How Planning Transformed My Life

In the past, I’ve always been a casual planner and calendar user. I utilized as many as I could. I had a calendar on my wall at home, I had a calendar on my desk at work, and I had a teacher planner and pocket planner that I carried with me everywhere. I had so many planners that planning was overwhelming. Two years ago, Christen introduced me to Happy Planner® and I fell in love. Instead of having so many planners, I committed to having one planner for all of the planning that I do.

Katniss helping me plan.

My Happy Planner®  has many sections that help me stay organized:

• Year-at-a-glance section
• Month-at-a-glance layout
• Weekly spread
• Daily entries

Different things I use my planner for:

1. Everyday events such as birthdays, due dates, date nights, weddings, etc. I also take it to the next level, and I have spiritual and literary events added, as well as the moon phases and Banned Books Week. Because I am an English teacher, I like to add the literary holidays because I like to plan around them and celebrate with my students. I utilize my monthly calendar for these things.
2. School dates such as school holidays, the nine-week grading periods, field trip days, testing days, and lesson due dates. We have a lot of school dates, so I utilize the weekly part of my planner. The weekly spread is also very helpful when planning out lesson plans and to-do lists. I try to organize the weekly calendar.
3. Budgeting. In every monthly section of my planner, there are pages for notes. I write a list of my bills and their due dates. I will also make a note of bill due dates in the daily section of the planner. I use a budget tracker to track my spending habits. You can also buy supplemental budgeting sheets to add to your Happy Planner®.
4. Lists. Listing is very important to me. I like to keep a daily or weekly goal list and to-do list. I write these lists in the margins of the weekly section in my planner. I also have a call list that I keep in the monthly section of my planner which reminds me of the phone calls I need to make.

Rough draft of to-do lists

Other key features I like:

• Stickers. I love stickers! When I first bought a planner, I immediately purchased cool stickers to go in my planner.
• Folders and pockets. You can add folders and pockets to your planner to keep loose papers and it gives your planner a notebook-like feel.
• The room to truly be creative. Not only do I like to color-code my dates but I also like to draw pictures in my planner to represent key moments in my life.

After all of this, I still do not consider myself an extreme planner. However, after changing my planning habits and consolidating all of my calendars to one catch-all planner, my life has been more organized and efficient. When I get to school, one of the first things I do is take out my planner and see what I have going on that day. Planning has helped me look ahead and not overbook myself. Planning has also helped me keep accountable in certain aspects of my life that used to challenge me, such as budgeting. Organizing to the extreme is not for everyone and you can still be a casual planner using Happy Planner® but if you are looking for an extra creative outlet in your life, I highly recommend it.

Let’s continue the conversation. Do you use day planners in your life? Join us on our Facebook Group: MMC Chat and on our Facebook page.

Say Hello to HelloFresh

A few years ago, if you had asked me to tell you how to eat healthy on a budget, I would have laughed in your face. Hi, this is Cindy again, and oddly enough, that’s exactly what I’m here to do! This week we’ve been talking about several different ways to eat healthy on a budget, and I’m here with more info about one I mentioned in the podcast on Wednesday.

For me, one of the biggest obstacles to eating healthy is often the time it takes to prepare a healthy meal. How many times have you come home from work and thought to yourself, “What am I going to make for dinner?” only to decide that you’re too tired to cook, or you’ve still got work to finish, and you just don’t want to spend the time figuring it out and then cooking it. Admit it, it’s a lot faster and often cheaper to order that pizza, or slide through the drive-thru at Taco Bell or McDonalds. I mean, “Dollar Menu”...right?

The answer to that dilemma is always “plan ahead”, but even that takes time. I used to spend at least an hour every Sunday planning out my grocery list for the week; I had to look through the pantry and freezer to decide what’s there that needed to get used before it went bad, and compare it to my recipes to see what I could make out of it. And then once I had my list, I had to go to the store to get the supplies. That could take an hour or more, and more often than not, involved multiple stores! I won’t even mention what happens when I can’t find an ingredient (COVID shortages are real!). Wow! That’s making me tired just thinking about it. It sure makes that pizza sound pretty good right now.

