My husband and I have been married almost 24 years. I have been cooking those entire 24 years. I am certainly no chef, but my family is fed and healthy. I hate to admit cooking is probably one of my least favorite “wife” duties. But it is a part of being a keeper at home as mentioned in Titus 2, so I try to do it joyfully. I thought I would share a few things that have made my life easier.

Budget

Like it or not, we all have a budget. Food costs have gone through the roof, and it is just something we have to deal with. I began to look carefully at our budget and was surprised at how much money we were spending on food. It is easily our largest expense. Through the years, I have ditched most of the boxed meals and easy-fix options, and now try to just buy ingredients. It requires a little more time in the kitchen, but I believe this is the best way to save money at the grocery store.

Buying ingredients means I have more options for meals. I buy many of these ingredients in bulk and have so many options for meals to make. We grow a garden and can tomatoes and other vegetables. This is hard work to get done, but so worth it in the end when you have a cabinet full of jars to view.

Planning Meals

Planning meals is hands-down the best way to keep your budget under control. Everyone seems to have their own way of doing it that works for them. My biggest help in this is my inventory. It is quite a job, and I usually get my girls to help me, but we go through each cabinet, pantry, and freezer, writing down how many of each thing we have. This is so helpful when planning meals. Especially if you are at the end of your paycheck and your budget is maxed out. Update your inventory. You might just be surprised the wonderful meal you have waiting to be made in your kitchen. Download these inventory sheets and print as many as you like!

Meal Frames

Meal frames work better for me than regular meal planning. I created a Google document and added a table (insert>table>choose size). You could also do this in Microsoft Word or just a simple notebook. Each of my frames are based on the main ingredient in the dish, usually the meat, although I do have frames for meatless meals and beans which are money savers. For example:

I link some of the meals to recipes online. Others I make a little note of where to find them. Some recipes are just in my head and I make them a certain way. I have frames organized for just about every meat, beans, soups, meatless, and even themes like italian, mexican, etc. I can look at these frames and see at a glance what I need to make the meal. I tend to keep ingredients on hand for the majority of these meals. Also, some meals might end up in more than one frame. Meal frames really just help me think of meals to match the ingredients I have on hand.

Mixes

I try to make as much from scratch as I possibly can simply because of the horrible ingredients in many boxed mixes. It is so handy to have mixes on hand for cookies, brownies, soups, gravy, and more. I love this little ebook from Little House Living and have made several of the mixes included. You can find just about all of them for free on her website if you want to browse. I also like to make some mixes for spices and flavorings such as ranch seasoning for dips and dressing, gravy mix, and cream of soups.

Leftovers

I hate to admit this, but we are not big leftover-eating people. I am good at sticking stuff in the fridge and letting perfectly good food go to waste…and that has to stop. I have found that once we eat a meal, we just can’t eat it again for a while. A couple of things that are helping me with this are: trying to only cook what we will eat & taking leftovers straight to the freezer- clearly dated and labeled. Also, sometimes I can recreate sort of a meal that seems new. If we eat a bowl of chili on Monday night, we might eat chili dogs or chili fritos on Thursday night. It almost seems like a different meal for some reason. Tacos become nachos or taco salad (who am I kidding, I could eat tacos every night of the week). If leftovers are draining your budget take another look and find a solution.

Meal planning doesn’t have to be overwhelming or complicated. By using meal frames, keeping an updated pantry inventory, making homemade mixes, and finding creative ways to use leftovers, you can save time, money, and stress in the kitchen. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s finding a system that works for your family and helps you use your resources wisely. Whether you’re new to meal planning or just looking for a fresh approach, I hope these ideas inspire you to simplify your process and enjoy the meals you prepare. Happy cooking!