a year and then we moved and I kind of lost track of it... I’m so glad I’m rewatching this. It such an effective and uncomplicated method. I love it! Thank you
What a fun, helpful video! Just me & hubby but I love planning lol meal prepping "sides" to keep on hand for busy nights is my best tip! Bbq some chicken and have a fun rice dish in the freezer etc.
This is the number one thing that I needed help with. I'm disabled and can't cook like I used to. I struggle with cheap healthy meals I can manage to cook
All my life I have had a magnet shopping list, and told the household if we run out of something put it on the list, secondly, I plan meals before I go and get what those meals need and cook them up that particular week. Some leftovers do go to waste but very minimal because I usually cook just enough for everyone to have a nice serving. (I do NOT like leftovers, like not as I will not eat them but because I know what happens, you wind up throwing away food $$$) Yours is similar. Sucks to throw out food, growing up in my house, that didnt happen very often, course we had to eat very cheap meals to feed the whole family. Kudos to you for helping folks out.
This is genius! It couldn’t of came at a better time. I am very overwhelmed 😢 I work 12 hour shifts and am absolutely exhausted when I get home and do not wanna cook especially when I have no idea what to make ! I will definitely be giving this a try !
Girl. You just saved my life! I haaaate meal planning and making a shopping list every week! Such a great idea I'm definitely implementing this system. Thanks so much for sharing! ❤️
I have to admit I’m a little jealous. There’s no way I could memorize any of the recipes I cook! I want to be that person and I’m just not. My perfectionism gets in my way a lot, to my detriment. Maybe I can challenge myself to try this system. It’s so simple and really smart actually. Thanks for sharing!!
This video has been so helpful. I'm gonna stick with a limited amount of recipes. I already wrote out everything I need when I grocery shop. I believe grocery shopping is going to be more peaceful because I am now going to stick to things I like and not let the store advertising get to me!! Plus that board on the fridge has been VERY helpful too! Thanks for your kindness!
Hello! I'm a pastor's wife and home schooling mom of 3 girls. I've been watching your videos for about 2 months now. At first, I was skeptical, but now, as I've been working through each room of my home and seeing the benefits, I am 100% on board! When you said that the things in our homes are like inventory we then have to manage, the "light bulb" went on for me. I can't even tell you how many bags and boxes of items have been either passed on to someone who could use it, or to Goodwill over the last 1 1/2 months. Some even just went to the trash! Specifically, having my food organized and meal planning has made such a difference. Our grocery bill is cut in almost half. I have been using the top grocery portion of your meal planning sheet on Excel. I plan my meals in my planner, which is just my preference. My husband has come to see the benefits and we have not had the same meal twice (except for pizza on Thursdays) in just over 1 month. When I get to the end of my recipes, I'll just cycle back through and that is such a huge weight off my mind!!! I just wanted to take some time to thank you for your videos and let you know how much they are appreciated. I also appreciate the videos you do with your sister. I appreciate the encouragement and the scripture based topics discussed. I look forward to seeing your videos whenever they come out! May the Lord Jesus richly bless you all!
I have just found your channel. I couldn't possibly love this video and this system enough! I have watched your wardrobe videos and laundry videos so far also and let me tell you, you are speaking my language! Thank you for sharing all of these wonderful tips.
Dawn, you are amazing! I'm binge watching your videos and learning so many great ideas from you. I LOVE that you keep a list of standard items, grouped by aisle, and your tried-and-true, go-to meals on your grocery list. Brilliant. And sugested having a separate ingredient list for each of those meals, those of us who need it :) I write out intended meals and a few snack ideas for each week. I'm just cooking for myself, usually, so I plan 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners for each week, to alternate between, every other day. I make enough for 3 days of each, and then on Fridays use up any leftovers, to clear out the fridge. If I make a standard recipe intended for 4 people, that will serve 1 person for 3+ days. I shop on Friday, and then on Sat. try to cook the Sat - Mon - Weds breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and store these in the fridge (usually leaving them in their pots, pans, or covered casserole dishes stashed in the fridge.) Then on Sunday, I make the Sun - Tues - Thurs breakfast, lunch, and dinner. That's a lot of cooking on Saturday and Sunday, so I try to have "no cook"/"no prep" meals as often as possible for breakfast and lunch, such as breakfasts of cereal w/banana, followed either by bagels and cream cheese Sat - M - W. On Sun - T - Th, it's cereal & fruit, plus toast with peanut butter. For lunch, it's usually two types of sandwiches, fruit, veg, and chips to alternate between. That way, I only have to cook a dinner on Sat. and another on Sun., to have 6 dinners through til Thurs. Then on Friday, I either have leftovers, or a frozen pizza :) Finally, to make meals faster, - I look for 4-ingredient recipes. Half the week, it's usually baked chicken thighs, with some sort of 4-ingredient sauce poured over. I alternate that with a fish, beef, pork, or vegetarian dinner, of few ingredients. - I avoid recipes that require cutting up the food in advance, to save time. I'd rather serve myself a whole, single serving of meat, plus an easy starch, veg and/or salad. I can then cut the meat at the table, instead of spending time dicing it before or after cooking. It's faster to bake whole pieces of chicken, and then pour a homemade stir-fry sauce over it for the last 30 minutes in the oven, than to dice up everything before stir-frying it. Making a stir-fry takes me forever, because of all the prep work. Thank you again!