Luckily, budget-friendly can also be time-friendly. My favorite time and budget-friendly option right now is HelloFresh. This is a paid meal service with some excellent healthy options and hearty portions. All of the food comes right to your door, complete with the recipe to prepare a delicious meal. You pick the food, you pick the days and the portions, and they deliver sanity. Seriously. 

Stuffed Bell Peppers with Couscous is one of our favorites

What makes this service healthy is the choices. HelloFresh offers your choice of at least 25 different meal options every week, many of which are low calorie, carb-smart, and even vegetarian. The portions are appropriately sized and quite filling. And best of all it is mostly fresh ingredients—not canned veggies or processed meats — just good food. 

I signed up for HelloFresh (no, this is not a paid endorsement) at a Pinners Conference in 2019. I was curious and thought I’d give it a try. The food looked delicious, the prep work looked easy, and the price was right -- the average plan costs about $10/person per meal. I didn’t think hubby would like it much, but, hey, he wasn’t the one spending all his time sweating over the hot stove.

I was blown away by my first box. The ingredients were fresh and portioned to the exact amount I needed (no measuring), the instructions were simple and straight-forward (no figuring out whether to cook the veggies first or last), and the food was delicious. The meals were also scalable; I could add a third plate by slightly increasing a few ingredients or adding another side. This proved helpful when my niece was home for dinner once per week, since I had only ordered meals for two people for most nights.

I started with three meals a week for two people, and it took a huge burden off my shoulders when it came to cooking meals. Hubby stepped in to help me one night early on, and we discovered that we actually enjoyed cooking these meals together. The instructions are so precise and well written that we can work together effortlessly without stepping on each other’s toes, and the time together in the kitchen has been a great way for us to unwind after work and share the stories of our day without unloading on each other. Now it’s a ritual to cook our HelloFresh together, and then we cook on other nights by turns (and we still do take out), so neither of us feels like the burden of meals is on one person’s shoulders. And because we plan our meals in advance (up to 6 weeks!), we've eliminated a lot of the planning and shopping time that used to bog me down.

HelloFresh is also eco-friendly.  According to their website, the carbon footprint of HelloFresh meals is 25% lower than meals cooked at home with store-bought groceries. Most of the packaging is recyclable, and everything is shipped “carbon-offset”. Oh, and there’s less food waste -- none of that buying a whole package of celery to make one meal only to have it go to waste in my fridge because I didn’t need it for anything else. If the recipe calls for two scallions, they send me two scallions, not a whole bunch.

Another great thing about this service is it is really easy to customize to my needs. I can increase or decrease my meals whenever I want. I can put them on hold, or even cancel them completely -- there are no commitments. These days we’re down to two meals a week for four people, having switched our plan to accommodate the revolving door of a niece, my mother, and a friend that have stayed with us the last two years. These meals for four run me about $80 plus tax, and it is totally worth the time and sanity it brought back to my life. My son, Steven, took me up on the offer of a free box early on, and he loved it so much, he’s been a subscriber for almost two years, too. He’s single, so he orders 3 meals for two people every week, which allows him to cook one night then have leftovers the next, all week long, so he only does one carry-out night a week. For a single person, that’s awesome! And even better, the simple instructions and great recipes have actually helped him learn to cook. Heck, even my husband and I, both highly experienced cooks, have learned a cool thing or two.

But really, my biggest take away from this experience has been this — time is money, and for someone who is self-employed like me, every minute I spend in the kitchen is time I’m not working on my business or doing something I truly love. My time is really valuable to me. If I can still eat healthy without spending more than I would spend on traditional meals, then I’m all for it. 

If you think you might be interested in trying HelloFresh (or one of the other meal delivery services), I encourage you to give it a try. HelloFresh offers a wide variety of meal options, including vegetarian, low-carb, and low-calorie foods, all for the same price, and you get to choose every single meal they send you.  You can also choose to up-level a meal or two for a set fee, but I’ve found the regular choices to be quite sufficient.

Have you tried HelloFresh or another meal service? Share your experience in the comments!
And if you’d like a recommendation or two, head on over to the Facebook group to continue the conversation!

