Make the Stress "Less" After 5 P.M.

Stress relief - that's what I sought. Having gone back to full-time employment after 4 years of part-time, I needed a plan. My biggest stressor at home? Meals. That 5:15 panic of "oh, no, what am I going to fix for dinner?" was becoming all too common for me. Thinking about my situation, my mind went to my grandmother. She is the menu guru. She loves to read menus and make menus. Her specialty is spending next to nothing at the grocery store and producing wonderful meals to spite the financial outlay. I decided to call on those genes for this project.

First of all, I made a list of my servants. Oh, yes I have servants. Don't you? I have two crockpots, a breadmaker, a food sealer in addition to the normal kitchen appliances. Then, I take the grocery sales papers from the Wednesday paper and I use my spiral notebook (it's small - about 4" x 6" and I keep it in my purse) to jot down what is on sale at the two stores I frequent; I include the sales price so I can easily compare between the two stores. Next, I take my coupon file out and I check for any coupons on sales items. I jot down any coupons I have on my list. The next step is to take out my calendar and examine the coming week. On the page facing my grocery list I mark down the days of the week and I mark any days that I have something that affects the dinner hour. For example, my daughter has a church activity every Wednesday evening. Then, I come up with menus for the days based on both the grocery sales and what I already have in my freezer and pantry. I first jot down the main course and after I get all of the days planned for that, I go back and add side dishes. I sometimes jot down a list of potential side dishes at the bottom and then I choose from these as I go. After I've made my menu, I circle the items I need to buy on my grocery sales list and then I add any other food or household items I need on the list. I keep my notebook in my purse at all times. I usually decide in the morning what we'll have that night and I get out any meat that might need to thaw.