Meal Planning and my shrinking Grocery costs

I have been trying to reduce my grocery costs to $50 a week.

I try to grow many things in my garden and make as much as I can from scratch. I still have to buy dairy products right now because I have not convinced my husband that we really, really need a goat. He says they are escape artists and will destroy my landscape and garden and I should go try to milk someone elses goat first. I am just going to save my own (non existent money- because I don't work) and buy one myself!! So Ha.

I have discovered that it works out much better if I plan my meals. I am a real procrastinator and get bored of things quickly so this will be a challenge but I am determined to be a money saving person from now on. I have been in a rut for some time making the same meals over and over again and have been trying to broaden my horizons with new meals. Cooking is awesome. Ten years ago I could only make a handful of different meals and now I can cook anything and even dream up my own concoctions. Sooo.. If you think you can't cook.. You are wrong! Try it! It's fun.

Anyway.... Meal Planning. Now I am going to different websites and blogs to find great meal ideas. I have made a spread sheet that I plug the names of the meals into. I also write down where I found them in case I need to refer back to them. I have an area beside the calendar of meals that I list all the ingredients needed. I also add anything else I think of during the week to that list. My husband gets paid on Fridays so that is when I go spend all of his money. That is also the day of the week my calendar starts over. I have found that a little planning helps me save more money and I don't have to worry about coming up with something the day I need it and not having the ingredients!