I’m a meal planning junkie. Something about planning a week’s worth of meals just makes me giddy. I love getting out my paper and pen and sitting down at the computer to compile my list of meals. I love using my computer because I can find recipes quickly and I’m able to glance at my online calendar.
I thought I had it all together with meal planning…until I met Plan to Eat – then my meal planning life changed forever. Me, the paper-loving, pen-writing, old-school meal planner has gone digital. Are you shocked? I am.
What changed me? I’ll tell you – the ease of using the awesome website, Plan to Eat.
Plan to Eat is an online service you use to plan your meals. You upload all your favorite recipes manually or using their awesome button on the top of your computer toolbar. Then you drag and drop those recipes into your weekly or monthly meal planner on the site. Bingo. You’re done. Once your recipes are uploaded, meal planning goes FAST!
You can save existing meal plans that you’ve already created and then drag and drop them again later for even faster meal planning. For those of you who haven’t been meal planning because it seems too hard, now you don’t have an excuse anymore – so quit your whining. :-p
You can store all your favorite recipes at Plan to Eat – it’s like a more functional Pinterest. Store your recipes here and then come back later to plan your meals. You can also create your grocery list straight from your computer – after you get your meals planned for the week, Plan to Eat uses the ingredients list to make your grocery list for you. It’s a meal planning miracle.
You’re also able to follow your friends on Plan to Eat – so if they upload a kickin’ recipe, you’ll be able to see it…and you’ll also be able to show up at their doorstep for dinner when you know they’re cooking your favorite meal and a chocolate cake that day. Booya.
There is even a Mobile Grocery Store Assistant for those of you out there who are into that sort of thing. I’ve determined that my iPhone is smarter than me…so, I don’t play around with it too much…makes me feel dumb.
There are so many features at Plan to Eat that I could literally talk about them all day…but I won’t bore you with that, I’ll let you look yourself! You can take the virtual tour of Plan to Eat on their website.
I haven’t been in my meal planning groove since we moved, but with this new software, I am ready to jump back in!
Who is this software for? It’s for those who LOVE meal planning – you’ll really get into it and enjoy all the awesome features.
Guess what? It’s also for those who HATE meal planning. Because it’s so easy, you’ll find that you don’t really mind doing that task that normally makes you want to ball up into the fetal position.
One of the best qualities about this service is that there is a great help center if you need it. When you log into your account, you’ll see the help option in the upper right part of the screen. You’ll find all your answers there – and if you don’t, then you can simply email the owner, Clint, and he’s happy to help you out – now THAT’S what I call good customer service.
So, why am I endorsing this product? Good question. One month at Plan to Eat will cost you a whopping $4.95. Honestly, that’s a great price! If you sign up for the whole year, it will only cost you $39.
I also want you to know, I am not posting affiliate links. Clint paid to advertise through a banner ad on Humorous Homemaking and he also gave me a free subscription to Plan to Eat…but I’m not making any money if you sign up for the service.
Why? Because I want you to know that I really think this software will help you and your family – meal planning saves SO much money because you’re not eating out and you’re utilizing the food that’s in your home. Planning your meals and eating at home will save you a LOT more than $39 per year. And at Humorous Homemaking, I’m all about saving your cents.
I should also mention that you get a FREE 30 day trial to try it out. 🙂 If you hate it, you’ve not lost anything…but I know you’re not going to hate it. You’ve going to love it!!
Thank you for posting these plans! I need some serious help and am going to give these a try. For your slow cooker recipes, do you know if there is a way to convert them to be made in a pressure cooker? I stink at planning ahead (hence, the reason I stumbled on your website looking for help) and love the shorter cooking times when using a pressure cooker. Thanks!
I have done that, but I’ve just kinda done it on a recipe-by-recipe basis. It works pretty well!
I’m LRudzinski on Plan to Eat. I use them too and would love to be friends and share our recipes. Thanks.
I’m Stacy Makes Cents there.
