Today’s thrifty tip is plan your meal the night before. I know that many experts want you to make up a 7 day menu, but that’s not realistic for us. Even if I did keep in mind all the activities or other planned events, that wouldn’t take into consideration all the last minute changes. Let’s be honest that things do change at the last minute. I honestly prefer to plan my meal either the night before or first thing in the morning. I thaw out all my meats or frozen leftovers in the sink with cold water by that afternoon. It still gives me plenty of time to cook a nice meal. This is what works for me, and maybe going by a weekly menu works better for you. Another benefit is if the weather is cold, then I know I can make a nice soup or something to warm us up. I don’t like to eat gumbo in the summer and this is the perfect weather for a nice bowl of it.