Plan Your Meals for the Next Week

Welcome to the 20 Habit Challenge, where we break down key habits that can help you simplify and transform your money, home, and life!

Have you ever had a stressful day where you're pretty much drained and just want to crash at home? What do you do for dinner?

I'll be honest – for me that siren call of the drive-thru has won out.

Save Money, Get Healthy

For many people, when they start tracking their spending, one area that seems to be way more than they expected is their meals out.

Those last-minute decisions that felt like smart (okay, easy) choices were really sucking up their money and throwing off their budget.

And I don't think I have to tell you that eating out consistently is not only bad for your wallet, but it's more than likely killing your waistline and health.

Those fast food and fast casual places tend to be heavy on the calories.

Today's habit is about getting better control over your health.

Plan Your Meals for the Next Week

I want you to plan out your meals for the next seven days.

That's it.

Why am I asking you to do this?

There are a few reasons:

• Planning ahead will help you resist the fast food temptation. If you know you have something ready (or easy to whip up) at home, you're more likely to drive past the drive-thru.
• You'll become aware and develop more discipline with your food choices. We literally are what we eat. Planning out your meals will allow you to design a more balanced plan.
• You free up cash for better things. I don't know anybody that absolutely loves eating a ton of fast and convenient foods. The appeal of them is that they're quick. Save your money for what really matters to you.

Now if you want to do a deep dive with your meal plan, go right for it, but it's not necessary.

All I want you to do is to jot down what you'd like to eat. Mondays could be nachos or tacos, Tuesday you'll do a quick stir fry. You can also eat out one night, just make it a part of your plan.

The more mindful you are with your food, the easier it is to make better choices.

And with a plan for the week, it'll make grocery shopping quicker because you know what you need instead of guessing and grabbing some unnecessary extras. Win-win!

Being aware of what your eating can have a huge benefit for your health and for your wallet.

Easy and Healthy Meal Plans for Busy People

When it's new, planning out your meals can seem difficult so here are some easy meal plans that can help you get healthy while still eating like a foodie (without going broke!).

• 7-Day Mediterranean Meal Plan
• 7-Day Paleo Meal Plan
• 14-Day Gluten-Free Meal Plan

Use them for inspiration (or just follow if you want the work done for you) so you can worry less about getting it right and instead get excited about trying this out.

Your Take on Meal Planning

I'd love to hear from you and get your take. Have you ever planned your meals ahead? How did it work out? Do you have any favorite go-to dishes for those busy nights?