This is exactly how I've been planning for years. Helps so much! And it's easy to look back and see what was a hit in the past. I also only try 1 new recipe a week, but not every week. It's also easier to be flexible if things come up in the week you can easily swap days.

As a single person, I appreciate your ideas. I am at a place in my life where I want to plan two to three meals that I can rotate through in the week. I also want to eat more healthy and eat out less. I actually eat out so I can at least eat around people instead of alone. But with this method, I may be able to plan at least one or two times a week invite someone over for a meal or offer to bring a meal to someone and eat with them at their house. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Best thing I ever did was to make menu planning a regular weekly task. My local grocery stores both start their weekly sales on Wednesday, so I menu plan every Tuesday and shop every Wednesday.

Even taco Tuesday can be flexible. Sometimes we do quesadillas, fajitas, taco dip or taco in a bag to switch things up a bit

Minute 25 helped me, pick 7 entrees and make them as you want them throughout the week. Brilliant!

I find a good balance for routine and adventure for my food is to cook a consistent menu of maybe 10 dishes and try one new/fun recipe per week

One thing I now know I was doing wrong was browsing recipes/getting inspiration WHILE meal planning - made my meal planning sessions extra long!!! Also love your suggestion of keeping a list of family favorites. So excited to try your method now!!

The idea of numbering 1 to 7 and choosing your meal from that is absolutely groundbreaking to me!! I've been meal planning on and off for years and I throw so much food away, because I didn't want to eat that meal on that night. I've honestly never thought of Free Spirit meal planning. Genius!

I like your idea as scheduling meal planning as an appointment. I need to do this. I find myself meal planning Sunday night or Monday morning.

Another tip, check your frozen leftovers and plug them into your busy days 👍

Great video. I love your rule of not browsing recipes. Terrific idea having a family favorite list x

My children are older, so there are four adults in our house. I make a roast dinner on a Sunday, the girls make two choices each and my husband and I have a choice each. That way everyone gets at least one meal each week that they enjoy. I leave the menu plan out on a Saturday for people to make their choices. Because I have a delivery slot booked for Sunday I have a deadline for when I have to complete my order. Once the shopping is delivered to us on a Sunday I plan the choices into the week depending on everyone’s plans and the best before dates on the fresh products. Then I write it on the whiteboard in the kitchen so everyone knows how the week looks. We have also introduced that if it’s your meal choice, you wash the dishes, unfortunately I still mostly do all the cooking.

Your videos are helping me so much! I’m going to start implementing your meal planning tips, thank you!

Great tips! I keep a running list of our favorite meals by ethnicity such as Italian, Mexican, Chinese, Comfort Foods, Family Favorites, etc. Then I have a variety to pull from in a heart beat when planning my weekly menu. ~ Happy Planning!

I do meal prep per week at least 2 -3 menus but mostly 2 menus. I have a column for what I have on my pantry/fridge or freezer that way I can plan my menu with what I have. I also have a small book that I wrote all my favorite easy dishes that I collected from KZfaq/pinterest. Actually one doctor took a picture of those recipes that I collected. I set a day browsing the interne for those collections. One thing with those recipes that I collected, ingredients can be mix/match. I almost always use my instant pot and air-fryer. I also took a day mixing my own spices and jar it for easy and quick to marinate meats. example of those recipes are: Fajita bowls, taco bowls or mediterranean bowls which easily be converted for regular tacos or burritos, For 2020, I would like to be consistent on writing the foods that I am eating specially those extras or detour meals. Thanks for sharing.

really love your approach! I meal plan a similar way. I like the way you explained how you do each step & how to get the most out of the time you spend meal planning. thank you!

Exactly how I meal plan too, works so well

Love it! I'm starting this this week using a Hobonichi weeks.

Hi Annie, Thank you for this video. For years I was a stay at home mom and loved to cook and always had more time to spend in the kitchen. When I started working outside the home cooking and menu planning became one of my least favorite things to do. Menu planning always seemed to take forever and after that you have to go to the grocery store to buy it all and then come home and put it all away. 😩 It would take several hours on the weekend and I hated it. I am one of those people who always looks at cookbooks and online for new recipes at the time that I am menu planning. I absolutely love your advice to do that through the week. That way when it comes to my menu plan, I already have done all of the searching before hand. I don’t know why I didn’t think of that before hand. To do a little bit through the week is going to make my actual planning and shopping day so much faster. Thank you! 😁

I can't wait to try this! I am terrible at menu planning and that is a goal I have , to finally menu plan! You are always so inspiring!

I love your methods for planning, thanks for sharing!

This was a really helpful way to look at meal planning. I have dozens of cookbooks, recipes torn from magazines, recipes printed out, my Mom's recipes, and multiple Pinterest boards of meal ideas. I'm thinking about doing a giant purge just to get the weight of it off my mind. Just because a recipe looks good doesn't mean I'll actually ever make it!

