Menu planning?

Hi! I'm wondering who plans their week of meals in advance? I did this for a while last year, and it really streamlined my week, and ensured that we got balanced meals without putting grey in my hair!

As so many things do, it fell by the wayside a bit, so I find myself really wanting to get back to it.

My plan is more to have every week be similar in theme, which will start me off at least SOMEWHERE lol.

Mondays will be slow cooker, Tuesdays pasta, Wednesdays soup/sandwiches and salad, Thursdays are mexican, and Fridays vegitarian/fish. Weekends are way too alloverthemap for me to plan.

I'd love to hear your tips and successes with this!

I did this for a while too, minus the themeish nights. It was nice because I only had to spend an hour thinking a week instead of an hour everyday. I would stress so bad about what I was going to make for dinner.

I haven't been doing this for a while, but I should get back to it too. And your consistency of the weeks is a very good idea!

I was doing this quite awhile a few years ago because I didn't have my license and my fiance worked 15 days on 3 off..I would plan my 15 day menu.

Example:

Spagetti:
Ground Beef
Onion
Spagetti sauce
Noodles
Bread

Tuna Noodle:
Tuna
Mushroom soup
Noodles
Chips
Frozen peas

Then after I had my 15 meals I would go through and highlight the ingredients that we didn't have and make my shopping list that way.

Oh yes!! I found that after having our son, weekly planning was a must!
I love going through cookbooks to get inspired, the writing out what I need. If I don't have a particular ingredient, I will modify the meal to make it work.
Knowing what to take out of the freezer the day before made cooking dinner the next night less stressful.
I am also a coupon collector so if I can plan a menu around my coupons or the weekly flyer , I'll do so to say a few dollars.
Friday and Saturday nights were the only days I would not plan and do easy meals such as soup and sandwich or perogies!
I do like to keep things interesting and try not to make the same meal more than once a month. I love using new ingredients and seeing how they work out. last night was Chicken breast with chopped garlic, lime zest and juice, a splash of olive oil and salt. Turned out great!

I think I'll be doing frequent variations, but at least this way I won't be "stuck" for something. If Wednesday is soup night, for example, I can keep changing the soup and do different ones each week. Ditto for pasta night - might be lasagne one week, stroganoff the next, spagetti or a chicken veggie pasta the next.

I don't like things to get boring, and if I DON'T plan, I find I do exactly that! I do a "quickie" meal that everyone's had a dozen times before. =)

We should swap quickie meal ideas... then when you need an idea, at least it's tried and true, but not in your home! =)

I've never done weekly planning. I can see the benefits of it, but I think I like food to be more of a fun thing. Some nights you want to cook all out but it's slow cooker soup with left overs day... Or you really do not feel like cooking a big thing and what if that day is the all out stuffed chicken, mashed potatoes, salad etc.. day? Are you stuck with it or can you trade it out for order pizza day or make the chicken on the other day? LOL I guess when I set limits and rules that like for myself, I feel the need to follow them strictly. Probably too strictly.

I certainly appreciate the time and effort that goes into all the planning however. And I'm sure I have more days where I'm stuck, wondering what to cook than I would ever have wondering if I should just go ahead and change meal plan days around. LOL Can I buy an SO that cooks too so I have less "I'm stuck days" ?? Do I just add it to the shopping list?

LOL!

I have a SO that cooks, but usually when he's working it's too hard - he gets home too late!

I am really flexible in my plan, but then at least there is always something to fall back on. If I get started on something and it doesn't sound right, I move on. If I feel inspired to cook, I cook!

The reason planning works well for me is that with work and home schooling, I often get to supper-prep time and I'm going "Crap. I haven't thought this far ahead! Now what!" Now I always at least have an idea that will do very nicely, and if I want to change it up, I do.

For instance, we were invited out to supper the other night, so I moved my soup day... to lunch today. lol

Supposed to be fish day today? I think I'm gonna do something else. Just not feelin the fish.

LOL. If I home schooled I might want to do that as well. As it is, I have all day to think of something and if I don't, well that's my own damn fault. LOL

LOL!