Meal Planning is the perfect way to bring the whole family to the table for dinner without stressing you out. It is also a great way to save money at the grocery store.

There are some lovely Thanksgiving Handouts at the end of this article.

If you have not tried menu planning then you are missing out. This is a simple but effective way to limit the amount of time you spend in the thinking, planning, and shopping for weekly menus and with excellent results.

The main benefit of Menu Planning is that with this prepared list of dinner meals you save money and time grocery shopping. Just follow the list! How do you save money? No more grabbing just anything at the store you know what you need for meals and if you're extra prepared you know what is in your pantry (but that is another article).

You can also use menu planning for organizing breakfasts and lunches but since dinner meals seem to be the most problematic to come up with and the most important for bringing a family together at the dinner table they are usually the most focused on.

Most people like a little variety in their meals but pulling it all together can take some time and a lot of searching.

Luckily for us there are several menu planning resources available.  Weekly menu plans where all of that hard work is done for you. Picking family friendly, healthy, tasty, and yes innovative meals. Maping out the week's recipes. Creating a grocery list organized by department. Including suggestions for yummy side dishes and sometimes even breakfasts and lunches. You also get tips for even faster cooking, ingredient substitutions, and ideas for desserts.

 Where are these great plans?

Below you will find a list of some of the more popular menu planning sites on the internet (yes I have tried each of these). I've given a run down on what each menu planning service provides and many times you can have access to a free week's sample or a very very low cost sample.

I've also uploaded a Menu Planning Comparison Chart in our Cooking Printables section.

Give some of these menu planning resources a try you will be so happy with the results...