Weekly Meal Planning With Grocery Ads (Step-by-Step)

If you’re the default cook for your home, you know that the hardest part of dinner is often deciding what to make. The good news is you don’t have to start from scratch every week. You can create a weekly plan around store ads, pantry staples, and repeatable systems that work even when life is busy. This guide walks you through the exact method: skim weekly ads, pick items that jump out at you, plan dinners with those items, and build a simple spreadsheet grocery list, including your every-week items. It helps you save time, save money, lowers stress, and helps you make a week's worth of decisions at once.

For privacy, in this video I'm browsing sample ads rather than my exact local store, but the method stays the same. If your stores sit close together, pickups at 1 to 2 spots are easy. If not, one store is plenty. We’ll keep it simple, smart, and repeatable, and break it down step by step.

Why Use Weekly Ads for Your Weekly Meal Plan?

Weekly ads are a great shortcut for meal ideas and savings without chasing every deal in town. This no-brainer approach lets you think of them as a menu brainstorm and price check in one place. You’re not building a plan around every sale, you’re letting obvious wins jump out for quick and easy weeknight dinners, like family packs of chicken thighs or a good price on ground beef or shrimp.

Tips that keep this easy:

Focus on 1 to 2 stores that are close to you.
Don't worry about ads at stores with mostly steady pricing, like Aldi or Costco, unless you’re going anyway.
Check the whole ad. Value meats sometimes sit at the bottom or in a special section.
Give yourself “easy” nights, like nuggets on salad kits or a BOGO pizza.

Step-by-Step: Build a 7-Dinner Plan You Can Repeat

The goal isn’t to make this exact menu every week. The goal is to learn a simple method you can reuse with whatever is on sale. Here’s a sample reusable meal plan that shows how to pair ad finds, pantry checks, leftovers, and sides.

1) Chicken Bacon Ranch Casserole

Seeing that value packs of chicken thighs AND bacon were on sale in this ad, I knew I'd want to do something in the chicken bacon ranch wheelhouse. I'm recipe testing a potato casserole with those flavors, but you might opt for chicken bacon ranch flatbread instead.

What to check: chicken thighs, bacon, potatoes or naan, cheese, and ranch dressing.
Why it works: It’s filling, kid-friendly, and uses staple ingredients.
Side Dish: This is a full meal in one. You can add a side salad if you like.

2) Lemon Pepper Chicken Thighs

I make lemon pepper chicken thighs pretty often when I need an easy slow cooker meal for a busy day. It only needs a few ingredients: chicken thighs, lemon pepper seasoning, fresh lemon, and a little oil. Use a fresh lemon, even if you have seasoning. The juice brightens the flavor and the extra juice adds flavor to your sides.

What to check: chicken thighs, lemon pepper seasoning, fresh lemon, oil.
Why it works: Set it and forget it, then use leftovers later.
Side: Rice and broccoli (fresh or frozen). Replace a tablespoon of the water in your rice with the rest of the lemon’s juice. Drizzle a little over steamed broccoli too. Simple, bright, and zero extra cost since we got the lemon for the chicken.

Labeled ingredients on a kitchen counter: bone-in skin-on chicken thighs, olive oil, lemon pepper seasoning, and a lemon for juice.

3) Lemon Chicken Soup

Plan to turn leftover chicken into soup, which helps reduce food waste. Use broth, carrots, and potatoes; or swap in rice or orzo if you don't have enough potatoes for other meals. Onions are optional. I like Better Than Bouillon for broth since it’s easy to keep on hand.

Suggested ingredients:

Carrots
Potatoes (or pasta or rice)
Broth or base concentrate
Seasonings: Lemon juice, dill, garlic, salt and pepper
Optional: onion, any other soup vegetable you like
Why it works: It reduces waste, stretches your protein, and feels cozy without much effort.
Side: This is a full bowl meal. Add bread if you want something extra.

4) Meatloaf

Lean ground beef often goes on sale. This recipe for meatloaf is simple and a good choice for big batch meals, a great two-for-one dish, because leftovers become sliders- make extra sauce to speed up prep on your slider night. Before you shop, check for ketchup, brown sugar, and breadcrumbs so you’re not surprised at dinnertime.

What to check: ground beef, ketchup, breadcrumbs, brown sugar.
Why it works: It’s classic comfort food and sets you up for night two.
Side: Baked potatoes and canned corn. Bake the potatoes on a separate rack while the meatloaf cooks. Heat the corn on the stove right before serving.

5) Meatloaf Sliders (Leftovers Night)

Leftover meatloaf becomes sliders with Hawaiian rolls. A few French fried onions on top add crunch. The sauce usually uses pantry staples, so you might not need to buy anything new. If you’re low on onions, add them to your list.

What to check: Hawaiian rolls, French fried onions.
Why it works: Fast, fun, and uses what you already cooked.

Two meatloaf sliders on a wooden board with another two behind them, featuring a Hawaiian roll, meatloaf, sauce, and fried onions.

6) Shrimp Scampi-ish

If shrimp is on sale, it’s a great way to add variety. Cooked, peeled shrimp makes this very fast, just tossing those in with a simple lemon butter garlic pasta. You’ll need lemons, butter, olive oil, garlic, and pasta. It’s a quick win on a busy night and gives you a proper pasta dish in the lineup.

What to check: shrimp, lemons, butter, oil, pasta, garlic (optionally add parmesan, and use white wine in the sauce for a true scampi).
Why it works: Takes minutes, feels special, and uses repeatable pantry items.
Side: One bagged salad kit.