Meal Planning on a Budget

 

Hi again, Christen here…a long time sufferer of eating cheap. No, for real, eating cheap isn't always healthy and can also be lacking in flavor.  To make matters worse, I used to not plan or meal prep either.  All of that eating on the fly took a big bite out of my budget due to last minute purchases, and there was always some excess of wasted food.

I can’t eat a bowl of cereal for dinner out of convenience anymore now that I am married and have a child. Dinner needs to be prepared in a timely manner, and there are special considerations for our dietary needs. Travis, my husband, has to be extra careful due to the fact that he is diabetic.

A couple of weeks ago when discussing S.M.A.R.T. goals, I mentioned that Travis is now the primary cook in our household. I thought I would delve into the process that we have in place now that allows us to create delicious homemade food from scratch that is simple, filling, healthy and affordable.

Planning

There are several things that Travis and I do to ensure that we are on the same page throughout the week when it comes to dinners and getting the household fed. I am currently working 5 nights a week during the dinner hours. Luckily, I am able to have dinner with my family, but I cannot be in the kitchen preparing the meals; Travis really has to manage the kitchen as much as possible. Since I am an avid planner and he is still learning, we connect weekly to put our ideas together, and to plan and execute the shopping to ensure that there are no hiccups. Each meal that is prepared has an associated recipe. Having specific directions ensures that all the ingredients are purchased and used properly. Planning ahead also keeps us from choosing too many unhealthy options. When you give yourself enough time to consider your meals, you are more likely to make healthy choices. Don’t forget to plan for breakfast, lunch, and snacks as well. Having a plan for these meals will keep you within your budget, but also keep you from going back to the store, or ordering take out.

Timing

We connect on Thursdays, and Travis brings his recipe suggestions with him along with his day planner. We determine what meals we will be making for the following Monday - Sunday. We consider activities on our calendar and make alterations if certain activities require a quick dinner. Once we have the weekly menu planned out, we post it on the fridge and then go through each recipe to get a shopping list started. The key to this is consistency, you will manage this task more effectively over time, whether doing it solo or as a couple.

Shopping

Travis and I do not go to the grocery store to shop for our main weekly purchases. We do however visit the Vietnamese market for specialty items, and we use the flyers to purchase meats at specific stores if the price is worth the special trip, all other groceries are ordered through grocery pick up. This strategy limits impulse shopping. We have lowered our grocery bill considerably by not picking up those one-off snacks that catch our eye while going up and down the isles. Our grocery pick up order consists of just the items we need, and we are able to have more restraint and buying power. I can take my time and really shop by reading the labels and determining which product will give me the best value. I also like the fact that I can quickly click on the past purchases that are in my shopping cart on a weekly basis.

Budget

I can tell you that grocery pickup and online shopping is handy for lowering your grocery cost, however the most important factor in all of this is the budget. Your finances cannot be controlled unless you have the reins on them. If you wander around the grocery store without a clear plan, and without a budget, your cost will surely go up. Random items picked up in the store add to the cost of your cart, but you don’t see the impact until you are at the register. Determine the maximum you want to spend on your grocery trip, this is your budget for that trip. Also knowing the exact dates you are shopping for is essential. I recommend purchasing groceries once a week so that you can buy fresh produce, meats and bread frequently. Many fresh vegetables and fruits do not have a shelf life beyond a few days, so shopping more frequently ensures you are eating the freshest of foods. Sure, you can buy canned vegetables that last longer, but they are not as healthy, and not always as appetizing. So, to recap your budget strategy, ensure you know what days you are needing to purchase food for, how many meals, number of people being fed, and what you can afford to buy for that time frame. Use the meal plan to keep your shopping list within your budget. Know what you can spend, so that you don’t overspend. If your groceries for the week are exceeding your budget, consider either going meatless for a meal, swapping out a recipe, or doubling up on a recipe that can make enough for leftovers.

