Meal Planning + Free Monthly Menu Printable

I suck at meal planning. Like, so bad you guys. And maybe I shouldn't say "suck"....hahaha who am I trying to fool?! So I've been married 9 years and I honestly don't know how we are still alive and haven't starved to death. Just kidding. Kind of. I think we lived off of chips and salsa or homemade "nachos" the first five years of our marriage. Hmm maybe that's an exaggeration and I need back-pedal now and save face a little here...hah!

I don't HATE cooking...I can follow a recipe just fine. My problem is that I have a really low desire to cook. gaaa! How horrible is that? but it's true. I would rather be drawing or painting or playing my 30th round of CandyLand or doing basically anything but cook dinner when 4 or 5 o'clock rolls around.

I don't know about your marriage, and i know every marriage is different, but there are a couple things that have always been huge points for causing-ahem-disagreements between my husband and I. The first is money (raise that hand if you can relate! or just smile and nod at your screen), and the second is dinners. My husband grew up with a mother that would make the best food. Breakfasts lunches and dinners. And dinners had sides. So for him, that has always been a big deal. He's a happy camper if dinner is made (with sides-don't ever forget your sides) and ready for him when he comes home from work or school. I grew up with great meals too, they were just slightly...not as extravagant. And sometimes not with sides. Not a big deal to me.

Over the years I've learned to cook better, try and get grocery lists together, and plan better. But I've never really loved doing any of it. Until one day a couple months ago my husband handed me his phone, and showed me in his notes section, a list he had created of 31 meals ALONG WITH a bunch of sides that were his favorite. hahaha! I was dying and  I kid you not he totally did this all on his own. He made a freaking list of what he wants for dinners and that was that. No more struggling for me with the dreaded "what to make for dinner tonight?" question!!

I threw together a monthly calendar(printable you can download below!) and taped it to my fridge. I also created a printable grocery shopping list. I look at two weeks at a time, write down all my ingredients, and BAM. I'm done thinking about that. Yes, plans change, things get switched around, and schedules get off. This is especially true now that it's summertime and I feel we grill a ton more. But having my husband literally write down what meals he'll eat and what he wants, helps me out a toooooon.

I hope these printables can help you out now too! download here:
blank grocery list
monthly menu
monthly menu w/notes

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