A couple of weeks ago I got the Erin Condren seasonal surprise box in the mail. I had ordered it quite a while ago, so it was a fun surprise. In it was one of the new hardbound notebooks, that at the time weren’t released yet. I was so excited! There is little I love more than a new notebook, especially a pretty one with nice paper.
If you are a regular reader you know that I quit bullet journaling a while ago. I love a lot of aspects of bullet journaling, like the pens and the notebooks, but it was becoming just another thing to do and wasn’t a productive tool for me. I’ve been doing pretty well organizing my life in my Erin Condren Life Planner, but sometimes I still missed the flexibility and lists of a bullet journal.
When I got this notebook in the mail I thought I would give bullet journaling one more try, Now, I’m not making daily spreads or tracking any appointments in it, but I am loving it for lists and collections. One way I have been using my bullet journal is to make my weekly meal plan and construct my grocery list. I am on week 2 and this is working out SO well!
Bullet Journal Menu Planning
I start by sitting down with my notebook and opening up Pinterest. Since I am a vegetarian, you can find my meal ideas on my Plant Based Foods board. I also reference the menus from previous weeks for ideas because a repetitive menu saves money! I also look to see what meals I made right away, and which ones I skipped. Confession: sometimes I have grand plans to make every single meal from scratch but it doesn’t sound good or I am tired so we get a cheap pizza. It happens! But over time I a developing a menu that is eliminating eating out because they are quick, easy meals I know my family likes to eat.
I am the only one who really eats breakfast at home. I recently started taking vitamin D in the morning which means I need fat in my breakfast. As you can see, I eat smoothies almost every day. Avocado toast is a treat for the days I have more time to linger over breakfast.
Some days I have a ton of time to whip up lunch. And some days I am at the salon and don’t get lunch at all. I try to keep lunch options especially quick and easy. Sometimes I even steal them for dinner!
For some dinners my husband is here. That is when I would choose a meal like lentil meatloaf and sides. Some nights it’s just me and my teenager, so we choose soup or a bowl. When it’s just me I am more likely to opt for a cold pasta salad or tofu scramble. As we eat specific meals, I cross them off the meal plan. I don’t assign specific meals to specific days. We just eat what sounds good at the time!
My Grocery List
I recently started ordering my groceries online for pickup or delivery. My local store is HyVee, but Kroger and even some Walmart stores offer this service as well. Pickup costs me $3, and delivery $5. This is money WELL spent, in my opinion. Ordering online gives me time to really go over my list and make sure I haven’t missed anything. This also helps me to meal plan and make a list based on sale items.
As I am making my weekly menu, I start jotting down grocery items on the opposite page. This way I can check my pantry to see what I have on hand. This makes it so easy to get online and order my groceries!
If you’d like some of the recipes you see on my meal plan, check out my Plant Based Food Pinterest board, and my Instant Pot Recipes. I often joke that if we didn’t have an Instant Pot we wouldn’t eat, but I am only half kidding.
This method has been working so well for me! And I love that I am excited about sitting down and bullet journaling again. You can be as simplistic or artsy as you want, as long as it works for you!
Do you meal plan? How do you keep track of it?
When I was a busy mom of three kids – I planned every meal and made a list but now with the nest empty and a hubs who will eat just about anything, not so much. There are many things I love about you, Melissa, and one of those is your discipline to disciplines. Quite remarkable! xo
Thanks Susan! Being disciplined does not come naturally to me, that’s why I work so hard at it lol.