Menu Plans

So I'm finding I have neither the time nor the patience to do menu planning and grocery shopping but my family and my health need me to. Over the years I have frequented different menu planning websites and am slowly collecting a list! :)

I've used
http://savingdinner.com/
http://menus4moms.com/

and have now signed up (however temporary) with
http://e-mealz.com/index.shtml

I will let you know over the coming weeks what I think of it.

My Goals are to reduce our budget some as the economy slows, tighten the belt a little, cinch it tighter so we eat less! LOL! are the old cliches that come to mind! Not that I'm worried right now but I figure teaching the kids something I don't remember from my childhood would be a useful skill - make them frugal (or cheap! hee hee!) One never knows what will happen with the local jobs and at least if we've managed to scale things down a bit we'll be in better shoes - should something bad happen.

I think I'm going to encourage / hire my 7 yr old to clip coupons, and she will get 50% of the savings, the other 50% will go towards the menu planning or fun stuff for school! Of that 50% that she earns 25% will go to savings.

Now lets see how it works! LOL!