The amount of time we spend planning, cooking, cleaning, STRESSING over food is ridiculous. This is such a great idea! I’ve gotten so overwhelmed in the past month that so much has went to waste and we’ve ate too many corn dogs lol! About to declutter kitchen and start writing down ideas for simple meals that we love. I’m excited!
Oh wow! I've been planning, cooking and grocery shopping like this for about a year now, and I always assumed I was a loser for not being able to do it the "normal" way. Thanks so much for this video, I now know I'm not a freak! LOL
One of the best meal planning ideas I have seen yet. Just found your channel and I love the way you think and present. You get to the point quickly and we come out with some great truly useful information. Thanks for your time and I will make sure and watch the ads so you get paid for all your hard work. You deserve to be paid well for this idea!!
Wow, thank you Claire, I greatly appreciate this!!! I read your comment to my husband and he said "it sounds like you talking to you" ;) lol, because I always make him sit through the ads of content creators who I enjoy and appreciate! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Thank you Dawn! I’m 66 and still having a problem planning meals for my hubby and I. I usually buy what’s on sale and end up throwing a lot away because it went bad. I hate that. I modified your charts and can’t wait to use it.
Got my list all tipped up in my computer, but only print out once and have it laminated. Its a fantastic system also to separate each store in your colone. Great Job.
I put a sheet of paper on the fridge divided in half vertically. Left side divided into four sections. Produce, meat, frozen, dairy.. Right side top section nonfood one-fourth size. Rest of the column everything else. (Takes longer to describe than to draw.) I write items in as I use them up. On another smaller piece of paper the days of the week, three lines per day. I write six meals. I don't cook on Monday my husband travels for work and he goes to his Mom's on the way home for dinner. Works great! If I don't cook a meal on the assigned day I just save it for the next week. Kathy B.
Brilliant! I have made my shopping list of ingredients and now will get my meals list together. Thank you for this plan!! You have terrific ways of making things easier to manage.
I love this system! I’ve already been keeping a lower stock of foods and keeping an on going list of what we need, so if we’re low on ketchup I can put it right on the list and not forget and run out or end up with several extras bc I’m at the store and think I need more but I like the idea of having a ready to go shopping list (bc really, we buy mostly the same stuff each week with slight variations) and having a small, reasonable list of meals and just sticking to them. Wow, that was one run on sentence! 😂 Thanks for all you do. I’d already been simplifying, but you’ve been helping even more. It’s hard to find stuff really geared towards families and what you said about everything that comes in (food, kids’ clothes, toys, artwork, etc) is all stuff we have to manage is spot on. It was hard enough to manage everything when it was just me and my husband (with us working together) and now with two kids and him working long hours, I’m in charge of almost everything and it’s challenging. Less stuff is less inventory to manage and it really helps!
![[Full Episode] The Restaurant War Thailand ศึกพ่อค้าซ่าแม่ค้าแซ่บ Episode 1 | 22 ก.ย. 67](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/BuzQ70v-UZQ/mqdefault.jpg)
You are such a good, clear cut teacher. There's not a lot of useless chatter or dead space in your videos. I love that you don't show off in front of the camera or try to say funny things. So, keep up the good work and thanks for your easy to understand tips.
Very much agree. Her videos are so practical, enjoyable and done with good quality.
Yes! And she goes right into it - which I LOVE
I came back to tell you that’s year later and I’m still using this. You’ve turned me into a meal planner!
Edit: make that 2 years! Thanks so much, Dawn!
Thank you, it's awesome hearing from another person that this has worked long term. I am going to try this!
So cool!!
I've been watching your videos and have found a ton of great info in them! I'm not a single 20 something dude that want's to prove some point by being a "minimalist." I'm a 40 something year old single parent and my time is already spread out to the max. Tips like this save me time, which translates into more time that I get to spend with my daughter. Keep up the good work!
Wow, thank YOU, I greatly appreciate this!!! :)
What a great compliment, Chad. I'm sure she really appreciated this.
Chad Harvey 👍👍👍
GOOD for you Chad! You sound like a great Dad! Keep it up! 😄
And I’m a 21 years old woman who wants to have good habits, especially with her 21 years old kid (who cooks and does it very well, but isn’t that good at not wasting food). 😆😁
I also organize my list in order of how our store is laid out. I tend to pick 7 meals for the week, and buy enough to double the recipes so it ends up being two weeks worth of meals. Then I spend time preparing the meals into gallon ziplock bags and freezing them. I can put one in the fridge the night before to thaw and put it in the crock pot in the morning. 🙌🏻 as a homeschooling mama of 6 this saves me so much time and energy during the week.