Storage

If you are  going to be buying in bulk, you will want to have storage that will last. I can’t stand freezer burn or freezer flavor. In the past I would freeze things with good intentions, but oftentimes throw things away after a month or so due to the ice crystals! Travis and I now have a Food Saver,  Here and we love how well our food is preserved. This allows me to purchase the larger pack of chicken, and split the contents up instead of buying two smaller packs of chicken at a higher cost per pound. I also recommend some baskets or storage bins to keep your pantry and refrigerator organized. This helps keep things in order. When food items are stored willy-nilly, they get lost on the shelves and you may end up over purchasing or having items go bad before you get to use them. 

We keep our pantry sorted out into food categories and keep the most relevant items at eye level. 

• Breakfast items - like cereal and oatmeal
• Lunch/snack items - these are the free-for-all items that were purchased for lunches such as ramen noodles and soup
• Dinner items - these are kept separate so that someone doesn’t accidentally eat the can of tuna if it is meant for dinner
• Baking goods
• Excess condiments etc. - we go through certain ingredients more rapidly than others, for example olive oil. I have my opened olive oil out where I can reach it, but my backup is in a specific spot - so I know where to grab it when the other one runs out, or I can quickly identify what I have extras of or might need to stock up. This really helps when making the grocery list. 

When it comes to fridge organization, I can be a real stickler. I am the type of person that puts the condiments in the exact same spot every time, and I expect my family to do the same. This can be a challenge, but getting your household involved in the meal planning, preparation and the goings on in the kitchen is important. Once they are onboard and can see the importance of a neatly organized kitchen, they will be more willing to follow your lead. If you are condiment connoisseurs like my family, you probably have more food on your fridge door than anywhere else in your house. We have a sauce for everything, and it can get out of hand really quick. I limit the number of jellies and salad dressing that we open at any given time, I keep all the mustard, mayos (yes, we have more than one mayo), and ketchup in the same general place so they are all together, and I keep all pickled items in a spot together. It seems trivial, but I can guarantee you, if you go through your condiments, give them a good wipe down and take some inventory, you will find something that is about to expire, or is almost run out. Use that time to plan out ways to use that condiment, and get your money's worth.

Fresh is Best

We all know that junk food is cheap and healthy food is more costly. Here is a quick list of everyday essentials that are dirt cheap and as close to unprocessed as you can get. You can make countless meals with these few items. Another great thing about them is that their shelf life is long enough that you can keep plenty on hand.

• Green onions
• Yellow onions
• Garlic
• Celery
• Carrots
• Green bell peppers
• Cucumbers
• Eggs
• Dried Beans
• Apples
• Acorn and Butternut squash
• Old Fashioned Oatmeal
• Milk
• Butter
• Shredded cheese
• Jalapenos
• Cilantro
• Ginger
• Uncooked Brown Rice
• Potatoes

Left-overs

Let’s talk about the taboo topic of Left-overs. I am sure there are a lot of you that just don’t do leftovers - and there are just as many reasons why you might not like to eat them. I am not going to harp on anyone for not liking leftover or reheated food,  but consider the amount of money saved if you did not throw your food away, and ate what remained at another time. I will give you some suggestions as to how to overcome it if you are interested in giving it a try. 

• Some foods can get gross when reheated like lettuce, guacamole, coleslaw, and breading to name a few. So consider leaving those items out when wrapping up the leftovers.
• Reheated sauces like marinara hold up their consistency in the microwave, whereas sauces like alfredo break down when reheated, changing the flavor and texture.
• Overcooked vegetables get mushy when reheated. If making extra veggies to pack up, consider cooking the veggies on the firmer side knowing that they will get cooked further the second time around.
• Reheat your leftovers in the oven when possible to crisp up and prevent sogginess.
• Leave off dressings, sauces, and fresh garnishes when serving large batches, which can be added after reheating.

I know I have presented a lot of tips all at once. If I had to give just one piece of advice above all, it would be to plan ahead. All of the tips I provided today are actions that require thinking one step ahead and keeping control of what you already have (money and inventory) on hand. I hope that these tips are useful to you and are things that you would consider in order to help you improve your healthy meals on a budget. I know that I focused mostly on the budget versus the healthy, and I did that on purpose – if you can plan ahead, you can make healthy choices.

I would love to hear what you think! Leave me a message in the comments, if there is anything you want  to know more about, please reach out!