7) Shrimp Tacos

Use the same shrimp for taco night. Season with your favorite taco seasoning. I make my own so I can add extra cumin. Top with shredded cabbage or slaw, avocados, sour cream, and a squeeze of lime.

What to check: tortillas, cabbage or slaw mix, avocados, sour cream, limes, taco seasoning.
Why it works: Fresh, fast, and everyone can build their own.
Side: This is a full plate, but chips and salsa are an easy add if you want more.

A quick reminder: you make the rules. If you’re not cooking every night, swap in a freezer pizza or a store-made lasagna. If you only need five dinners, plan five. Keep what works and skip what doesn’t.

Creating Your Spreadsheet Grocery List

A simple spreadsheet serves as an effective meal planning template to track your meals, staples, and store choices. It becomes your reusable system so you can plan in minutes and save mental energy for other tasks.

Setting Up the Sheet

Create a Google Sheet with a tab for each week, aligning it with your calendar to account for social schedules. Title it with a date or holiday so you know which tab to use, like “Halloween Week”. Duplicate last week’s sheet so your staples carry forward. Then make a column called “Every Week” and list your regular buys so you never forget them.

Common every-week items:

Eggs
Milk
Bananas (or your families favorite fruit)
Bread (sandwiches and French toast)

My every week items also include avocados and bagels- add your own to your "every week" column.

Adding Meal Items and Pantry Checks

On your weekly column, build out your weekly meal plan by listing the meals and the main ingredients for your grocery list. Add notes where you need to double check the pantry. If you need lemons for two meals, mark “x2” so you don’t end up short. If you know you have Better Than Bouillon or oil in the pantry, note it. You can confirm before checkout and avoid surprises from the pantry.

Here’s a simple layout you can copy:

A spreadsheet for weekly meal planning featuring meal ideas, grocery stores (Vons and Smiths), separate shopping lists for each, an Either Store list, and a weekly staples list with eggs, milk, and peppers. — *Clicking the sheet will take you to a read-only version you can go to "File-Make A Copy" and then use your copy.*

Adjust stores based on your location and availability.

Comparing Prices Across Stores

When you’re logged in, compare prices on the items you buy often, like potatoes or carrots, to avoid over-planning your route. Choose one or two stores for pickup based on what’s closest. If one item is a dollar cheaper a pound across town, it may not be worth the time. Keep the drive time in mind, not just the price.

Tip for variety: add one extra fruit or vegetable each week. Apples are a great grab-and-go option and work for snacks and lunches.

A collage shows a grocery spreadsheet, chicken cooking in a slow cooker, roasted potatoes in a pan, and sliders with meat and onions. Text overlays read: MEAL PLAN with grocery sales flyers & weekly meal planning made easy using a simple spreadsheet.

Planning Breakfasts, Lunches, and Leftovers

You don’t have to plan these in detail if your household thrives on simple routines. A short list covers most of it and keeps you out of decision fatigue. Incorporating basic meal prep for breakfast and lunch can streamline your week even further.

Simple Breakfast Routines

Bananas make banana bread, eggs become French toast, and bagels or English muffins make easy mornings. Keep bread on hand for toast and PB&J. Add milk to your every-week tab and you’re set. For added flexibility, consider breakfast for dinner on busy evenings when you want something quick and familiar.

Lunch Ideas with Leftovers

Adults can use leftovers from dinner. Kids often prefer simple lunches like PB&J. Salad kits help fill any gaps, and they pair well with a few nuggets or deli turkey. Toss apples or another fruit in for balance.

Filling Gaps

If you pack lunches, check snacks like chips or Goldfish before you shop. Pick up what you need when it’s on sale and keep a small buffer. Most people are creatures of habit, and that’s a good thing here. It reduces planning and keeps shopping quick.

Side Dish Playbook You Can Reuse

Sides round out the plan without extra work. Here’s a quick guide to simple weeknight recipes you can reuse with almost any main:

Meatloaf night: Baked potatoes in the same oven, plus a can of corn on the stove (or roasted potatoes and broccoli, pictured below).
Slow cooker chicken thighs: Rice and broccoli, flavored with the rest of the lemon’s juice.
Shrimp scampi: One bagged salad kit.
Casseroles: Often full meal dishes. Add a side salad if you want more greens.
Soups: Usually complete. Bread or rolls if you want something to dip.
Tacos: Serve as-is, or add chips and salsa.

A baking tray lined with parchment paper holds roasted broccoli florets on the left and roasted potato pieces on the right, both cooked until slightly browned.

Make It A Habit: Swap Sales, Keep the System

The weekly meal planning rotates based on what’s featured, but the framework to plan meals stays the same:

Pick a protein for meal prep and build 2 to 3 meals around it.
Add a quick pasta, taco night, or slow cooker meal.
Plan at least one leftovers night.
Add simple sides that cook alongside the main or need no recipe.
Keep an “Every Week” tab so staples never get missed.

If you change stores or regions, the method still works, helping reduce food waste. Whether you’re looking at Kroger, Vons, Publix, or another store, you should find a protein, a produce deal, and a few pantry staples that make sense.

Final Tips and Encouragement

You’ve got seven dinners, a simple meal planning template you can reuse, and simple sides that fit any week. Keep it tight with one or two stores, let the ads inspire you, plan around your social schedule for flexibility, and leave room for easy nights.

Reminders:

Keep it to 1 or 2 stores.
Mix in easy nights and leftovers.
Check the pantry before checkout.
Use a "clean out the fridge" night.

Most of all, remember this: you are amazing. You’re feeding people you love, and you’re doing a great job of it.