Wow, this is an awesome system!!!! :)
Wonderful mashallah
Meal planning completely changed our lives! When people hear how we meal plan, they’re kind of astonished, but then they’ll try and now they’re hooked too! It’s saved us thousands- not even exaggerating! It’s save time and energy and makes like a little less stressful! I used to be the kind of person that kept a STOCKPILE of food - in the fridge, pantry and freezer- seeing food go to waste made me sick! Cutting down on the inventory (whole house inventory too) has made a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE!
I love the meal rotation idea. It is like having a capsule wardrobe, but for your panty/fridge!
Omgosh yessss!!!
YES, such a good way to put it!!!! :)
Ha ha, I love that concept!😂
I think you meant "PANTRY/fridge"
@@anitacraighead7038 LOL.. i think so too..
FINALLY someone that is extremely practical AND sensible...and pleasant. Thank you. 😊
You. Are. A. Life. Saver!!!!! I almost started crying while watching this because meal planning and grocery shopping has seriously been THE hardest thing for me!!! I always wonder why the heck it has to be so dang hard when I do it every single week?? It should be easy by now! This is exactly what I need in my life right now! Thank you so much!!!!!
How has it been going for you?
STOP EXAGGERATING AND CRYING LIKE A BABY!!
Don’t be immature!
Crying because of a meal plan 🤣🤣🤣🤣 RIDICULOUS, GROW UP!!!
@@santhiyahmarymuthu4067she is still crying 😭
Here I was feeling guilty that we don't seem to have that much variety! You have given me permission to keep it simple by using the tried and true recipes that work and everybody loves.
we gravitate towards the same foods, band dont have nuch variety. then when we eat out because we are craving variety, we get the same things at the same restaraunts haha. wow!
@@agood1 LOL same. im always afraid ill regret not getting my usual.
I have officially been using this idea for one month. I can honestly say it has changed so much about the way I grocery shop and meal plan.
I used to take forever in the store and go down every aisle half guessing at what we need which meant I was buying too much and food was going to waste. This plan has stopped me from having multiples of things because my pantry is cleared and so is the fridge. I can easily see what is needed and what is not needed. It takes me about 15 minutes to plan the menu and see & highlight what we need and an hour (or less) to grocery shop.
Your mind shift "inventory I have to manage!" LOVE IT and it has been my motivation this year. It is a great mindset to determine "What is a manageable amount for me/us?" Thank you!
If you keep an inventory of foods you freeze, include your intention for that item in a way that is meaningful for you:
Ground Beef: 1lb. Meatloaf
Chick. breasts 1/2 lb: burritos
Chicken cutlets 5 ea.: Chicken Parm
I use a dry erase marker to write the date on my containers of leftovers so I know when it was made. It helps me to make sure leftovers are eaten within 4 days.
We do the same thing. I also like the idea of having a leftovers list on the door. Hopefully that will help us use them up.
@@stefanielynn84 I have my leftovers list on the door with the date written beside it. Definitely helpful. Especially when I’m hungry and I don’t remember what in there.
Im confused that anyone would put this a thumbs down
This is so thought out and precise and worked through...
Its genius and fool proof...
Who disliked this???
So confused
I just discovered you and this has been so helpful to me as a mom with ADHD. It's great to have something like this that I can use to make things easier on myself.
Helpful video. Love the whiteboard. The food wastage was the one thing that was bothering me almost on a daily basis. Also the meal plan system you have is fantastic. So much energy and brainpower it takes to keep trying to decide what to eat and looking for recipes all the time which is my least favourite thing to do. Thankyou!!
I've been using this as I weekly grocery shop and I realized quickly that I was buying way too much inventory! My pantry was so full the kids couldn't see the forest through the trees. Now I buy only what we need for the week (I do add to our storage located in our basement but only buy non perishable items and get the same things we use often). Instead of our kiddos having 8 options for breakfast, they now have 2 options. It's made mealtime so much easier in the morning and our grocery bill has decreased weekly as well. Such a great idea. Love your videos!!
Single mom of 2 here and I’m struggling with home, work, school, kids, housework, you name it. I found you from someone else’s video who commented about your channel! I’m glad God put you in my path. Thank you so much for all of your tips! I aspire to be as balanced as you are. Now I am going to binge and put it all into practice! Thank you!!
Yes! Love your mindset of “managing inventory”. We eat a lot of leftovers, double batches to freeze and rotate 20 or so meals as well. I also inventory my pantry, fridge and freezer every few weeks to see what I can use up.
I also love the idea of having a permanent list and highlighting the items you need. Why didn't I think of that?
In a transparent sheet you can also use it over & over again.
Meal planning video! Yay!!! Xoxox❤️🎃
This is by far the best meal planning video I've found as with every other video you've made. You talk about things that nobody else talks about in their videos. For example, how to recycle the food you make extra of and don't have a use for yet. Nobody talks about that stuff. You're simple and to the point and make it easy for others to follow your advice. This is why i love your videos!
