Menu Plan Monday--Master Shopping List

Part of what makes menu planning such a wonderful time saver is the fact that you won't have to run to the store at the last minute to get an ingredient that you need for dinner! If you have made your list and checked it twice, you will have everything you need to make all your meals for whatever period of time you have planned. Part of making that happen involves having a good master shopping list. When you go through your menu plan you will write down the ingredients you need for each recipe, but you need a list of things that you always want to keep on hand, like flour, butter, milk, etc. Having a good master shopping list will ensure that you always have the basic necessities on hand to be able to make any dish your heart desires. It takes time to perfect a good master list (I still find myself altering mine), but when you have one, you will see it is well worth the time investment.

I'm still trying to find a way to upload my shopping list here to help all of you create yours, but in the meantime...
just start a basic list of things that you know you need on a regular basis. Whenever you find you are out of something you need, just add it to your list. In no time, you will have a good master list going!

What I do with my master shopping list is this:
Place inside a plastic sheet protector and put inside the pantry door. Whenever you run out of something, you can highlight the item right on the sheet protector with a dry-erase marker. (Train your family to do this!!!) Then when it is time to go shopping, you can just remove the whole thing and take it to the store. Once you are done shopping, erase your highlighted marks and start over.

Menu Plan 6/7-6/13

Monday:
breakfast~smoothies
lunch~baked potato soup
dinner~salisbury steak

Tuesday:
breakfast~cream of wheat
lunch~leftovers
dinner~chorizo quesadillas

Wednesday:
breakfast~banana bread
lunch~sandwiches
dinner~roasted chickens

Thursday:
breakfast~granola bars
lunch~pasta
dinner~cheesy macaroni and ham bake

Friday:
breakfast~crumb cake
lumch~quesadillas
dinner~pizza

Saturday:
breakfast~omelets
lunch~tuna macaroni salad
dinner~fettucine alfredo

Sunday:
breakfast~cereal
lunch~go out
dinner~enchiladas


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