A meal planner printable makes it easy to plan a week of dinners, write one grocery list and stay on budget. This free printable fits on one letter size page and has space for seven dinners, the cost of each one, a grocery list and your weekly budget.
Download the free meal planner printable (PDF)
Print a fresh copy each week and keep it on the fridge, so everyone in the house can see what is for dinner and add to the grocery list when something runs out.
What is on the meal planner printable
- Seven days of dinners, with a cost column for each night.
- A 22 item grocery list with checkboxes.
- A weekly budget box: your budget, what you already have, what you spent and what is left over.
- Space for leftovers and lunches, so nothing goes to waste.
How to use your meal planner printable
- Check your fridge, freezer and pantry first, and plan a meal around what you already have.
- Fill in seven dinners. Mix a crockpot night, a sheet pan night and a soup that makes leftovers.
- Write each dinner's cost. Our recipes show the price of every serving.
- Make one grocery list from all seven dinners.
- After you shop, write what you spent and what is left over.
Need ideas? Copy our $50 weekly meal plan onto the meal planner printable and you have a full week of priced dinners in five minutes.
Cheap dinners to add to your meal planner printable
- Creamy Crockpot Chicken and Rice ($1.60 a serving, $6.40 for 4)
- Crockpot Black Bean Soup ($0.87 a serving, $6.93 for 8)
- Sheet Pan Sausage and Vegetables ($2.08 a serving, $8.31 for 4)
- One Pot Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Rice ($1.97 a serving, $7.86 for 4)
- Crockpot Taco Soup ($1.42 a serving, $11.35 for 8)
Grocery prices shift through the year. The USDA Food Price Outlook shows which foods are getting more expensive, which helps you choose cheaper swaps for your plan.
A simple weekly planning routine
- Pick one planning day, such as Saturday morning, and keep it the same each week.
- Check what needs using up first: leftovers, produce and anything near its date.
- Choose two cheap anchor dinners, like a crockpot soup and a sheet pan dinner.
- Fill the rest of the week around what is on sale.
- Write the grocery list on the meal planner printable as you go.
Tips for meal planning on a budget
- Plan one meatless night and one leftovers night each week.
- Use the same ingredient twice, like a bag of rice for two dinners.
- Cook double batches of soup or chili and freeze half.
- Write the cost of each dinner so you can see where the money goes.
- Keep your old planners. After a month you will have a ready-made rotation.
Who this meal planner printable is for
It is made for busy families who want to spend less on food without spending hours planning. It also works for couples, college students and anyone trying to stick to a grocery budget for a family of 4 or smaller.
Frequently asked questions about the meal planner printable
Is the meal planner printable really free?
Yes. Download the PDF and print as many copies as you like for personal use.
What size is the printable?
It is a standard US letter size page, 8.5 by 11 inches.
Can I use it without printing?
Yes. Many PDF apps let you type on it, or you can copy the layout into a notes app.
How does meal planning save money?
It stops impulse buys and extra trips to the store, and it helps you use what you already have.