Thank YOU, thank YOU, thank YOU!!!!! :)
Dawn, I love your channel and I know I'm being productive when I watch your videos. I can't say that about most of TH-cam.
I'm glad you mentioned managing inventory. As a stay at home mom, my husband has always describes my job as manager of our house, and having less inventory, makes life easier.
Thank YOU and amen!! :)
Thank you for this video and all the work you do for us! When I first started to tackle this grocery/meal planning I was overwhelmed. But soon realized that I'm preparing too many crazy (but fun) meals that only my husband and I eat and then need to make something else for kids. So i started with all my recipes, came down to 11 that the whole family likes, plus about 5 quick, mostly kid friendly meals that I can use when time is running out or when I have that time to make something that is more labor intensive for me and husband. Making the shopping list from there is helpful. But I think this will really help make shopping and cooking much simpler!
Yes! If you are struggling it’s because you have too much to manage! That is why I have spent the last 2 years decluttering and simplifying! This video is great and my method is very similar but I do it all on my phone... I use the google keep app and have a checklist of meals and a checklist of grocery items listed in the order I would find them walking through the store. I keep the items checked off and as I make a list each week uncheck only the things we need and then check them off again as I go through the store. To double check I am staying on budget I will write my list out on a piece of paper with the prices next to it and add it up
LOVE this approach, especially for the techy crowd, THANK YOU for sharing!!!!
Omg LOVE this idea!!! Thanks for sharing!
Thank you Heather Joy! I just used the "google app" and is awesome. I'm always going and the app is very convenient for me. Thank you for sharing! :)
What a great idea Heather Joy. I will try this in One Note because I don’t have Google Keep. Thanks for sharing your idea
To use apps is a good idea to those who are single. Otherwise you want to involve everyone and get them into doing things and creating the same habits you're proposing. And visuals like the ones showed here are great to start a conversation in the kitchen or talk about shopping. I believe it helps to spend less time on our phones too.
I love the 1-page sheet! I find for us that the dry-erase can get accidentally swiped off by one of the Littles; wet-erase markers on the whiteboard are a good switch. Recently I've begun snapping pics of the fridge, freezer & pantry for reference before a shopping trip, or before putting together a delivery order.
This system has been a life saver for us!!! I used to spend a lot of time every week prepping my meal plan and grocery list. I used to have my recipes scattered and often forgot about family favorites. This has organized it all in one spot and cut it down to about 10 minutes every week to prep. We have about twice as many recipes as Dawn but we also have kids that are homeschooled and the hubby works from home so the whole family is here for 3 meals a day. Thanks Dawn so much for sharing this method with all of us!!!
Dawn, this has been a real big blessing to me. I have been using this method for 3 or 4 weeks. I am so thankful to have found your youtube channel.
I consider you my friend! Love you!
I am so grateful to have found you and your sweet family. Thank you
WOW! This is EXACTLY what I have been trying to figure out for my family (me, sister and mom) because we're just walking around the grocery store looking at sales and spending all of our time seeing if things go together for meals or figuring out how to use something up. THANK YOU!
Wow, that's awesome!!! I hope it works really well for you!!! :)
Thank you for a thoughtful, organized, time-saving way to plan meals!!🥰
You are such a Godsend and answer to prayer. I relate to you so much everything that you say and it is so amazing how you simplify everything. It is just so smart and I wish I would have discovered you years ago. Meal planning is my biggest Struggle and now I understand why. Thank you so much for sharing your wisdom. You Are the most relatable person on TH-cam. My favorite thing you say is " I think we could be friends." That is so endearing. Keep teaching it truly is a blessing. I watch all your videos over and over.
Never has a meal planning method made more sense! Husband and I are excited to try it. We eat what we eat because we like it, why would we want to change that up and make it more difficult by trying something new every evening. We don't have the time or energy for that.
Having a printed shopping list is going to encourage us immensely to look through our existing food and use it up. I can't believe how simple but genius this is!
Thank You! I appreciate that you are real and authentic. I do think we could be friends. 2018 was my year to realize I had too much stuff and was trying my best to make changes... but now watching lots of your video's my closet is now more manageable, laundry system more efficient, kitchen is getting less cluttered and it is starting to be more fun to cook. THANK YOU for sharing your experiences!!!
THIS. IS. SO. AWESOME!!! Thank YOU and GOOD WORK!!!! :)
Such great suggestions! I love hearing how others manage dinner time. The absolute best thing I have done was to implement menu planning in 2014 and I have stuck to it since. We use Google calendar and Google Keep (note taking/list making app). I have a separate calendar for the menu that is shared with my husband so he never has to ask me what it is for dinner. I use the Google keep app to keep lists for the different stores I shop at and those too are shared with the husband and he always knows to check the lists when he is out and we can both pick up groceries. I usually plan 2-6 weeks of meals ahead of time to take the thinking out of it and we have almost zero food waste. I also keep a link to any recipes I use from online in the calendar menu for easy access. So easy!
