Food is usually the second largest expense in a family’s budget (next to housing). That is definitely the case with our family of 8. As my husband and I were working on paying off debt, I knew that if I could save money in this category, every little bit would add up. To make buying food, menu planning, and cooking easier I devised a plan. I started to use theme nights for our dinners. One of the hardest things about making dinner… is deciding what to make.
Do you agree!?
So having a theme for each night of the week constrained my options to meals that would fit into that category. It made cooking dinner much easier for me because I had a plan to follow. All I had to do was make sure I had the ingredients in the house for the week and cook what I had planned. I still use this method 15 years later. It has saved us from wanting to order takeout or go out to dinner so many times over the years. Each of the nights has a budget friendly base such as potatoes, pasta, rice, beans, bread, or eggs, which helps to stretch the food dollar.
Here are the themes we do each week:
Monday: Comfort Food Night
I think of this as any food that goes with potatoes of some kind (sweet or regular). That includes mashed potatoes, baked or roasted potatoes, or French fries. We also include soups/stews in this category during the cold months of the year. Some of our favorites from this category include sloppy joes, meatloaf, baked chicken or turkey, chicken noodle soup, beef stew, and shredded beef sandwiches.
Tuesday: Italian Night
This includes anything with or without pasta that has Italian flavors. Some of our favorites include spaghetti and meatballs, chicken alfredo, minestrone soup, chicken and pesto, sausages and veggies, or homemade mac and cheese.
Wednesday: Asian Night
This night usually includes rice (white, brown, etc.). Some of our favorites are stir fry, sweet and sour/orange chicken, Hawaiian haystacks, rice bowls with teriyaki, peanut sauce, or curry. We also enjoy potstickers, egg rolls, and Asian noodles (like homemade Panda Express or pad thai).
Thursday: Mexican Night
This is our favorite night of the week! Some of our favorites include taco soup, burritos, enchiladas, taco salad, chicken tortilla soup, several kinds of chili/ soups, nachos, and fajitas.
Friday: Easy/Breakfast Night
Many people do pizza night on Friday, but my kids often have school lunch on Friday and that is what they serve. We also found that my husband and I might go on a date, so we decided to make Friday nights easy or breakfast. Most of our favorites include several types of sandwiches. We like grilled cheese and tomato soup, quesadillas (with meat or only cheese), tuna melts, hot ham and cheese, chicken sandwiches, or easy foods like chicken strips and fish sticks. If the kids are home cooking, I can guarantee you that it’s Kraft Mac & Cheese and chicken strips. We also enjoy making breakfast for dinner. I don’t think there is a breakfast food we don’t love!
Saturday: Family Favorites Night
This is the night that we make anything that fits into our schedule and is a family favorite. It might be pizza or a favorite meal from the other categories. I basically don’t stress about Saturday nights. It’s whatever we all agree upon. Sometimes it’s also leftovers… we call that the Berkley buffet!
Sunday: Grill Night
My husband usually cooks something on the grill for dinner on Sundays, unless the weather makes it miserable. Our favorites include hamburgers, hotdogs, sausages, chicken, and occasionally pork tenderloin or steak. We add the typical sides that go with each one… salads, chips, veggies & fruit.
Having a simple plan and easy meals that I can rotate through makes all the difference for me. There are many benefits of eating at home with your family each night, but you’ll also save money in the process. Try out these theme nights (or personalize it to your family) and let dinner be easy!