Meal Planning – The Solution that Has Changed Our Budget (And a Giveaway from eMeals!!!!)

If you are like me, you SAID you were going to meal plan and then didnt’. You thought you didn’t have TIME to meal plan because it took time.

However, once I started meal planning I realized that, though it took some up front time, in the end it saved time. Time that was spent traditionally in front of the pantry or freezer trying to decide what to make for dinner while the kids hang on my legs saying they are hungry.

Then I found eMeals. The meal planning was already done for me and, depending upon the menu you choose, even the budget is done for you. I love that this even saves me more time. And the money I save on groceries each month MORE than pays for the eMeals subscription.

When we first started meal planning we were saving around $20-$50 a week from our grocery bill by meal planning. With eMeals we started saving between $50-$75 per week by sticking to the plans and using the included grocery lists. I LOVE the included grocery lists. It makes it so easy to go through the frig, freezer and pantry before leaving for the store and determining what we already have. I just use the provided list then add the few extras we need for the week and I’m off to the store with a nice list in hand.

Now I know I said “sticking to the plans” but that doesn’t mean you have to use the plan EXACTLY. We mark favorite recipes that are included on the plan and I put them in our Household Binder in the kitchen. That way, if the weekly plan has a meal that won’t work for our family (due to allergy or preference) I just sub out the receipe from a previous week that we loves and add that list to the weekly grocery list and I’m good to go.  And no I don’t always shop every week, I usually shop for 2 weeks at a time and have 2 weeks of menus ready to go.

One of the great things about eMeals is that you can try the different eMeals menu samples. Therefore, if you are on the Clean Eating menu plan and then want to try the Slow Cooker menu for a while, you can get a few recipes for the slow cooker that make a great backup quick recipe if you need it down the line.

What do I get for the Subscription?
If you haven’t used eMeals, or aren’t familiar with it, you can check out their website and look at all the great menus they have available. You can even choose meus that are specifically paired up with your favorite grocery stores like Kroger and Aldi.  Otherwise, you can choose from options like Mediterainian, Kid-Friendly, Classic, and Paleo, to name a few.

There are 3 month, 6 month, and 12 month subscriptions available and you can subscribe to dinner only plans or specialty plans like lunch or dessert, or you can get a plan that gives you 3 meals a day with desert. it’s really up to you and what you prefer.

All plans come with access to the weekly meal plan and access to the plan for the week prior. Each subscription give you the option to switch plans once a month and you can choose menus for 2-4 people or families (3-6 people). One of the fun advantages of an eMeals subscription is that you occasionally get some specialty meal plans like for the 4th of July cookout or a Thanksgiving dinner meal; plan with grocery list.

Be sure to check out eMeals on the web or on Facebook and then give them a try. You might find that it save you time and money like it did me and won’t know what you did without them!