Thank you Minimalist Super Efficient Mom!!! You're brilliant!
OMgoodness!!! 😮😮 This has been the BEST and easiest way to meal plan I have EVER seen!! Our fridge stays empty and clean b/c there aren’t left overs. And we had so much food in the pantry that I literally haven’t had to buy groceries in 3 weeks!! I LOVE YOU!! 🤣🤣
Maybe others have said this already, but I've noticed that the idea of variety in meals in so much more important to adults than to children. Children usually prefer predictability, because it's comforting. So, a meal rotation might feel like it's going to be disappointing, it's often a happier situation. Added benefit! :)
Woman! You're speaking my language! Thank you so muchhhhhh
I stumbled on your simplified laundry system video a few weeks ago when I was looking for laundry room ideas. It was a game changer! I'm working on decluttering and your ideas are so straightforward, and easy to implement. I love that you're ACTUALLY simplifying things. Like rethinking cooking and shopping instead of emptying all the boxes of snacks, rice, and cereal into plastic containers to make your pantry prettier. I'd rather have less in the cupboard than spend an extra 30+ minutes every week emptying one container into another. My ultimate goal is to have 1 perpetually empty kitchen drawer....not sure that will ever happen in my tiny kitchen, but it's a good carrot to chase. Thank you!
Wahoo, this is SO awesome to hear!!!! And I love your empty drawer goal, you'll totally get there!!!!! :)
I have lived in Minnesota and in Florida. For the fact that you can leave food items in their packaging, I prefer Minnesota. However, Florida is where Tupperware came about because of its cockroaches; so while plastic is a necessity, at least Tupperware made it colorful and somewhat fun. I'm still in the south and the bugs are different here, but the plastic is still necessary.
This is the most practical video. Length was perfect and was jam packed with useful info.
Please share recipes!
Thank YOU and will do in the near future!!! :)
I've been enjoying your channel and I love your suggestions! I love that you made the point that everything that comes into the home needs to be "managed", so we must weigh our need of that item carefully, including groceries. Hope the meal planning printable is up soon and can't wait for your FAQ video tomorrow!
Thank you Tina!!!! :)
I, too, am a mom of four and I meal plan for the month in a very similar way. What I don't do very well is shop my pantry and freezer before I meal plan. Lightbulb moment when you said you need to keep inventory of all your food. I will definitely be adding a "Use Up" column to my weekly menu :)
So helpful! Not just the tips, but the mindset and reasons behind them! Thank you!
Thank you!!
We have a leftover shelf in our fridge and then I also plan one night in my meal plan for leftovers or sandwiches
YES, Love this idea!!!!
I do the same thing and then I plan to have my left overs night the day before I go food shopping so that my family can help clean out the fridge and no food goes to waste. I then take advantage of the emptied out fridge to do my inventory for my next meal planning day. It's actually one of my tips on my meal planning video. I'm so glad that more people take advantage of left overs, that means less waste.
This helped me a whole lot. The last few weeks I've spent less on groceries. I also scheduled an eat out day for the week and I've actually forgotten about it because it's so easy to make a great quick meal at home that my kids love. I have shared this system with my friends it's great.
You said it best! That everything that comes into the home, you have to manage & it's "inventory". You've worded it precisely...you have just helped me understand the madness lol.
Not only did I start using this for meal planning, but you also inspired me to automate a monthly project at work! Every month, I “recreate the wheel” by thinking through what I did the previous month. Now I’ve just written it down on a spreadsheet. I even created templates for the monthly emails I send. Thanks for the inspiration. Really appreciate you!
I've used this method for years and I LOVE it!
Love your thought on inventory. I’ve really changed how I manage my house this past year and it’s helped cut down on stress. I shop once a week and have a budget and it’s made life so much easier bc I have some guidelines instead of getting overwhelmed by all the options.
I loved that too. I think it will shower me with guilt (in a positive way) everytime I bring more rubbish into my home and realise it's now inventory for me to manage.
I am absolutely flabbergasted at how many of my family members forget that there is fruit and vegetables in the drawers that THEY bought intending to eat. Because it's in the drawer and not on a shelf, they don't 'see' it...But the drawers are clear!!! 🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️🤷🏻♀️
You speak me! We think alike and you keep everything so doable and easy! Thank you! Your paper clutter video has been life changing!
oh my goodness.. what you were saying about every single thing in the house being 'inventory I have to manage' has really resonated with me! Love your videos
Is that weird that I almost wanted to cry watching this because it makes so much sense? I have a lot of anxiety over grocery shopping and cooking and I feel like this could actually work for me!! Thank you!
This was super helpful. Meal prep is overwhelming and this is an amazing system.
very inspiring video. To me, the idea that fewer recipes make it easier is something I learned
Thank you for sharing this video! I’ve been using this for several weeks now. It takes a little discipline to grab that marker but works so well to plan meals AHEAD of time!
