Free Printable Weekly Meal Planner with Grocery List (PDF Templates)
Looking for a free printable weekly meal planner with grocery list? This simple meal planning template with grocery list helps you organize your week, save time, and shop smarter. Download your free meal planner and grocery list template below!
The 5-Minute Meal Planning Trick That Saves Your Week
Most people overcomplicate meal planning, but the truth is, you don’t need a complicated system to stay organized.
The easiest way to stay on track is to plan just your dinners for the week in one simple place.
That’s why this “What’s for Dinner” planner works so well! because it removes the daily stress of deciding what to cook.
Download: What’s for Dinner Weekly Meal Planner (Most Popular)
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How to Use This Dinner Planner:
- Write dinners for each day of the week
- Quickly decide meals without stress or overwhelm
- Reduce daily “what’s for dinner” decision fatigue
- Perfect for simple weekly meal planning
Table of Contents
A Simple Meal Planning Hack That Actually Works
Instead of planning every meal perfectly, focus on just one thing … decide dinner for the week ahead of time.
Everything else becomes easier:
- Grocery shopping is faster
- Fewer takeout nights
- Less last-minute stress
This is why simple meal planners work better than complicated systems.
Why Use a Weekly Meal Planner?
- Save time planning meals each week
- Reduce stress about what to cook
- Stay organized with groceries and meals
- Reduce food waste and overspending
Free Weekly Meal Planner with Grocery List Templates (Printable PDF)
These free printable weekly meal planner with grocery lists are designed to help you plan meals quickly, organize your week, and simplify grocery shopping.
Weekly Meal Planner with Grocery List (Vertical Layout)
How to use:
- Plan meals for each day
- Use grocery list section for shopping
- Keep weekly planning simple and clear
Weekly Meal Planner with Snacks & Water Tracker
How to use:
- Track meals and snacks daily
- Stay hydrated with water tracking
- Great for healthy routines
Horizontal Weekly Meal Planner with Grocery List & Notes
How to use:
- Plan meals across the week
- Use notes for reminders
- Add groceries in one place
Simple Weekly Meal Planner Printable (Clean Layout)
How to use:
- Use for weekly organization
- Visually appealing layout
- Great for Pinterest users
Blank Weekly Meal Planner with Grocery List
How to use:
- Fill in your own meals
- Add groceries as needed
- Fully customizable layout
Vertical Meal Planner with Large Grocery List Column
How to use:
- Meals on one side
- Grocery list on the other
- Keep shopping organized
Weekly Meal Planner (Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner, Snacks, Water Layout)
How to use:
- Track all meals daily
- Stay consistent with planning
- Great for structured routines
Weekly Meal Planner Printable with Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Snacks
How To Use:
- Plan breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks
- Keep meals organized for the full week
- Use for simple and consistent meal planning
Weekly Meal Planner with Grocery Side Column
How to use:
- Plan meals daily
- Use side grocery column
- Keep everything in one page
Blank Weekly Planner with Grocery List & Notes
How to use:
- Fully flexible layout
- Add meals and groceries freely
- Great for customization
Pre-Filled Grocery List Template
How to use:
- Use pre-organized categories
- Add missing items easily
- Save time on grocery planning
Detailed Weekly Dinner Planner
How I Save Money Using My Grocery List (Ibotta + Fetch Method)
Once I’ve planned my meals and made my grocery list, I take a few extra minutes to lower my total using cashback apps like Ibotta and Fetch Rewards.
Step 1: Make Your Meal Plan and Grocery List First
I always build my list based the basics we get every week (bananas, milk, bread etc) and then based off our meals for the week.
This helps me avoid buying things just because they are on sale.
That said, I stay flexible. If there is a great deal on something we already use, I will swap a meal or substitute an ingredient to take advantage of the savings. Produce is always a great place to look at different options as the prices change with what is in season.
Step 2: How to Find Free Items on Ibotta (and Deep Discounts)
Next, I check Ibotta to see if I can save money on anything already on my list. I go through and activate all of the items I may potentially buy, but keep in mind you can still do this after you have shopped (but before you submit your receipt).
