A minute saved, is a minute earned. After December's busy happenings, this is the time of the year that I have to really plan ahead to get everything accomplished. For me, it all starts in the kitchen.

I’m sure we can all agree that cooking and eating at home is healthier and less expensive, but can sometimes be time consuming. With a little pre-planning and cooking at home, you can actually save time and money (and it can even be healthier)!

To save my sanity…I mean time, I create a shopping list for the week. No running to the store for a missing ingredient in our house. I send my (wonderful) husband to the grocery store with the list in-hand and he purchases everything that we need for a week’s worth of meals.

While he is at the store, I begin the meal planning process. With input from my twin girls, I plan our weekly lunches and dinners. This is where planning becomes your friend! Save yourself from the “what’s for lunch?” question by packing leftovers. Eating leftovers can save so much money if you’re willing to spend some time planning on how to utilize the leftovers. Here's an example of what my calendar looked like for December -

For my family of four, this is the norm for us. We all work like a well-oiled machine when it comes to lunch and dinner. I hope this gives you a glimpse into my crazy, but organized life. I love all things healthy and planned and hope to bring more ideas for 2016 from my kitchen.