I like to plan all my meals, not just the main ones and I use a table on Word to record the plans.
Breakfasts tend to be much of a muchness most of the time but occasionally I will plan in something a bit more lavish.
At present, through the winter, lunches also tend to look the same but, because I make all my soups, they're really quite different. Where it just says 'soup', it's because I haven't decided what kind - it will depend on a) what I have and b) what I fancy. The one consistent is that they are all frugal.
I really ring the changes with dinner. I use my up to date (usually) audits to see what I have, look at what I jotted down on the previous plan and go for it!
They do change. Maybe I have unexpected leftovers, maybe I really like the idea of something else, maybe I have planned something more time consuming and I find I don't have the time, but generally I stick with it.
As my plans are based on what I already have (which is loads, hence the freezer challenge), my shopping list is usually small but I have a post-it beside the keyboard and I jot down anything I will need to get. The one beside me at the moment says milk and frozen peas.
The last column is for other stuff, a bit like a mini diary. I deleted that before screenshotting because it's personal to me and pasted it back afterwards.
Once it's done and printed out, when I see something I'd really like to make (such as Sue's sausage and egg pie from her blog today), I note it down underneath and plan it in the next time I do my planning.
It's a bit regimented, I know, but when I was teaching I had very little spare time and knowing exactly where I was with my food worked for me, even though it wasn't frugal.
Now I am time richer so I continue using the same system but it is a lot more frugal. I worked hard for my pension and want to make every penny count.
Here's a screen shot of this week's and next week's plan (updated and extended into next week just now).
As I said - it really works for me.
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