If you are wondering how to find free items on Ibotta, this is what works best for us:
Select your store first
Tap “Best Value” to sort the top offers
This is where you will often find
Free after offer items (these usually have a banner on top of them)
Deeply discounted groceries
High cashback deals
Many of these offers are available at multiple stores, so you can usually get the deal wherever you are already shopping instead of making extra trips.
You can (and should) check the other sections too, but oftentimes this is where I find the best deals.
If something fits into my plan, I will add it to my list or make a small swap.
Step 3: Check Fetch for Extra Rewards
After I check Ibotta, I take a quick look at Fetch Rewards to see if I can earn any additional points.
I do not spend a lot of time here. Fetch is more of a quick extra step that can add up over time.
Unlike Ibotta, you do not need to add offers before shopping. Instead, you simply scan your receipt after your trip and earn points that can be redeemed for gift cards.
Here is how I use it:
I scan my receipt after shopping to collect points
I check for any bonus offers on brands I already bought
I connect email or store accounts when possible to automatically earn rewards on online purchases
One thing to know is that some Fetch offers require:
- Buying a very specific item
- Reaching a certain dollar amount
- Purchasing multiple items
If I am close to hitting a reward and it makes sense for my plan, I will adjust slightly. Otherwise, I keep it simple and just take the extra points.
Fetch works with both paper receipts and many online purchases (attach your email or some access to online stores), which makes it an easy way to earn rewards without changing your routine.
Step 4: Upload Your Receipt to Both Apps
After shopping, I upload my receipt to both apps to earn cashback and points.
You are getting rewarded twice for the same trip.
Get Started (My Links to Ibotta and Fetch
If you want to try this method, you can download the apps here and grab the current sign up bonuses:
Ibotta: Download Ibotta and use my code ‘lvmydxg’ to get started → https://ibotta.onelink.me/iUfE/1005cd3f?friend_code=lvmydxg
Fetch Rewards: Sign up with this link, and we’ll both get a bonus on your first receipt.
https://referral.fetch.com/vvv3/referralemail?code=D24M8E
These usually include bonus cash or points when you scan your first receipt.
Keep Grocery Apps Simple and Practical
I only get items if we will actually use the item. It is not a savings if you are spending more to get something just to save money and it’s also not savings if you are getting things you wont use.
This keeps my grocery list focused and prevents overspending just to take advantage of a deal.
What are the Benefits of Meal Planning?
People have been meal planning for ages, but why is it so popular? These are just some of the benefits to meal planning and using one of our free meal planner printables and free printable meal planner with grocery list designs.
More Likely To Eat At Home: If you have all of your meals planned and groceries purchased, you’re less likely to pick up the phone and order a pizza or drop by a nearby restaurant.
According to the USDA data on US food spending, “food away from home” spending accounted for 56% of total food expenditures in the US in 2022. Yes, we love going out to eat too (and big YES to supporting small businesses and eateries), but restaurants can add up financially and it can be harder to eat healthy when someone else is preparing the meal. So restaurants and takeout can be an important part of your meal plan, but the key here is have it planned out first!
Save At The Store By Re-Using A Few Ingredients: A great example of this is one of our favorite ingredients to use over and over … broccoli. Frozen broccoli, in particular, is great for multiple meals. You can make a hearty breakfast omelet with broccoli, add some roasted broccoli to a lunch salad, use as a satisfying lunch side dish, or warm it up for an incredibly healthy mid-afternoon snack. And, use it with dinner as a side (we LOVE this roasted broccoli recipe) or make a broccoli and cheese soup. You could spread these broccoli recipes out throughout the week.
The beauty of frozen broccoli is it’s SO easy to cook many different ways, it takes a long time to expire and it’s incredibly healthy. So when meal planning, look at how one simple ingredient can be used so many different ways so you’re not overbuying too many ingredients.