I used this sheet method when my kids were younger. I had 2 sheets....one for groceries at our Aldi's, and one for household and personal that I couldn't get at Aldi. I slid them both into a plastic sheet protector with a piece of cardboard in between...to make it 2 aided and sturdier. Then I could use a dry erase to mark what was needed and wipe it off as I put it in the cart. It's amazing how often we buy the same things in rotation. It worked great!
Love how you talk about everything coming into the house is inventory we have to manage... so true! About 3-4 years ago I came up with my own system which is very similar to yours. I wrote the categories in order of how the grocery store is laid out and put every item we buy in alphabetical order under each section. I even have an area at the top for Returns, Appts., Cash, Gas, other stores, and Bills to Pay because I tend to do a whirlwind day of everything at once as my stores are a half hour away (saves gas and works with my crazy work schedule!) I made a bunch of copies of my list and keep one one the fridge so all we have to do is circle what we need for the week. I really need to up my game and do the meal planning part like you have, too. That's awesome!
I really appreciate how you discuss minimalism. Thanks for all of your great videos.
Thank YOU!!!
Your system is genius. The ‘mind shift’ really resonates for me. I’m going to adopt your technique. Thanks so much for sharing!
Just wanted to tell you this system is a game changer in our house! I put it into practice 4 weeks ago and I LOVE IT! My husband works at home with our 3 year old so now that I list “left-over/lunch” our left overs have almost disappeared because he knows what to use up! Brilliant!
This is GENIUS! Thank you SO much for sharing! My husband randomly found your video and it is so helpful!
I’ve seen others talk about simplifying their meal plan to a 2-3 week turn around. I love this concept. I just gotta now get on it myself and actually do one🤣
I've heard you say in multiple videos that everything that is in your house you have to manage. I really like the way you say that and changed my thinking of things. I said it to my husband last week and he laughed at me like I was joking but I was completely serious lol. He hadn't thought of it like that either.
I realize this is an older video but seeing your shopping/meal list laid out, it's exactly what was floating around in my mind but I couldn't visualize it. Thank you! I hate writing out a list from scratch each time when it's the same thiings, and I always forget at least one staple
We're doing this now and it's working perfectly. We always had trouble with a calendar planner because sometimes we couldn't do what was planned for that day. This way we just picked from the planned meals and we know what's in the house. We cross off items as we use them, and when I go to highlight the next meal plan sheet I already know what I have in the house. We did pantry, produce, dairy, freezer, protein, non food, and breads as categories. I like the breakfast column too because the kids pick a couple of things for the week and there's no arguments or wasted food. I'll likely switch out less desirable meals here and there, but it was so easy to shop this way. Got exactly what we needed. Perfect meal plan idea. Between this video, and the one on kids wardrobe, you've made our lives easier. Thank you!
Wow, I'm so glad to hear this!!! Way to go!!! And thank YOU!!! 💕
Really like this system. I made a Dutch version of it, combined with a few Greek recipes (as my husband is Greek). Just started it but the first time already saved a lot of time on making a list! Surprising how many times we buy the same things anyway all the time.
YAY!! I'm so glad to hear this!!!! :)
I have a list of meals for each season. Lots of salads in the summer and crockpot in the winter. Another thing I do is have corresponding leftover meals. For instance, if I make pork tenderloin one night I know I’ll use the leftovers to make pork fried rice another night that week. None of my meals exceed 30 mins to make. Also like you, I store all my recipes by memory but also pinned photos of the recipes on my Pinterest for reference. No more recipe books! I don’t buy anything I don’t need even if it’s on sale-grocery stores usually have the same items on sale over and over anyway. Lastly,(this might be where many people differ) I shop for the week. Yes, it’s more trips to the store but food is less likely to spoil and I can manage it better. Besides I noticed that even if I try to go to the store less often, something always runs out and I need to go to the store anyway.
The one thing I am trying to change that goes against all minimalist practices is to have an emergency supply of food. I live in Northern California and was evacuated this summer due to a wildfire. It made me think about what emergency preparations our family should be making. I think your idea of an inventory would work great for cycling through the emergency goods so they don’t spoil.
Thank you for your input. I couldn’t agree more!
Yes, totally agree!
I remember was it the fire in Santa Rosa because the smoke made it so hard for me to breath and yesni totally agree
I do the same thing. I call it rolling meals over. I love making a big put of ground turkey which is lean to begin with and then splitting it in half. I use half for tacos and the other half for another meal. Usually I'll combine it with some brown rice and veggies and a little pasta sauce and there's my second meal.
I LOVE THIS! I already implemented it and it is so easy! Thank you for sharing this with us! It is a game changer. Just cutting out all the decision making I was making in the grocery store has been such a relief! Also the mental shift- looking at items simply as ingredients for a potential meal versus looking at them as part of a planned meal really makes managing the items throughout the week much more cohesive and less stressful. A little, easy planning goes a LONNNGGG way!! Thanks Dawn!
