OAMC....

One A Month Cooking...

A favorite of many frugal gurus. I tried it a couple of times myself. Really! I spent hours, looking at menus, comparing to sale items at the store, then shopping, cutting, dicing, chopping, frying, baking, and boiling. I ran 2 crock pots simultaneously (not for the weak!) and had all four burners on the stove going. I made a mess like you wouldn't believe in my kitchen. It took me 2 days to dig myself out of it!
And, of course, because I had spent more than my budget at the grocery store to make the extra items out of leftovers (to save me money, doncha know), I didn't have the money to go out to eat like the "experts" of once a month cooking do. I was exhausted, and frankly, sick of food. I had too many smells, textures, and whatnot going on already. And I really didn't feel like making any food for my family. They wound up eating cold cereal for a couple of nights while I recovered.
Once a month cooking is a good way to avoid going out to eat, for those nights when you are too busy running to think about thawing. Pulling a prepared casserole out and just throwing it in the oven is really nice. But getting there stinks!!!
What I have done recently to save money and yet have some "freezer meals" ready is a lot simpler. I have taken an inventory of all the food items in my house. I keep a "master" list with everything on there. When I take something out, I simply cross it off. This way, I can see at a glance what I have in my kitchen at any time. I can plan a meal without starting into the fridge or cabinet and hoping that something would magically appear, steaming hot, nutritious and ready to serve. When I take something out, I will make double or triple and then freeze the extra. At the end of the month, I usually have about 2 weeks worth of meals that take us through and stretch our budget a little more.
Buying things on sale and stocking up are essential. But, having an idea of what you have in your pantry makes meal-making so much more efficient and easy to do. Try it!! Just take a plain piece of notebook paper and divide it into 2 sections...freezer and pantry. I don't usually use "fridge" because that tends to change a lot faster. Then just write down what you have. You can then go through and make up a "meals idea" list with your list of inventory. My picky eaters like have an option of what to have for dinner, and this has settled a few meal time arguments.
It takes a little work, remembering to cross off your items, but you will be able to stay organized. Good luck!