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How to Make Once-a-Month Menu Planning Work for You

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Menu planning isn’t rocket science, and it doesn’t have to feel like torture, either. Here are step-by-step instructions, plus super helpful tips and tricks, to make once-a-month menu planning work for you.

Menu planning isn't rocket science, and it doesn't have to feel like torture, either. Here are step-by-step instructions, plus super helpful tips and tricks, to make once-a-month menu planning work for you.

Before You Plan

Make a Pinterest Board (or two)

Menu planning is so much easier if you have a bank of recipes to draw from. I get that thinking up 25 or 30 recipes in one sitting is tough. When you have those recipes already gathered in a couple places, it just becomes a matter of assigning recipes to each day. That’s much more doable.

This is where Pinterest comes in. I have two boards that I regularly reference when I create our monthly menus: a tried and true recipes board, where I pin recipes we’ve tried and love, and a recipes to try board, where I save recipes I definitely want to try in the next month or two.

To get yourself ready for month-at-a-time meal planning, make a couple boards similar to mine. Take a bit of time to go through your other food boards and repin applicable content to those new boards, and keep the boards in mind as you browse Pinterest throughout the month. You want a hefty amount of recipes to draw from when you sit down to make your menu.

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3 ways I maximize my time on pinterest

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3 easy strategies to make the most of Pinterest| winstead wandering

Pinterest is a beautiful thing. Thanks to the website, I make much more of my family’s food from scratch, I’ve discovered dozens of favorite new recipes, and the traffic on my own blog has seen a steady increase.

If I’m being honest, though, Pinterest can also be a major time suck. Something about it just draws me in, and I often find myself spending twenty minutes browsing when I only logged in to double check a recipe.

I might have to physically pull myself away sometimes, but when I do allow myself time to hang out on Pinterest, the following are the things I do to maximize my time spent there.

1. Look before you pin

Before pinning a new page, investigate the link. The reason for this is two-fold. First, it’s good to know that the link works. How frustrating is it to pin a mouthwatering new food photo, only to go back later and realize that the pin leads to a “page not found” message? Or to a photo that leads nowhere? Save yourself the heartache.

Second, by checking out the link you can decide if the page is right for you. If it’s a food recipe that includes ingredients your family doesn’t eat, or a DIY that’s too complicated for your skill level, you can skip pinning it. Sure, this takes a little extra time up front, but it will save you from wasting time later, and from counting on a pin that will ultimately be useless.

2. Pin to multiple boards

When you find something you want to pin, go ahead and pin it to every relevant board. For instance, I used to search and search for the recipe every single time I made crockpot refried beans. Was it on my homemade products board? My food board? My slow cooker board? Finally, I wised up and pinned it to every place I might go looking for it.

3. Make a board for your favorites

My food board has hundreds of pins, and that doesn’t count my separate boards for desserts, snacks and sides, or breads. Finally, I decided to create a board for recipes I’ve already made and loved. It’s the board I refer to most frequently when planning our monthly menus. I still use all my other food-related boards for inspiration, but now I have a board that I can go to for recipes I already know we like.

3 easy strategies to make the most of your time on Pinterest | winstead wandering

Do you have any tips for avoiding being sucked into the black hole that is Pinterest?