This is an excellent site which I love! My name is Kate Zubaly, please friend me! thanks!
Merry CHRISTmas! Kate
I need something where I can enter what I have at home… meats, veggies, starches, spices etc… and it tells me what to fix with it lol… That’s what I need.
BINGO! 🙂 You need allrecipes.com Just search by ingredient. 🙂
How much time do you think the average person would spend for a week of meal planning? I try really really hard to meal plan, but with working full-time and having a teenager and another child envolved in sports..it’s hard to find the time to plan meals. I end up wandering through the aisles of the grocery store trying to remember what I have in the cabinets…what I need and what in the world am I going to cook for this week? If this was a time-saver..that would be a huge benefit for a working momma!!
At first, it will take more time – because you’re uploading and saving your recipes (which is very easy, by the way). Once you get your tried and true recipes on there, it will go fast. This week I spent about 30 minutes making my meal plan – looking at the calendar, taking note of what was in the fridge, and checking out some new recipes to try. I would say it is most certainly a time saver…a money saver too – that’s the coolest thing about meal planning. 🙂
Thanks, Stacy, for all the helpful information you share!
🙂 Thank YOU for reading it!
I think this will be tons better than my current system of a handwritten menu plus recipes on Pinterest. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve written down a recipe name only to not be able to find it again on Pinterest or have an ingredient that I have no idea what I bought it for. Can I be your friend on Plan to Eat? What’s your name over there? Thanks Stacy!
Sure! 🙂 I have only done one meal plan so far because of the holidays, but I’m getting back into it this week. I’m Humorous Homemaking over there.
I just spent quite a bit of time exploring this software and I’m truly amazed. I think they thought of everything!! I love the feature for importing recipes found on the the web (I’ve already set to work adding all my posts from my Pinterest recipe board – now maybe I’ll actually try them!!) Thanks so much for sharing this with us!
🙂 From one meal planner to another, you’re welcome!
Thank you Stacy!
🙂 You’re welcome!
This sounds amazing! I spend so much time meal planning and writing lists and I always forget something! I can’t wait to try it out.
You will LOVE IT!!!
I desperately need to win this subscription…I am a meal planning drop out. I’ve tried lots of different approaches, but I fail every. single. time. lol! Thanks for the chance to win!!!
That’s okay – I’m a crocheting drop-out. 🙂 You should really try the free month…the subscription will pay for itself with how much you’ll save!
OK, I’ll play. I keep hearing about Plan to Eat. Didn’t know you could get a free trial and even after that it’s pretty reasonable…
Will it help me actually follow the plan I make? ‘Cause that’s the part that’s the hardest for me. ;~)
No it won’t…that’s my job. 🙂 I’ll get your butt in gear!
Well, I sure hope so-I’ve spent an outrageous amount of time uploading recipes to that site today. We barely got school done!
Can I admit that I figured I’d sign up for the free month and then add one more-print out enough weeks/shopping lists and quit?
I’m really cheap.
But this just went on my Christmas list!
🙂 Maybe you should tell whoever buys your list that the 1/2 off deal is only through midnight. LOL
I *like* the idea of meal planning but haven’t been able to stick with the “planning” part. 😉
I’m wondering if it has a feature that creates your grocery list for you?
Now THAT would be cool!
Thanks for sharing.
Janet
Yes, it does create your grocery list. 🙂 Based on what you have down for the week/month, it creates a list….and then you just x off the items that you already have – then print your list and it’s ready for the grocery store! 🙂
Can you only plan one week at a time? I like to plan a month in advance, because I only go to the grocery store monthly for a large order then weekly for milk, eggs and cheese!
You can plan for a week or a month – whatever floats your boat! 🙂 My boat floats weekly…I have fun at the grocery store because I’m boring like that…so I like to go once a week. 🙂
Thanks for the chance to win. I really need to get back into meal planning.
I think I might be an addict. LOL A meal planning addict.