I swear, the most exhausting question of the day is always “What’s for dinner?” By 5:00 PM, after working and running around all day, trying to figure out a meal on the spot is just brutal.

I used to overcomplicate it, but I finally realized meal planning isn’t about cooking gourmet dinners or having an aesthetic Pinterest pantry. It’s literally just doing your future self a solid. It saves money, stops you from throwing out rotting spinach, and just takes you off autopilot so you can actually chill in the evening.

If you’re trying to get into a groove with it, here’s what’s actually been working for me lately:

Figure out your week first. Before you even write a list, look at your schedule. Is it a tight-budget week? Are you working late and need 15-minute meals? Figuring out the vibe keeps you from getting overwhelmed.

Shop your own kitchen. I used to be the person who bought a new jar of Italian seasoning every week because I forgot I had three at home. Now, I dig through the back of my freezer and pantry first. See what you already have, and build around that.

Use crutches. Staring at a blank calendar is intimidating, so use theme nights. Taco Tuesday, Meatless Monday, Breakfast for Dinner. It gives you a starting point so you aren’t pulling ideas out of thin air.

Eat what’s in season. It just makes sense. Buying what’s actually growing right now is cheaper, and the food actually tastes like food.

Group your grocery list. Write your list based on the store layout (produce, dairy, aisles). It stops you from wandering back and forth across the store, which is exactly when you end up throwing random, impulse buys into your cart.

Do the annoying prep early. You do not need to spend your entire Sunday cooking. Just do the annoying stuff: chop the onions and peppers, make a big batch of rice, or marinate the chicken. Just having those building blocks ready makes cooking on a random Tuesday feel so much easier.

Double your recipes. If you’re making soup or curry, just make a massive pot and freeze half. It’s a lifesaver for nights when everything goes wrong. Also, quick tangent on storage—investing in good containers is actually worth it. I started using those Zwilling vacuum-seal ones, and my berries actually last the week now instead of turning to mush by Wednesday. It’s so nice not throwing away money.

Don’t stress when it fails. Sometimes the plan just falls apart. You stay late at work, or the kids refuse to eat the salmon you made. Who cares. Order a pizza. You just look at what worked, what didn’t, and try again next week. It’s really not that deep!