Meal planning could hold the key to cutting costs in the kitchen

Slashing the household budget could be easier than ever thanks to a range of innovative new meal plans.

In the past, poring over recipe books used to be the key to planning family meals, but now it’s all about  new streamlined guides.

Supermarkets like Coles have launched free menu planners online that let you click and choose recipes for up to seven days,  with some dinners under $10.

Queensland mother Katrina Springer told 9NEWS she has come up with her own system, devising weekly meal plans that anyone can use on The Organised Housewife website.

Many of her ideas are based around catalogue specials.

"It's just finding that little snippet of time while you're having your coffee on a Sunday morning to write down all the things you're going to be doing for the week, and base your meal plan around your activities," Ms Springer said.

"You know exactly what you need, you're going to eliminate the waste at home and you're not bringing unnecessary items home," she said.

Aside from helping families cut down waste, meal planning can also assist with balancing meals, and ensuring the family is consuming a good variety of vegetables, meat, fish and dairy.

For the time poor, businesses like Aussie Farmers Direct can take the hard work out of meal planning.

Home delivery kits allow customers to handpick recipes that come with all the ingredients you need, sourced from around 200 Australian farms.

They've just launched their own Choose Your Own service.

"Choose Your Own takes the hassle out of having to plan for weeknight dinners," CEO Brendan Shaw explained.

"We have over 60 recipes customers can choose from and that means we do the hard yards for them."