Meal Planning: Knowing What You Have On Hand (Inventory)

If you are already not familiar with meal planning, then you need to start getting to know it. Making a budget work without a meal plan is not going to happen! I have tried it and I failed miserably.

I do major grocery shopping once a month, and I spend half of a week before my shopping trip carefully making my meal plan and going over it a couple of times. I love to re-check things to make sure everything is correct. I do my minor grocery shopping once a week to replace produce and things that might get used up fairly quickly. After my meal plan is created, I start making my grocery lists. I never shop at one store because I want to get the lowest price. I will create a separate list for each store.

It might seem like a really long process, but it really isn't. I actually enjoy it. Does that sound weird?

Before you sit down and start making a meal plan, you will have to do some organizational prep work. You need to take an inventory of everything you have on hand.

Taking an inventory is usually making a list of all the basics that you currently have in your kitchen. That means spices, flour, sugar, meats, oils, cheese, milk, butter, etc. Some of these basic items may not have to get replaced every month and some will.

It is time to go take inventory now. :) Bring a pad and a pen with you in your kitchen and write down all the major staples that you have. While you are at it, write down all the things you need to use up. It may be a couple packages of ground beef, a piece of fish, an egg, or anything. I have a package of ground beef and a boston butt that really needs to get used up. What do you have? Hopefully, you have taken inventory!

That wasn't so scary, was it? Knowing your inventory before creating a meal place is crucial. It really lets you know what you need to use up.