How to Menu Plan...with flexibility

I'm the sort of person who starts to feel overwhelmed when too many things crowd my plate.  A lot of what I've read about meal planning resembles the sort of perfectionist organization that I just can't maintain.  Besides, if I plan too far in advance I end up spending more money than I would otherwise and here's why...

The Internet is your meal planning friend.  Not for the reason you may think.  Right now I'm in a place where when I go grocery shopping I only keep the vaguest plan in my head.  When I'm in the store, I look for the cheapest possible ingredients.  Often these are things I haven't had much experience with (a few months ago, for example, they had a major sale on pork neck bones).  BUT, the Internet often has good suggestions for what to do with ingredients you've never heard of. 

Don't be scared!  Start with the basics...

• Meals should be diverse -- get as many different colors (excluding Blues 1 and 2, Red 3, and Yellow 6), textures, and temperatures on your plate as often as possible.
• Glance through your pantry before you head out the door.  Get a feel for what you already have on hand.  I keep my pantry on shallow shelves so things can't be easily shoved to the back and lost.
• Be aware what generally is in season in your neck of the woods.  Yeah, yeah, it's greener to go local but also, things that are more abundant are usually cheaper.

Now go out and shop (eat a snack first so you aren't food shopping hungry)!  Find the best deals on the most obscure fresh foods or clearance areas of the store.  When you get home, look at what you bought and meal plan from there.  Be flexible and creative and it will pay off in the end!


Credits
Image: what's on the menu? a Creative Commons Attribution (2.0) image from jenny downing's photostream