A Great Tip for Meal Planning

When I made/prepped all of our meals for the month, I had to decide how I would know what to eat each night. I am usually not good at saying, "We will eat _______ the 3rd Thursday of the month." What if something comes up or we aren't feeling that meal that night? So I decided to make a tentative schedule in Microsoft Excel:

28	29	30	1
MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY
Ginger Chicken Stirfry & Rice	Pot Roast	CHURCH DINNER - Meatloaf, Potatoes, & Green Beans	Brown Sugar Chicken, Rice, & Veggies
2	3	4	5
FRIDAY	SATURDAY	SUNDAY	MONDAY
BBQ Chicken Pizza	Spaghetti	Pepperoni Pizza	Chicken Fajitas
6	7	8	9
TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY
Salisbury Steak, Mashed Potatoes, & Veggies	CHURCH DINNER - Chicken Salad & Fruit Salad	Leftover SS, MP, & Veggies (for Lee) - A,L,N to Greensboro	Chicken Pot Pie
10	11	12	13
SATURDAY	SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY
Lasagna	Leftover Lasagna	Crock Pot Chicken Noodles & Veggies	Chicken Stew
14	15	16	17
WEDNESDAY	THURSDAY	FRIDAY	SATURDAY
CHURCH DINNER - Spaghetti	MNO for Ashley - Eva's Chicken Casserole & Veggies for Boys	Spaghetti & Meatballs	BBQ Chicken, Rice, & Veggies
18	19	20	21
SUNDAY	MONDAY	TUESDAY	WEDNESDAY
Italian Balsamic Chicken, Rice, & Veggies	Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, & Veggies	Chicken Parmesan	Honey Soy Chicken, Rice, & Veggies
22	23
THURSDAY	FRIDAY
	Baked Ziti

I tried to spread out similar dishes (ie Italian, beef vs chicken, etc). I didn't print it. I just go to the computer and check the planned meals each day. I know what I am planning to have and if I decide to make something different, I can just cut and paste and move things around. I have done this many times this month as various things have come up. I love it because I don't stress as much about sticking to the exact plan and don't have to erase and mark out stuff. Yes I am a perfectionist about certain things.

I hope this helps!

I WOULD LOVE TO HEAR YOUR MEAL PLANNING IDEAS. PLEASE SHARE! ;)