Meal Planning Eases Meal Prep: Much like our broccoli example, if you know you’ll use an ingredient more than once, you could prep it in advance. Making a lunch salad? Cut up some extra peppers to put on your kabobs later for dinner. Making rice for dinner? Cook some extra for an upcoming lunch. Or cook in bulk and double up on a soup or other recipe that can store nicely in the freezer for a later date. If you’re prepping a bunch of meals all at once, these food storage containers are great for packing meals and are said to be freezer, dishwasher and microwave safe.
Meal Planning Saves Money: Build your meals around (healthy) ingredients that are on sale, in season, can be used in multiple ways and ones that are already in the house (and nearing expiration). It’s as simple as that and you’ll already see savings and less food waste.
Make Healthier Choices Through Meal Planning: While we are not nutrition or medical experts, we do know that it is pretty simple to eat healthier by actually mapping out nutritious meals and snacks so you’re less likely to be tempted by junk food. Healthy meal planning can be daunting for some, but there are many websites and apps dedicated to helping people make healthy food choices. One tool we like, on MyPlate.gov, is designed to help you create a personalized food plan.
Meal Planning Helps Reduce Food Waste: Doing a full inventory of what you have in house, including what is reaching its expiration, is a great way to use what you have and reduce food waste. A 2023 Mitre-Gallup food waste survey found American households wasted an average 6.2 cups of food a week and households could save $1,500 annually by cutting back on food waste. This really makes us think about how better to use what we have in house already. Tip: keeping your food very well organized is a great way to see what you have! We love these clear containers for the pantry and clear produce saver containers for the fridge.
What Are Some Good Tips For Meal Planning?
#1: Use the Right Meal Planner: With options ranging from monthly to weekly and a variety of start dates, meal planners come in a variety of styles. We also have free meal planner with grocery list designs or meal planning calendar printable style. Try out a few of our free meal planner printables until you find one that works perfectly for your lifestyle.
#2: Display it in a Prominent Place: Once we found a meal planner that worked for our family, we laminated it and hung it on the fridge or a cork board is great too. We use thin white board markers and this no heat laminating paper to make it reusable. Or, if dropping it in your planner is better, then put it there. The main point is to keep these free meal planner printables it in a place you’ll see it and use it.
#3: Keep it Up-To-Date: Life moves fast and your meal planner can adapt! For example, your neighbor drops off garden fresh tomatoes and you want to work those into your dinners or you end up unexpectedly eating lunch at a office party. Keep these free meal planner printables flexible and updated so you don’t lose track of your meals and end up with spoiled or forgotten food.
#4: Work Hard on the Shopping List: It may sound obvious to use a shopping list, but it will truly help you stay on track and avoid missing important ingredients. We offer grocery lists in our collection of free meal planner printables.
#5: Shop From Home: Depending on where you live, online grocery shopping may also save you money. We often use Amazon Fresh and find it has tons of deals, convenient delivery options (you do not need to be home) and generous return policies… and we are able to avoid impulse shopping. It’s also beneficial to online grocery shop from home to double check your inventory, keep your free meal planner printables handy and avoid overbuying.
#6: Source the Salad Bar: If you only need a tiny amount of one ingredient, and will not use it in anything else, purchase it from the salad bar to reduce food waste. This tip came from our friends at Taste of Home who also say to go small with olive oil as it can spoil quickly once opened.
#7: Factor in Your Busy Schedule: Take a look at the week ahead and work off that when using one of our free meal planner with grocery list printables. For example, if you’re totally free Monday night, make something slightly more time consuming and double it to eat again on Wednesday night when you’ll be coming in around later from… (sports practice/work/gym/you get the picture) and won’t have time to cook.
#8: Coordinate with Friends: Team up with a friend or neighbor and share a meal. Say you make a perfect chicken pot pie and your friend has the best chili… schedule a couple of days each week that you’ll each make an extra batch for the other person and drop it off in advance.
Share with us! We always need new ideas! Share your meal planning tips and how you use our free meal planner printables with us in the comments below!
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Pin For Later! Free Printable Meal Planner with Grocery List
*PLEASE NOTE: We are not medical professionals, and our meal planners are not intended to provide medical advice. Please consult a qualified expert if you have any questions or concerns before using a meal plan.
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