Thrifty Thursday: Meal Planning to Save Money

Meal planning is a great way to save some major dough (ha!) at the grocery week to week. At first, it can feel a little overwhelming - especially finding the time to sit down and determine what you and your family will eat for the next five to seven days. And for that reason, it's not for everyone. Keep at it though, and after the first few weeks - and the resulting savings - you likely won't want to do it any other way!

We've rounded up a few of the most helpful links on the web for getting started with meal planning.

• How to Plan Ahead for Next Week's Meals and Save Money: A Step-by-Step Guide via The Simple Dollar
• Budget Meal Planning Guide via All You
• 10 Family Meal Planning Tips & Ideas on a Budget via Money Crashers
• Meal Planning Tips & Such via Meal Planning 101
• Six Steps to Successful Meal Planning via Cooking Light
• Menu Planning: Save Time in the Kitchen via Organized Home
• Meal Planning Tips & Tricks via Chocolate & Zucchini
• 14 Tips for Better Weekly Meal Planning via the kitchn
• Weekly Menu Plan Archives via Money Saving Mom
• How to Save Money on Groceries and Keep Making Awesome Food via Lifehacker
• 30 Family Meal Planning Templates via Tip Junkie

Have you and your family tried meal planning? What about make-ahead freezer meals? Share your tips and tricks with us in the comments section below!