Making a Weekly Dinner Menu

A weekly dinner menu is wonderful for so many different reasons. For example, a weekly dinner menu helps you to use up the items in your pantry. Also a weekly dinner menu makes it easier to pull dinner together each week. Best of all, with a properly prepared weekly dinner menu, you'll be less likely to grab fast food on your way home.

Making a Weekly Dinner Menu Tip #1: Ask Other Members of the Household What They Would Like

You may think you know what the other members of your household want to eat for the week, but you might be wrong. Just because Little Jimmy loves hot dogs, it doesn't mean he wants them every week. Also asking the other members of your household may give you inspiration for new menu ideas.

Making a Weekly Dinner Menu Tip #2: Check Sales Papers

Before making your weekly dinner menu, check the sales papers. Not only will you get some ideas of what to make for dinner, you'll also save some money. For example, you may not have thought about having Mexican food for dinner this week, but your store is having a sale on taco mix, taco shells, etc.

Making a Weekly Dinner Menu Tip #3: Check Your Pantry

I always check my pantry before making a weekly dinner menu. This helps me to see which items I need to use up from my pantry. After I see what items are available in my pantry, I start thinking about what dishes I would like to have on my menu. For example, you may have some nacho cheese sauce in your pantry, which would go well with the items that the store had on sale.

Making a Weekly Dinner Menu Tip #4: Check Your Freezer

If you're anything like me, you keep your freezer stocked with meat. If you have some hamburger in your freezer, you could add nachos to your weekly dinner menu. As you can see, it's about bringing ingredients together not only from the store, but from what you already have on hand.

Making a Weekly Dinner Menu Tip #5: Check Your Coupons

Once you have decided on the items you want to buy at the store for you weekly dinner menu, check your coupons to see if you have any that would match up with the sales and other items you need to purchase. This not only saves money, but sometimes you'll get inspiration from your coupons as well.