Meal planning for one - do you bother?

lilac_lady
lilac_lady Posts: 4,469 Forumite
edited 29 June 2010 at 5:31PM in Old style MoneySaving
I don't meal plan as it's just for me and I never know what I want to eat until I start to feel hungry. the only meals I semi plan are when I have guests/family coming.

Do you meal plan if you live on your own?


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  • mandragora_2
    mandragora_2 Posts: 2,611
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    edited 24 June 2010 at 7:05PM
    Honest? If I'm here by myself?

    Nope. Scrambled eggs on toast; a vat of veggie curry and eat it all week; lunch in the canteen and graze all evening; a M&S meal deal made to last three nights; wine and chocolate biscuits. All of these have served as tea whenever the rest of them are away.

    I love it. Don't expect I'd live like it all the time if it was just me, but I couldn't guarantee it
    Reason for edit? Can spell, can't type!
  • babs2008
    babs2008 Posts: 576 Forumite
    I dont meal plan. I find it hard to meal plan as I always fancy something different to eat depending on my mood, the weather, how hungry I am...

    I try to plan my lunches to take to work, but that's as far as it goes really.

    I do cook a lot from scratch though, and always have extra portions in my freezer. (I tend not to want to eat the same thing day after day.)
    Looking forward to the future.
  • velocitykid
    velocitykid Posts: 169 Forumite
    I should but I don't
    you're my wife now dave!!!!!!!! :eek:
  • elfen
    elfen Posts: 10,213 Forumite
    I do, I cook more up and freeze it. At the moment there's chicken korma, HM turkey burgers, HM beef burgers, gammon and pork waiting to be cooked (in the freezer) There's also a ton of veg and some chicken - I'll be mainly using the chicken and burgers as the basis for salad based meals.
    ** Total debt: £6950.82 ± May NSDs 1/10 **
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    **SPC 2012 #1498 -£152 and 1499 ***
    I do it all because I'm scared.
  • I don't. I take lunches to work but I do have staple foods and always manage to throw something together with what I have or shop for food on my way home from work. Not sure if it's more expensive then meal planning but I'm not very good at meal planning and don't always rememeber to take food out of the freezer. So I just make it up as I go along and as long as I eat healthily enough, I don't worry about it.
  • GEEGEE8
    GEEGEE8 Posts: 2,440 Forumite
    I never have the enthusiasm to do it.. I would love to, but it seems so pointless with no-one to do it with lol..
    9/70lbs to lose :)
  • Kirri
    Kirri Posts: 6,184
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    No, I just eat whatever I have grown veg wise and base a meal around it from store cupboard basics and frozen Quorn/tofu. If necessary I'll eat the same thing for multiple days in a row. I can't see what I'd gain from planning my meals a week in advance? I'd probably end up buying more if I was trying to do specific and varied recipes!
  • freakyogre
    freakyogre Posts: 1,465 Forumite
    I do, but don't always stick to it and find it hard to plan for weekends or days where I may be away.

    If I really don't fancy what i've planned, it can usually be moved around as I tend to make things in advance and freeze them, so one more day won't make a lot of difference. The main problem I find is ending up with more food after i've planned as doing say, a simple pasta bake then creates 3-4 meals that I need to find space for!
    Grocery challenge - Nov: £52/£100
  • C_Mababejive
    C_Mababejive Posts: 11,645
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    I'd tend to cook up batches of stuff eg pasta sauces,paella,stews and freeze it in tupperware boxes. That way you get a good meal and dont eat sh%te.
    Feudal Britain needs land reform. 70% of the land is "owned" by 1 % of the population and at least 50% is unregistered (inherited by landed gentry). Thats why your slave box costs so much..
  • rmiller
    rmiller Posts: 64 Forumite
    I do. I was curious at how much money I was spending by buying stuff each night for dinners. As I didn't meal plan I didn't bother gonig to the shop for a 'weekly shop' so didn't buy much for lunches either which meant I bought them nearly everyday.

    I did a test and in Month 1 (where I didn't meal plan or go 'weekly' food shopping) I spent twice as much as I did than in Month 2 (when I did meal plan and do a weekly shop).

    It was so easy. As I don't have a car, I had the food delivered.

    I saved £350 over the last year by doing this so I'm off Switerzland as a treat!
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