Meal planning: an update!

I shared here how we go about planning our meals. Although it's fun to try something new, it's more important that it actually functions properly and fits in with our busy lifestyle.

So here are my $0.02!

Pros:

1. It's easy to clear the calendar at the end of the month and re-categorize the meals since they are color coded. I put them all back and then start completely over the next month.

2. The calendar makes it SUPER easy to change meals quickly. If we realized we forgot to thaw chicken or we unexpectedly go out to eat, it's easy to swap out the little magnets without much effort.

3. With my "staples" list, I know all the ingredients I need for most of my meals are already in the fridge. If I do need to swap out a meal, I know the ingredients are on hand. By the way, I have added to my staples list.

Old:

New:
I keep the new list on a clipboard that I can take with me to the grocery store. I flipped the list horizontal instead of vertical so it's more practical to hold.

Cons (and I really had to think to come up with these!):

1. Sometimes the magnets are hard to remove because they are totally flat against the board. I don't have nails so I mostly have to slide them off the side.

2. The board stays at home on my fridge so if I forget to look at what's for dinner before I go to work, then I am out of luck. Most days this isn't a big deal, because at least I know something is planned.

Overall I still LOVE this system! It fits in perfectly with my couponing lifestyle and although there is a good bit of time spent at the beginning of the month to plan/shop, it makes the rest of the month easy peasy.