Without fail, somewhere between 4 & 5 o’clock, my kids and I start asking “What’s for dinner?” Sometimes the question is merely rhetorical and sometimes we just ponder it amongst ourselves. Most often, we direct it to my husband since he is most likely to have an answer, and most importantly, he is most likely to make it. To minimize the quandary, we set up some routine meals that everyone likes and that fit our busy schedule so we can have a few options on standby at all times.

For instance, Tuesday is a full night of running a couple kids here and there, so we got in the habit of having bean burritos on Tuesdays. The tradition started with a quick run through the drive-through at Taco Bell in between dropping one kid off and picking another one up. But last February we brought the burritos home and started making them ourselves. We often eat a bit later on Tuesday because we are taxiing kids, but overall the bean burrito meal has become a mainstay.

Next, Friday is our family movie night, which we decided includes pizza. Usually we pick up a couple at our local pizza shop, but with our no spending challenge this year, we are making them at home instead. So, with two nights of the week taken, we just have five dinners to plan each week. Even with only five meals to plan, we don’t have time to do it every week. The solution we came up with is a monthly family planning session.

First, we printed up a one month calendar. Then we labeled the Tuesday and Friday nights with “the usual” dinners. Next, we all brainstormed meal ideas by each person adding a few favorites to the list. My husband enjoys trying new recipes so he reviewed a cookbook to look for inspiration. Finally, we assigned meals to the open days of the month, leaving days between the same dish to maintain some variety in our diet.

With our menu planned for the month, we will be able to make grocery lists (one of the rules of our No Spend Challenge) before heading to the store. Plus, we will all be able to answer the age old question of “What’s for dinner?”

How do you plan your meals or figure out what’s for dinner?