There are a few basic steps to how I meal plan:

• Check the fridge, freezer and pantry – what do we already have in the house?What needs to be eaten right away? etc.
• Check the sales – I keep track of the basic prices of things like meat, produce and bread. If there is nothing good I might try to use up our freezer & pantry stock. I make a habit of buying things when they are “super-sale” and storing them for times when there are no sales or I have a special craving. Those items are typically whole chickens, turkey, and lamb. We haven’t been buying beef lately because we have a large back stock of venison.
• Plan the meals – what do we want to eat (based on 1 & 2) for breakfast lunch and dinner this week?
• Check the recipes – I need to know all of the ingredients necessary to make each meal. It also helps to know how in depth the recipe is. If there is  a lot involved I know not to plan it on a day that’s going to be tough at work. Being kind to yourself is incredibly important.
• Compile the ingredient list – I usually skip this step now, but if you are new to meal planning write down every single item with the quantity of what you need for all of your meals.
• Compile the Grocery List – Now I compare the ingredients that are on the ingredient list to what we have on hand. I cross those off and am left with just the groceries that we need for that week.