Learn my simple weekly meal planning process for a large family. This budget friendly system saves time, reduces stress, and lowers grocery costs.
How I Meal Plan for My Family Every Week on a Budget
Meal planning is something I talk about often, but I realized I have never fully walked through my exact weekly meal planning process from start to finish here in the blog. In this post, I am sharing how I plan meals every week for my large family in a way that saves time, reduces stress, and helps us stay on budget.
If you are new here, I am a wife and mom of five kids, with baby number six coming soon. Meal planning is a non negotiable for our family because it simplifies grocery shopping, helps us avoid unnecessary takeout, and ensures we always have a plan for dinner.
Prefer video? I share my meal planning process on my YouTube channel here.
Why Meal Planning Is So Important for Large Families
When you are feeding a big family, having a meal plan makes a huge difference. Knowing what we are eating ahead of time helps me shop intentionally, avoid food waste, and keep our grocery budget under control. It also takes away the daily stress of figuring out what is for dinner at the last minute or being tempted to spend way too much going through a drive-thru instead.
Step One: Check Your Pantry, Fridge, and Freezer First
Before I plan any meals, I always check what we already have on hand. That means looking through the pantry, fridge, and freezer to see what needs to be used up.
I do not always take a full inventory every single week. Sometimes I already know what we have, like leftover chicken or certain pantry staples. Other weeks, I really do need to look because it is easy to forget what is hiding in the freezer.
This step helps prevent buying duplicate items and keeps our grocery spending in check. It also gives me a starting point for building meals around ingredients we already own.
You can also check out my post on pantry staples for budget meals if you want ideas for keeping a well stocked, budget friendly pantry.
Step Two: Check Grocery Store Sales and Weekly Ads
Once I know what we already have, I check grocery store ads. I usually look at Kroger first because it is a store I shop at regularly and they offer weekly sales and digital coupons that help stretch our budget. (Check out this article for how I save at Kroger!)
If I plan to shop at Aldi that week, I will check their ad as well. I like to see which proteins or staples are on sale so I can build meals around the best deals.
I’m also always comparing Kroger and Aldi’s prices with Walmart, that way I can determine if I want to shop at a couple stores that week or just stick with Walmart if I’m not seeing many sales or deals.
Step Three: Review Your Weekly Calendar
Before writing down meals, I check our family calendar. This helps me plan realistic dinners based on how busy the week is going to be.
If we have evening activities or events, I plan quicker and easier meals for those days. Don’t skip this step or you’ll find yourself stressed out trying to make a complicated dinner on a busy evening!
Step Four: Create the Weekly Dinner Meal Plan
After checking our food on hand, reviewing sales, and looking at the calendar, I start writing down our meals for the week.
I base our meal plan on what we already have combined with what is on sale. Some people prefer to shop sales first and then decide on meals later. This method is often called reverse meal planning, and it can work well if you keep a well stocked pantry.
For me however I do find that planning meals before shopping works best. If I go to the store without a clear plan, I usually miss ingredients and end up feeling unprepared during the week.
Where I Find Easy Family Meal Ideas
Some weeks meal ideas come easily, and other weeks I completely draw a blank. When that happens, I use a few go to resources:
- Previous meal plans (I look back at old weeks in my planner)
- My homemade recipe binder
- Cookbooks I regularly use
- My Pinterest board of tried (and loved) recipes
Flipping through past meal plans helps remind me of meals that worked well for our family. Pinterest and cookbooks are especially helpful when I want new ideas using ingredients that are on sale.
If you need inspiration, you can browse my collection of budget friendly family meal plans.
How I Schedule Meals Without Assigning Specific Days
When I write down meals, I do not assign them to specific days. I prefer having a list so I can choose based on how the day is going and how much energy I have.
The downside to this approach is sometimes I make all the easy meals early in the week and leave the more time consuming recipes for later, ha! But ideally I try to cook the recipes that take longer earlier in the week and save the simple dinners for the end of the week.
Friday nights are often pizza nights at our house. Frozen pizza, pizza bagels, or homemade pizza keep things easy and predictable. (Come Friday I just need easy!)
Always Plan for a Leftover Night
I always plan for at least one leftover night each week. It is not assigned to a specific day. When leftovers start to build up and I need a break from cooking, we have a leftover night.
This helps reduce food waste, saves money, and gives me one less meal to cook.
Planning Breakfasts and Lunches
While planning dinners, I also think about breakfasts and lunches. We usually stick to basic staples like eggs, cereal, oatmeal, and simple lunch options. But, if there is something different we want that week I write it down so I don’t forget to buy it.
Making a Grocery List That Matches Your Meal Plan
Once the meal plan is complete, I make my grocery list. Most of the time, I place an online grocery order because it is convenient when you have multiple kids.
I often compare prices between Walmart and Kroger, and sometimes I place orders at both stores depending on where the best deals are that week.
If I do shop in person I prefer writing out a physical grocery list, but using an app or notes on your phone works just as well.
Having a complete list ensures you have every ingredient you need and helps you avoid last minute trips back to the store.
Final Thoughts on Weekly Meal Planning
So, that was my exact weekly meal planning process. While it may sound like a lot of steps, it is actually quick once you get into a routine. Meal planning helps me stay on budget, saves time, and makes feeding my relatively large family much more manageable.
If you meal plan each week, I would love to hear what your process looks like. Do you shop sales first or plan meals first? Let me know in the comments.
If you need more meal plan ideas, I have shared many family meal plans, including budget specific plans like $50 or $60 grocery budgets on my YouTube channel here.
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