I’ve always been one of those people who makes a meal plan once a week and then heads to the grocery store every single week. But last year, it was really getting old, so I decided to start meal planning for two weeks at a time which meant I only grocery shop a couple of times a month. It’s wonderful!
I’ve been grocery shopping every other week since the beginning of the year, and there are a few tips I’ve learned along the way. So let’s jump in with my 2 week meal plan and then I’ll give you all the tips!
Week 1 Meal Plan
Sunday: Steak tacos, black beans, corn
Monday: Biscuits and gravy, berry salad
Tuesday: Homemade pizza and salad
Wednesday: Chicken teriyaki and broccoli
Thursday: Tacos, chips and salsa
Friday: Meatball subs, coleslaw
Saturday: Burgers, backed beans, pineapple
Week 2 Meal Plan
Sunday: Baked chicken, asparagus, potatoes
Monday: Cheesy meatballs, green beans, garlic bread
Tuesday: Beef enchiladas and rice
Wednesday: Chicken tenders, carrot and celery sticks
Thursday: Sausage balls and fruit salad
Friday: Meatloaf, brussel sprouts, mashed potatoes
Saturday: pulled pork sandwiches, potato salad, corn on the cob
Tips for Grocery Shopping Every 2 Weeks
1. Give yourself extra time to do it all.
Since you are doing double the work, it’s going to take longer to plan, shop, and load and unload the groceries. This is something I didn’t take into account. So allow ample time to shop and then unload your groceries, especially if you have young children.
One thing that helps me tremendously is using Walmart grocery pickup. I make my pickup order the night before and then I often have one or two other stores I shop at as well. Aldi has the best prices on cheese, produce, and baking goods. And I’ll often go to Costco for meat.
2. Buy meat in bulk and freeze.
I usually get around 5 pounds of ground beef and then break it up into 1 pound sections in a quart size freezer bags. This saves us money and lasts us 2 weeks. I do the same thing with chicken and pork.
3. Eat soft fresh produce the first week.
There are some fruits and vegetables that go bad quickly and others that will easily last into the second week. Also, frozen veggies are a great way to eat your veggies that second week.
Produce to eat in the first week:
- bananas
- avocados
- tomatoes
- cucumbers
- grapes
- berries
Produce to eat in the second week:
- apples
- green leaf lettuce
- carrots
- potatoes
- squash
- oranges
4. Get extras of your favorite meals.
Are there certain meals your family always enjoys? For us it’s tacos. So I like to always have extra taco shells and taco seasoning on hand. I also pick up a frozen pizza and add whatever frozen veggie I have to complete the meal. This is one easy meal that helps stretch us into 2 weeks.
5. Give it time.
It took me a little while to figure out how much dish soap or toilet paper or bread would last us for 2 weeks. Now that I’ve been doing this for 5 months, it’s much easier. Also, I’m okay with running into the store on that second week if we run out of bread or milk. It’s much simpler than doing an entire week’s worth of grocery shopping!
If you want to meal plan 2 weeks at a time as well, be sure to grab my 2 week meal planner printable for only $2 to help you get it all organized.
