It's hard to argue that menu planning isn't a worthwhile endeavor. Yet for many of us, it's something that has a permanent place on our "to do" list - with an occasional appearance on our "I'll get around to it tomorrow" list.

Yet menu planning is a great time saver and money saver and pays dividends in family enjoyment, according to LaDonna McKnight, a 4-H Extension educator for Custer County.

A good place to start is with the sale ads in your local newspaper, McNight said. "Plan your menu for the week around the ads. See what you have on hand, and make sure you are using what you have on hand." Your goal is to rough out a simple menu plan that allows you to shop efficiently to get what you need for a week of meals, while minimizing cost, cooking time and cleaning chores.

It's a good idea to build a family shopping list on your computer, listing all the foods and sundries your family uses regularly. Print and post a copy for each week, so that family members can jot down items they need or would like to have. A list can help you discover your particular family routine and allow for flexibility as children grow and tastes change.

A shopping list helps keep you from making impulse purchases, McKnight said. With a list, you only have to shop the aisles that have the food you are looking for - saving you time and keeping temptation at bay. If you have storage available, you can buy items that are on sale in bulk, another good way to save money.

A menu plan can improve nutrition and is a good way to try new things, McKnight said. You can keep a file and make notes about what dishes worked and what your family liked or disliked. "Try one new dish or menu a week," McKnight said. "Eventually, you should have 30 days or 60 days of menus, so you don't do the same thing week after week."

With several weeks worth of menu plans, you can begin to recycle them - enabling you to save even more time and energy.

In addition, McKnight said, menu planning gives you a better opportunity to use food efficiently - providing inexpensive, ready to go leftovers for workday lunches.

Contact Laura Tonkyn at 394-8405 or laura.tonkyn@rapidcityjournal.com.