Like most everyone else our lives are super busy and it takes a lot of effort just to manage the day-to-day details – like meal planning and grocery shopping. I often think of things I need to add to my shopping list when I'm busy around the house and many times I forget to write them down. So, I came up with a shopping list that I print out each Sunday and stick to the refrigerator so it's ready when I need it. I organized it by type of food products so that when I go to the store it's really easy to make sure I don't have to backtrack because I missed one produce item that was buried in my list among the cleaning supplies.
Another part of life that requires planning is our weekly menu. And, I can tell you this one was really my wife's idea because she is a super-duper planner. She works hard to make sure that we eat healthfully and that our meal prep times fit into our schedule. She checks to see if one, or both of us, will be away from home on a weeknight and tries to set things up so that there are leftovers available, or a simple meal prep that night for the one who will be home cooking alone. It makes a huge difference in our stress levels and I've really learned to appreciate her planning skills. She gave me the parameters for this meal planning sheet and it has made life easier in so many ways.
If you feel that these organizers would be useful for you please grab copies below and see how they work. I'm happy to share these tools to make life a little simpler.
Grocery List (PDF)
Weekly Meal Planner (PDF)