Not self-employed but DH and I both work long hours so I meal plan every week, here are my steps:
1. I keep all my recipes in Evernote. Even if the recipe is in a cookbook somewhere, I'll at least put a note in evernote with the name of the recipe and where to find it.
2. Also in Evernote, keep a list of "Dinners we like" some of these are really basic (pasta with sauce) and others are the names of actual recipes.
3. I tag recipes I've made in Evernote and that we've liked with "Cooked-Good"
4. I buy mostly fresh whole foods so coupons do me very little good but I do check the sales every week and plan my meals around what's on sale - chicken breasts on sale, you know I'm making something with chicken, lettuce in season at the farmer's market, we're definitely eating salads, etc. If I don't know what I want to make off the top of my head with something that's on sale, it's really easy for me to run a quick search in evernote.
5. I fill in my meal plan with all breakfasts, lunches, dinners and snacks (I keep it in a simple spreadsheet in Google Drive). I fill in any meals that I know are business or social commitments.
6. I'm cooking for 2 people so on a typical week, I'm making 2-3 dinners. I pull from recipes I know we like, may try a new one, etc. I list the recipe name in my spreadsheet and know that I can grab it from evernote when the time comes. Since most recipes are designed for anywhere from 4-8 servings, for only two people this can last us for quite a while. In general I plan that most meals have a protein, starch and veggies.
7. For lunches - I'll make 2 big pots of soup and then freeze them in individual containers. Most soups (except for cream based) freeze really well and are very cheap. One big pot of soup is about 10 meals for us, typically supplemented with some fruit or a salad at the same meal. Making two soups at once isn't really any harder than making one because a lot of the chopping and ingredients can be the same for each. FOr example, many of my soups have a mirepoix base (onions, carrots, celery). This also allows you to alternate soups for variety. Other lunches I do are sandwiches, packed the night before with fruit and veggies for sides. I package up all the sides on the weekend.
Like an earlier commenter, I used to feel like all my free time was taken up preparing meals. However, you get so much faster at it all as you do it more and more. It's just getting through that rough spot where you feel like you are cooking non-stop and nothing else. You learn little tricks too like laying out your grocery list in the order that the store is organized in. Also recipes take less time to cook the more often you make them, so you learn to mix in known recipes and new ones based on time/energy.
Spice mixes - I make my own - much cheaper and lower in sodium typically. Then I keep them in containers in my freezer - taco seasoning, gyro seasoning, etc. 1-2 tablespoons to a pound of meat, and I'm good to go. Makes cooking so much easier and more flavorful.
Finally, have some meals on your list that are encompassed almost entirely of pantry/freezer ingredients. For example, in a pinch I know I can throw together some beans, rice, corn, salsa and make a mexican skillet. I an supplement with whatever I have on hand - cheese, lettuce, avocados, etc.
