Weekend Giveaway: 3 Year-Long Subscriptions to Stolen Moments Menu Planning Service

Kate, from Stolen Moments Cooking, recently offered to let me try out her personalized menu planning service. I was a little bit leery of how it would work for someone like me. I rarely follow recipes or directions and so following a menu plan that someone else made up for me? I really didn't think it would work. But I was pleasantly surprised at how helpful this service was--even for an out-of-the-box, non-systematical person like me!

Here are a few things I liked about Stolen Moments Menu Planning:

First off, Kate doesn't just send you a generic menu for the month. Oh no! You fill out a survey and then she custom creates a menu tailored to your family's likes and dislikes--and it's all factored in with your grocery budget, too. I was impressed with her ability to take the survey I filled out and put together a great menu within our weekly grocery budget which also considered our family's food preferences. It sort of felt like I was royalty or something to have someone else planning customized menus for our family!

Secondly, while I didn't follow the menu exactly (you know that would pretty much be impossible for me to do, don't you?), having a full month's worth of menus all mapped out for me gave me a great springboard of ideas and inspiration to work from. As a busy mom of three little ones, it definitely saved me time and mental energy to have a list already made out to work from.

Thirdly, Kate had a lot of unique ideas woven throughout the menu to help you speed up your efficiency in the kitchen. For instance, she suggested I bake extras of certain items and stick them in the freezer for a later date. One of my favorite ideas was her recipe for Homemade Uncrustables (just make peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, cut out with a biscuit cutter, crimp the edges together with a fork, and freeze). It's such a simple thing, but something I'd never thought to do before. What a fun and economical way to have lunch-on-the-go all made up and at-the-ready in the freezer!

I believe strongly that one of the easiest ways to save money on your grocery bill is to have a menu plan and to follow the plan. It will eliminate dozens of unnecessary purchases and store-runs throughout the month which will invariably save you dozens--if not hundreds!--of dollars.

If you want to plan menus but feel hurried and harried as it is and would rather pay a little bit to have someone do the work for you, I'd definitely recommend that you check out Stolen Moments Menu Planning. The small amount of money it costs each month, could definitely save you more than ten times the actual cost of the service.

Kate is offering a special deal just for my readers if you're wanting to check out her menu-planning service. Just go here and type in the password moneysavingmom to see all the details. You can get a basic menu plan for as low as $5 per month or a complete menu plan for as low as $10 per month!

This might be a great idea for a Christmas gift, too!

Would you like to win a year-long subscription to the Stolen Moments Menu Planning Service? I'm giving away a year-long subscription to three different winners this weekend. Just click here to leave a comment on this post this weekend and you'll be entered to win!

Comments

[Sara]

Wow, this sounds great! I'm sort of menu-planning challenged.

[Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship]

I'm skeptical as you were, but I'd be interested to try it!
Katie

[Saryn]

Wow, this sounds like a wondeful service. I would love to have someone else plan our meals for the month...

Please throw my hat in the ring!

Saryn

[Joe]

My wife would love this!

[charity]

I need all the help I can get and this would be very useful as I run short on ideas. I love to cook and plan menus cause they are time savers and help with brainless ideas so you already know what your gonna cook. Thank you for such a great offer.

[Carolyn]

I would love to try something like this. Thanks for being able to offer it in a giveaway!

[Melissa]

With three littles underfoot this would be SO helpful!

[Michelle]

I have been feeling in a rut lately and this would be terrific. Having the menus to match my budget would just be fantastic!

Thank you for hosting this give-away,
Michelle
hsmamafl at gmail dot com

[Racquel]

This would be great!

[Jennifer Ott]

After three kids in three years, my brain is mush! I'd love someone else's input! Especially someone who takes into account our family's dietary preferences! Thanks!

[Heather Marie]

Sounds like JUST what I need!!!

[kia]

I'd love to have a menu planned out for me, I'm horrible at it!!

[Jessica W.]

I would LOVE to have someone plan my meals for me, this sounds great, hubby and I are both going through a period where we both feel SUPER burned out from a LOT of different angles... having 4 kids ages 6 months to 8 years with various Dr. appointments, sports, etc, plus my own work and school schedule, it's really hard!!!

[anoo]

cool! i'd love this...

[Dawn]

This sounds awesome and I'm that person who is totally "in-the-box." There is a shortage of kitchen creativity here in my house :)

[Suzi Anderson]

This sounds like a wonderful service that I'd be very interested in trying. I currently do menu planning at my house and just began OAMC...and think this would be an awesome addition to what we already do! Thanks so much!

[Tonya]

I'd love to see how it works....I'm a bit of a skeptic, like you, but could use some fresh ideas.

[Cathy]

I'd like to try something like this out. I already plan somewhat, but not as much as I should. Thanks for the chance!

[Wendi]

Be aware that the "as low as" means you only get the $5 a month if you prepay for the whole year. I am used to this kind of fine print from businesses but was surprised to find it on MSM. Usually she spells it all out up front. It's only 5.95 a month if you pay as you go, though, so not a big difference, it just bugged me for some reason.

[Brooklyn]

Wow! This is great!!

[Erin]

This sounds wonderful!

[Indimoney]

I'd love to win this giveaway. Useful gift.

[Angela]

I would love this!

[Tiffany]

PLEASE! I'm in desperate need of something like this.

[Meg]

I'd love to try such a time-saving service!

[Heather]

I'd love to try this!

[Stefanie]

The personalization of the service sounds very appealing. I would love to take a break from the planning.

[Margaret]

Sounds great!

[Sarah]

Wow this would be fantastic.

[Annette]

I would love this! With 4 children under 7 and homeschooling the oldest 2, I'm really bad about cooking and I am someone who likes to follow recipes and loves structure. I hope I win!!

[Corissa]

How luxurious! I'd love this.

[Heather]

count me in!

[Beth]

Sure could use some professional advice.

[Dawn]

Sounds like a wonderful service and a great giveaway!

[Caren]

I certainly could use this!

[Christina]

This sounds great. Does she have a place for food allergies in her survey?

[Julie Brockmeier]

Yea!!! This would be a very Merry Christmas present to ME! :) Thank you for doing this! You bless my heart everyday!

[Grace]

Sounds like a wonderful idea - always appreciate your giveaways, Crystal (even when I don't win :-)

[sherrieb]

Wow, what a great service, Thanks!

[Patti L]

This sounds great - thx for the giveaway!

[Lola]

this sounds like something that would help me tremendously!

[Debi]

Sounds really helpful. Thanks!

[Jessica]

What a great idea. I've been menu planning for awhile now and would love some new ideas. Thank you for all the awesome offers you post daily!

[Janet]

This is exactly what I need. I've been trying to menu plan but as soon as I sit down with a calendar I start drawing a blank as to what I want to make.

[Tammy]

Please enter me! Thanks!

[Taylor]

This sounds wonderful! I would love this service!

[Amy-Cutting Coupons in KC]

I would love to win meal planning for a year!!

[Alison Armstrong]

would love to try it!

[Sarah]

Love that she uses a survey. Tempted to try it out...

[Jody]

Two working parents. Two busy kids. Up at six and not home again until six. Sign me up. Menu planning would be a true blessing!
Jody