How do you do menu planning.?

I need some tips and advice on menu planning for meals through the week. I am on a budget has well and would need to stick on that. Also I try to use coupons has well. My mom told me to do a menu for a week and go by that and see want on sale has well. It hard to do at times. This want our days are like.



Monday. It just me my 5 year old and soon to be 11 month old baby home at lunch. Then me and my three kids and my dad at times.

Tuesday to Friday at lunch it me and my baby.

Satuday and Sunday me and my three kids.



I would need to go by that. I am currently living with my parents for while and I am single mom has well. My mom will give me some money to go grocery shopping because half the time I am feeding my dad and do mostly the cooking.



I need tips on christmas. I am on a budget and $100 each child. I am not doing the dollar tree because toys seem to break easy.



I have 7 year old son. He has enough toys. I know some of it be socks and underwear but also 7 year old be in to.

I have 5 year old has well. He has enough toys. He getting some socks and underwear.

And my baby be 1 year old has well by christmas time. She would need toys.



ThanksHow do you do menu planning.?
I don't actually plan out lunches. I just make sure I have lunch items, like a bag of frozen chicken, peanut butter, bread, sandwich meat, soups, stuff like that. The only thing I plan out is dinner. With that I just write down 7 dinners I want to make. I look in the pantry for things I already have (like canned beans for chili) and then write down what I need. The fewer ingredients a recipe has in it, the cheaper it most likely will be. The Sunday paper has tons of coupons in it. So what you can do is write out your menu and shopping list after you see what's on sale. Just if chicken is on sale, then make some chicken parm. Super easy. Just mix together in a 1:1 ration parmesan cheese and breadcrumbs. Beat up some eggs. Dip the chicken in the eggs, then in the breadcrumbs. Fry the chicken on each side like 10-15 minutes. Put a little tomato sauce in the bottom of a baking pan. Put in the chicken. Sprinkle on mozzarella if you have it. Put it in the oven 350 for 20-30 minutes. Boil some spaghetti. Mix in some tomato sauce. Done. Parmesan, breadcrumbs, mozzarella, and eggs can all be used in different recipes, so they are a smart thing to buy.



If your children don't need toys, then books are a wonderful thing to buy. Get some classics and some on their favorite characters. You can go to the thrift store or to a paperback book store to find some for cheap, but still good quality. Even a 1 year old would be happy with some board books or soft books rather than a roomful of toys that they quickly grow out of.
I dont do that but my bizniz degree friend (compulsive penny pincher) looks through magazines

picks out meals for a week or two

buys those ingredients

and does pretty well at itHow do you do menu planning.?
huh?
punch sandwich toys