Quite a bit of time and money can be saved by cooking ahead. Meat and vegetables can be bought on sale, less electricity will be used to cook meals, there will be less of a tendency to waste money on fast food and restaurants, and you will have more free time since your meals will already be prepared. Weekly cooking is especially useful in the summer months when heat from the kitchen makes the air conditioner work harder. Also, if company comes over unexpectedly, you will be able to offer a hot meal.

Look through the weekly circulars for meats and vegetables that are on sale. If you live near a farmers market, they may have even better prices than the grocery store. Make a list of what you like that is on sale. Plan to buy enough meat for cooking one week of meals. Some people prefer to cook for longer periods but I have found that I save more money by scouring the grocery ads for the loss leaders each week. I also buy fully ripe fruits and vegetables that are greatly discounted. Since I will be using all of it right away there is no waste.

Plan multiple uses for each piece of meat that is a loss leader special. For example, if pot roast is on sale then buy two. The first one can be cut into two pieces: a smaller roast, to be cooked as pot roast and the portion cut off could be cut up as stew beef. The second roast can be cut in half: one part can be set aside to be slowly simmered and cooked into shredded barbecue beef, and the other part can be run through a small tabletop meat grinder for hamburgers, meatballs, meatloaf, etc. Do the same with pork and poultry or whatever other meats you eat.

The cooking broth can be strained and frozen in small serving sizes. When there are small amounts of leftovers, the leftovers can be tossed in the broth and turned into a quick soup or stew. Since everything has been cooked ahead of time, you will only need to heat and eat. Also, some of the broth could be turned into gravy.

Side dishes and desserts can be prepared ahead of time also. Make a list of the fruits and vegetables which are on sale and choose recipes which will complement the main course.

Now that you have chosen the recipes, check the pantry to see what you have. Make a shopping list of what you need. Make sure to include freezer containers and wax paper. Food that is wrapped in wax paper before being put inside a plastic bag or plastic container will not get freezer burn. Freezer paper is nothing more than brown paper with a wax coating.

Set aside two or three hours on your day off to cook the meals. A time-saving plan is to cook all of the meats at the same time, some on top of the stove, some in the oven, and others in the slow cooker. While those pans and cutting boards are in the dishwasher, prepare the side dishes.

Put the meals in freezer containers. Label with name of meal and the date prepared. Stack in the freezer. When you come home after a long day at work, pop dinner in the microwave or on top of the stove, kick off your shoes, and enjoy the evening. You won't have to cook again for a week.

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