How to Organize for Meal Planning

I posted this years ago and wanted to share it again.  As a busy family of 7 with a grocery shopping budget, it pays to have family dinners planned and ready for preparation.  These dollar store bins and a few clips are just wanted I needed to organize.  Each week I would write out a simple meal plan, I would go through the pantry and add items I already had to the bins, canned food, seasonings, veggies that are okay stored in a pantry, etc.  I would check my list for items I would need to purchase.

These days I use more fresh and frozen vegetables than canned and have eliminated almost all processed foods.  This method can also be used in the fridge if needed.  I purchased 5 shallow long bins for the fridge to do this there as well.  It makes me feel so much better just being prepared.