I'm SO glad to hear this! I know this has worked really well for me, but I never know for sure if others will feel the same way ;) Thank YOU!!! :)
Love❤Love❤Love❤this system! It's so easy and so helpful! Thank you so much for this!
This video has now changed my life. Legit!! I have come up with a rotating two week plan and using your sheet I only bought groceries once in the two weeks. I don’t know why I could never give myself permission to just make meals that I get really good at cooking /are silly easy. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Woah. I have been so stubborn about the way I meal plan, even though I knew it wasn’t quite working. You are the first person I’ve ever come across that I like your way better than mine. This is amazing.
One of my favorites! I had to learn a similar system years ago after much trial & error. This video should be given to anyone just starting out to help save money & time. 🥰 this is great!
I tried this method for about a year and then we moved and I kind of lost track of it... I’m so glad I’m rewatching this. It such an effective and uncomplicated method. I love it! Thank you
What a fun, helpful video! Just me & hubby but I love planning lol meal prepping "sides" to keep on hand for busy nights is my best tip! Bbq some chicken and have a fun rice dish in the freezer etc.
This is the number one thing that I needed help with. I'm disabled and can't cook like I used to. I struggle with cheap healthy meals I can manage to cook
I meant to say....I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL. You are so smart. I have used three of your awesome ideas in my home and this has drastically helped me!
I'm so, so, so glad to hear this, thank YOU!!!! :)
All my life I have had a magnet shopping list, and told the household if we run out of something put it on the list, secondly, I plan meals before I go and get what those meals need and cook them up that particular week. Some leftovers do go to waste but very minimal because I usually cook just enough for everyone to have a nice serving. (I do NOT like leftovers, like not as I will not eat them but because I know what happens, you wind up throwing away food $$$) Yours is similar. Sucks to throw out food, growing up in my house, that didnt happen very often, course we had to eat very cheap meals to feed the whole family. Kudos to you for helping folks out.
This video is great! I love the idea of treating everting as Inventory, it makes so much sense. Thanks for sharing your tips.
Thank YOU, too!!! :)
This is genius! It couldn’t of came at a better time. I am very overwhelmed 😢 I work 12 hour shifts and am absolutely exhausted when I get home and do not wanna cook especially when I have no idea what to make ! I will definitely be giving this a try !
Girl. You just saved my life! I haaaate meal planning and making a shopping list every week! Such a great idea I'm definitely implementing this system. Thanks so much for sharing! ❤️
Thank you!!!
I have to admit I’m a little jealous. There’s no way I could memorize any of the recipes I cook! I want to be that person and I’m just not. My perfectionism gets in my way a lot, to my detriment. Maybe I can challenge myself to try this system. It’s so simple and really smart actually. Thanks for sharing!!
This video has been so helpful. I'm gonna stick with a limited amount of recipes. I already wrote out everything I need when I grocery shop. I believe grocery shopping is going to be more peaceful because I am now going to stick to things I like and not let the store advertising get to me!! Plus that board on the fridge has been VERY helpful too! Thanks for your kindness!
Hello! I'm a pastor's wife and home schooling mom of 3 girls. I've been watching your videos for about 2 months now. At first, I was skeptical, but now, as I've been working through each room of my home and seeing the benefits, I am 100% on board! When you said that the things in our homes are like inventory we then have to manage, the "light bulb" went on for me. I can't even tell you how many bags and boxes of items have been either passed on to someone who could use it, or to Goodwill over the last 1 1/2 months. Some even just went to the trash! Specifically, having my food organized and meal planning has made such a difference. Our grocery bill is cut in almost half. I have been using the top grocery portion of your meal planning sheet on Excel. I plan my meals in my planner, which is just my preference. My husband has come to see the benefits and we have not had the same meal twice (except for pizza on Thursdays) in just over 1 month. When I get to the end of my recipes, I'll just cycle back through and that is such a huge weight off my mind!!! I just wanted to take some time to thank you for your videos and let you know how much they are appreciated. I also appreciate the videos you do with your sister. I appreciate the encouragement and the scripture based topics discussed. I look forward to seeing your videos whenever they come out! May the Lord Jesus richly bless you all!
Still use this. Seriously life changing!
I have just found your channel. I couldn't possibly love this video and this system enough! I have watched your wardrobe videos and laundry videos so far also and let me tell you, you are speaking my language! Thank you for sharing all of these wonderful tips.
I find it incredibly useful to have a list of things that have run out, or we are down to our last one. This feeds into the shopping list.
Dawn, you are amazing! I'm binge watching your videos and learning so many great ideas from you. I LOVE that you keep a list of standard items, grouped by aisle, and your tried-and-true, go-to meals on your grocery list. Brilliant. And sugested having a separate ingredient list for each of those meals, those of us who need it :)
I write out intended meals and a few snack ideas for each week.
