Feb 10, 2009 8:23 pm US/Central
Stretch Your Dollar: Plan Your Menus
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
It's the four words that many mothers dread: "Mom, what's for dinner?!" But one Berwyn mother can tell you a week in advance. She says it's easy, and it can help you "stretch your dollar."
Six-year old Joshua is reading to his little brothers, Nathan and Daniel. Joshua is not only a good reader. His mother says - he's a good eater.
She can't even keep fruit and veggies in the house. They disappear quickly. It must cost a lot to feed these growing boys, right? Wrong.
"I try to and keep our grocery budget under $100 a week for a family of five," said mother Kendra Neal.
Kendra says it's all about being organized. On her fridge is a menu of all the meals her family will eat for the week: breakfast, lunch and dinner.
She starts by going through the grocery ads that come out on Wednesday. She notes what's on sale. Based on that, she comes up with a menu. She says it saves money.
"$75 to $100 a week - minimum," Kendra said.
Kendra has a computer spreadsheet where she enters all the meals. It's set up so she can easily update them. She says the whole process takes around 20 minutes.
"You have that plan for the week and you're not…4:00 comes, 'what am I gonna make for dinner?'" Kendra said. "You already know."
Kendra says she will often serve her kids salad with dinner.
She wants to stress that menu planning is for everyone - not just families.
Kendra is sharing a blank version of her spreadsheet with us, and has some suggested websites for beginning planners to use.
Check out the links below:
Kendra Neal's spreadsheet for planning menus
MENU PLANNING WEBSITES:
http://menus4moms.com/store/index.php
http://www.themenumom.com/
http://www.aldimeals.com/
http://www.e-mealz.com/
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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