Loved your video Annie! Looking forward to more information on menu planning, you explain it so well! Thank you

Ever since you posted this I have used this method and it has been such a gamechanger! I have been sharing this video with friends and on forums ever since and I have no doubt it has helped others simplify this so very important practice. Such a blessing! Thank you!!!

Don’t get how there are thumbs down. There are SO many tips here! Appreciate sharing your tricks! I don’t know why I didn’t think of “what do we normally order at restaurants”? 🤦🏻‍♀️🙏🏼

This is awesome! I have used the designated days system before (mondays pasta, Tuesdays mexican, wednesdays chicken... sundays special). Doing this, you can choose fast dishes for nights you know you are busy, and longer special dishes for days you have more time to cook. My problem is more the sitting down to plan the meals. So helpful to think of it as an essential appointment. Doing that this week! Yah me!

This was very helpful to me! Thanks.

Great tips! And yes! One free spirit here! I’ve always sort of menu planned in my head and purchased the same weekly staples for meals and cooked based on my mood of the day. 🤗 I like your idea of writing down menu ideas. I’ve had a page in my planner for over a year with the heading, “favorite meals,” but it’s blank. 🤦🏻‍♀️ I really like the idea of choosing menu ideas from the types of meals when we like when we eat out. That would be tacos. We could eat tacos everyday. Thanks for sharing! Really helpful tips. ❤️❤️❤️ Joy2plan

Thank you for this! I especially appreciate how you pointed out how important meal planning is!

This was so helpful, thank you so much for sharing with us.

Aww! I used to run Awana at my church. It was a free night for me because we served hot dinner. The best! We have very similar meal planning styles!

Great tips and explanation. TFS.

The recipe browsing/pinterest scrolling is SO TRUE!!! I was meal planning yesterday and by the end of it, I was telling myself that I needed to find a way for it to take me way less time!

Love it 👍🏻😍 thank you

I do this!! And just for our dinner meal! And I love how much easier it makes things. Thank you for many tips though I’m glad I watched this video!

I’ve been trying out menu themes and that’s really made it so much more simple. So like, Mexican, Italian, Asian, Burgers or Pizza, etc., then on say Mexican day I can choose anything in that category: enchiladas, burritos, tacos. That way it limits me but yet still gives options in case everyone is tired of tacos (wait, that never happens in real life does it?). You did a great job explaining your system thank you! I hope in your next video you address your shopping system-grocery delivery. Woot!

This was wonderful! I have had a mental block with trying to get started with a menu planning system. Thank you so much for sharing!

This is such a great video. I am planning it right now. Thank you

I love the 7 ideas option!

We meal plan the same way! Now that my daughter is grown and gone I made a new one for my husband and I and gave her my old setup. Meal planning saves you money, time and sanity! lol Thanks for sharing this!

Hello Annie, I am so excited to use your method of planning meals. I don't know why I never considered just planning one meal per day lol. You are my hero!!

this was so helpful! i have never used my planner as a wallet, but I do have card holders in it, so I guess it is supposed to be used as a wallet :D i'll be doing this. And thank you so much for the advice to not search for recipes when planning and to not think that we're stuck to the day's menu, but to choose from what we set out to make. Thank you so much for all of this.

Wow!!! This is great. I really want to save money by implementing dinners during the week. I KNOW the family would love it. I’ve never been much of a meal planner it seems so daunting but i would like to be able to do this. Thank you 🙏🏼

awesome idea and great advice!

This really does seem like a great system!☺ I've been wanting to try meal planning but I'm not sure yet. This gives me some great ideas☺

Great video

I spied hamburg gravy on your list. One of our favorites! Outside our family, I don't know anyone else who makes it. So good!

Don’t forget to take inventory of what you already in have in your pantry and freezer. That way you don’t have to buy as much stuff and you don’t possibly waste what you already have. My problem is staying consistent. I love the idea of scheduling meal planning.

I go through streaks...no consistency....maybe your tips will help. I’m the free spirit...the seven choices idea is more me. I already have a leftover day due to a tight schedule. I used “Hello Fresh” for a while and liked that I had three meals with ingredients ready to go and I would just fill in the rest....but I’m trying save some money so I discontinued that service. It was nice though, but maybe I can get the same benefit cheaper by using your system... thanks for sharing!

I love that wallet! So smart! I hate trying to juggle my planner at the store.

