What’s for Dinner? Wednesday

I have learned recently that making a menu for the week’s meals is a very smart investment of my time.

Could you believe that menu-making could save money? Bizarre but true! Food only lasts so long before it goes bad. And since I tend to buy “good deals” in bulk, it would be very easy for it to go bad before I remembered to use it. On Wednesdays, when all of the new sales for the week have started, I do my grocery shopping as well as my menu planning. “Good grief! What am I going to do with 30 pounds of potatoes?” (Yes, this has happened.) I’ll schedule a morning or two for hash browns, a lunch with oven fries, a supper with mashed potatoes, and maybe one with scalloped potatoes. Potato salad would be nice with lunch as well. Those little spuds don’t stand a chance of sprouting in my pantry!

The dividends of this investment are also paid in the form of sanity. My menu is in a three-ring binder on my kitchen cabinet. When the children are tempted to ask one of the most irritating questions known to mother, they are directed to the notebook. “You are more than welcomed to look,” is a much nicer reply than, “I don’t know! I’m busy, why does it matter?” This is one fewer conversation in which to test my patience. It leaves more patience for other events throughout my day. I sure could use a little extra when it comes time for potty training and grading schoolwork!

The third return on this investment of time is even more time! The two hours before supper are hectic. The children are finishing up schoolwork. The toddler is waking up from her nap and wants lots of attention. The kitchen needs straightening….again! My husband has come home. This chaos is not the best environment for trying to figure out what everyone would rather have for supper. (Never do they actually agree on any food.) I could spend 30 minutes trying to decide what to fix. Spending this 30 minutes on Wednesday saves me at least 30 minutes at suppertime each night, not to mention the time saved at breakfast and lunch. If I were to translate this into price tags, because as we know time costs us, using a menu would only spend 1/7th of the planning time that it would take without one. Liz Price: 86% off !