I'm just cooking for myself, usually, so I plan 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, and 2 dinners for each week, to alternate between, every other day. I make enough for 3 days of each, and then on Fridays use up any leftovers, to clear out the fridge. If I make a standard recipe intended for 4 people, that will serve 1 person for 3+ days.
I shop on Friday, and then on Sat. try to cook the Sat - Mon - Weds breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and store these in the fridge (usually leaving them in their pots, pans, or covered casserole dishes stashed in the fridge.)
Then on Sunday, I make the Sun - Tues - Thurs breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
That's a lot of cooking on Saturday and Sunday, so I try to have "no cook"/"no prep" meals as often as possible for breakfast and lunch, such as breakfasts of cereal w/banana, followed either by bagels and cream cheese Sat - M - W. On Sun - T - Th, it's cereal & fruit, plus toast with peanut butter.
For lunch, it's usually two types of sandwiches, fruit, veg, and chips to alternate between.
That way, I only have to cook a dinner on Sat. and another on Sun., to have 6 dinners through til Thurs. Then on Friday, I either have leftovers, or a frozen pizza :)
Finally, to make meals faster,
- I look for 4-ingredient recipes. Half the week, it's usually baked chicken thighs, with some sort of 4-ingredient sauce poured over. I alternate that with a fish, beef, pork, or vegetarian dinner, of few ingredients.
- I avoid recipes that require cutting up the food in advance, to save time. I'd rather serve myself a whole, single serving of meat, plus an easy starch, veg and/or salad. I can then cut the meat at the table, instead of spending time dicing it before or after cooking. It's faster to bake whole pieces of chicken, and then pour a homemade stir-fry sauce over it for the last 30 minutes in the oven, than to dice up everything before stir-frying it. Making a stir-fry takes me forever, because of all the prep work.
Thank you again!
The amount of time we spend planning, cooking, cleaning, STRESSING over food is ridiculous. This is such a great idea! I’ve gotten so overwhelmed in the past month that so much has went to waste and we’ve ate too many corn dogs lol! About to declutter kitchen and start writing down ideas for simple meals that we love. I’m excited!
I would love to see an updated version of this and what you are doing now or how this has evolved over time!
Oh wow! I've been planning, cooking and grocery shopping like this for about a year now, and I always assumed I was a loser for not being able to do it the "normal" way. Thanks so much for this video, I now know I'm not a freak! LOL
What a fantastic system, we love it! I feel like I can handle life again!
One of the best meal planning ideas I have seen yet. Just found your channel and I love the way you think and present. You get to the point quickly and we come out with some great truly useful information. Thanks for your time and I will make sure and watch the ads so you get paid for all your hard work. You deserve to be paid well for this idea!!
Wow, thank you Claire, I greatly appreciate this!!! I read your comment to my husband and he said "it sounds like you talking to you" ;) lol, because I always make him sit through the ads of content creators who I enjoy and appreciate! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
Thank you Dawn! I’m 66 and still having a problem planning meals for my hubby and I. I usually buy what’s on sale and end up throwing a lot away because it went bad. I hate that. I modified your charts and can’t wait to use it.
Love this. As someone who has never been a fancy (or good) cook, this was encouraging to me! Thanks for sharing 😊
Got my list all tipped up in my computer, but only print out once and have it laminated.
Its a fantastic system also to separate each store in your colone. Great Job.
I like this idea, it saves paper. :)
I put a sheet of paper on the fridge divided in half vertically. Left side divided into four sections. Produce, meat, frozen, dairy.. Right side top section nonfood one-fourth size. Rest of the column everything else. (Takes longer to describe than to draw.) I write items in as I use them up. On another smaller piece of paper the days of the week, three lines per day. I write six meals. I don't cook on Monday my husband travels for work and he goes to his Mom's on the way home for dinner.
Works great! If I don't cook a meal on the assigned day I just save it for the next week.
Kathy B.
This sounds like a GREAT system!!!
James Briggs I like your idea. Will try to make it on a spreadsheet. Thank you.
Brilliant! I have made my shopping list of ingredients and now will get my meals list together. Thank you for this plan!! You have terrific ways of making things easier to manage.
I love this system! I’ve already been keeping a lower stock of foods and keeping an on going list of what we need, so if we’re low on ketchup I can put it right on the list and not forget and run out or end up with several extras bc I’m at the store and think I need more but I like the idea of having a ready to go shopping list (bc really, we buy mostly the same stuff each week with slight variations) and having a small, reasonable list of meals and just sticking to them. Wow, that was one run on sentence! 😂
Thanks for all you do. I’d already been simplifying, but you’ve been helping even more. It’s hard to find stuff really geared towards families and what you said about everything that comes in (food, kids’ clothes, toys, artwork, etc) is all stuff we have to manage is spot on. It was hard enough to manage everything when it was just me and my husband (with us working together) and now with two kids and him working long hours, I’m in charge of almost everything and it’s challenging. Less stuff is less inventory to manage and it really helps!
Thank you so much! I have been trying for years to find or come up with a workable plan and yours seems as if it's gonna be a perfect fit!