We really need to make our meal planning appointment for Sunday. With six adults in the house, plus long work schedules with our business, dinners get hectic😬! Our days also include a possible 4 more adults in our house visiting and eating meals here. My husband and I do have our favorites lists created now we just need to stay consistent! It really helps to know what’s on the weekly plan. I always have to make more for dinner because the leftovers are eaten for lunches(or breakfast)😁! I still use the shopping at the store the old fashioned way as my exercise and steps, plus a chance to get out of the house, my office is here🤣! But we are all ‘free spirits’ here and just need a 1 through 6 list ( Our Friday’s are pizza 🍕)😀! Thank you for sharing your methods and for reminding me that it doesn’t have to be that hard💗🤗!

As a free spirit, I love this. I love leftovers too. When I'm having a rough day, having frozen left overs make it easy to have a good meal that is "fend for yourself".

Where did you get the book insert that has the menu and shopping errands on it

I plan this way! Sometimes I do 3 days at a time.

AWANA!! Great! PTL.

I have been using this meal planning system for many years. I love it. I have tried to go digital so many times and it never sticks. I love my planner.

New to your channel. Enjoyed watching this and will definitely schedule in a set time to do my meal planning? I often forget what things I have in the freezer, (food or meats I buy in large packages). Do you keep a list of that, or how would manage that to make sure those are used?

Loved the video. Where did you get your menu planner?

We've been planning our menus for years (ever since we moved in together so about 12-13 years). Less shopping trips, confidence that we know what we will eat in the upcoming week, flexibility with meals - you can't beat that. I do it in a similar way as you. I write down all the meals, then list all the stuff that will be needed, but I do it on a5 sheet of paper which gets discarded (I take just one piece of paper with me to the shop and I don't need to hold on to my shopping list afterwards really). I use Hobonichi Weeks where I have a spot for my meals during the week.

Will you please share your recipe for Philly Cheesesteak Sloppy Joes?

I do plan my own meals but mine are pretty much the same as I am vegan and usually eat the same thing most days. However, I do need to plan my shopping list because I eat a lot of fresh, raw, natural foods and need to replenish! Like your meal planning tips!

I love this. I have been meal planning for my family since high school (I have always loved to cook) since my mom always went shopping. I have been married 24 years. I would be lost without meal planning.

Which pages do you use in your PP journal? Trying to figure out which journal you use. Love your system

nice video :-) my husband changes the menu up most days but I don't mind because it's the same meat item that I chose for that day my kids complain until they eat dinner and then they rave about it.

This sounds like a good method, and I’m looking forward to implementing it. Especially the part about not browsing recipes! I just have a question. How do you ensure you’re getting the right balance of nutrition in your meals? That’s what’s been hanging me up on getting started with meal planning.

OMG!! This is super helpful for my goal to do less eat out and more home cooking. THANK YOU SO MUCH !!!

Do you or have you ever used the planner perfect meal planner journal?? Wondering if the 21.00+additional charge is worth it or should I just do a journal and list meals similar to yours❤️

I find that my favorite pens are Pilot G2, but .5 skips sometimes, 1.0 bold can be messy, so my favorite is .7

I LOVED the way you explained everything. So helpful for someone starting out with meal planning. Are you by chance a teacher? If not should be.😉

Where did you get the menu/shopping list book?

Where did you get your inserts?

Do you have a place holder, because I see the week's are not dated.

where did you get your menu/grocery list from?

Organization of any kind, for any facet of your life, is good stewardship. Each day has a limited amount of time, limited amount of energy, and those limits need to be acknowledged and respected. In reality, however we choose to live, we are exchanging a limited personal resource ( our time and energy) for each thing we add to our day. I prioritize things that need to be done keeping in mind the things that are most important to me. So, reading to my kids has a higher priority than dusting the furniture. The kids get more of my limited time and energy than the dust bunnies under the couch. I am not justifying living in a dirty home, I am planning by taking into account the absolute limits we all have on our time and energy.

We are a family of Mum, Dad and 4 teens who all have a turn at cooking. It would be straightforward if they chose what they wanted to cook and I just bought what they needed, actually I did at the start of this process but was spending wayyyyyy more on food. I shop the specials each week, but then no one knows what they are cooking. We loose track of each other as everyone is in and out. The plan is falling apart and everyone is phoning it in! Help!!

Have you ever shopped for more than one week at a time?

You said self care...well there goes that I hate self care..I always feel crappy taking time for me..its selfish. Doesn't matter what I do im just not smart enough to meal plan..I all ways fail at planning and have no idea how to shop...it just doesn't work for me... My husband is tired of tacos since his coworkers would always go for tacos and work...im lucky to eat tacos once a month..but he is starting to be leaving for work soo I can eat tacos the whole week 🙃.

When does the info actually start?

I think you have important information presented in good order and a pleasant voice. However, I don't like watching your hands bob around. I use the time you are talking to examine the examples you are showing us. So you get 5 Stars out of 5 Stars.

You say your going to jump in then you keep talking. To much talkinh