Meal Planning - how do you do it?

freudianslip

I like to have full cupboards and freezer as have been caught out in the snow before, ok I know we won't get snow right now but when all you can get to is the local coop.... literally relying on one store for a whole village, anything can happen! Over reacting? probably

maman

I've done my list for tomorrow and it looks tiny too! I'm off on holiday in 10 days and so I'm determined only to buy a minimum as I must make sure we eat up all the fresh stuff that's here. What i would suggest OP is that you do make use of any offers that will come in handy to feed your coming guests. Maybe something you could cook and freeze to save you work when they're here and money in the longer term.

seehar

I'm feeling odd about the shop too. Boyfriends dad was with us last week and he took us out most nights (and paid ) and now boyfriend has gone home with him, Ooop north, so just been me all week, so I have a freezer full of food! All I need to get tomorrow is yoghurt and orange juice I think.....it does feel strange not doing a big shop....good tho, saving the pennies

barneydee_2

my daughter is having a small party for her boyfriend who is 21 on sunday,I have said I will help with the food ,usually befor when I done parties or BBq's I just would go out willie nillie and just buy everything, but as money has got soooo tight I am having to check what I have already got In and do you know what my shopping list is small :j
I am making home made sausage rolls, verious quiches, Rice salad,cous cous salad, pasta salad, chicken pieces, sausages on sticks and some different cakes. The main things I need to buy are fresh stuff for salads:)

I do think that when your back is up aginst the wall and things are tight you have to be more inventive and make do with what you have got.

Barneydee

midnightraven3

i love the "facelessness" of online shopping
(that and the fact i hate supermarkets:D)
my delivery driver knows more about our houses's habits than most people who know us, and is now well versed in why i order 50 tins of chick peas when they are on offer, and he even congratulates me when i order something and they "upgrade" the subs for the original price:rotfl:
most recent was 40 bags of sainsburys 9p pasta, they didnt have any left so i got for 40 bags of 81p pasta for 9p each:T

he obvioulsy tells his wife as well as he asked me for my humus recipe for her:rotfl:
online shopping allows me to indulge in my bargain stockpiling without the raised eyebrows of the checkout operator, so shop away OP, no matter what your order may be:D

[Deleted User]

Spring_Time wrote: »

Thank you for the replies, its so nice that people get what I mean. Its a strange feeling. I think its the first time that its hit home that meal planning really does work! I have tried so often in the past then just got lazy and it went out of the window, whereas this week or so I have stuck to it like mad. You are both so right when you say about thinking of what that money can go towards instead! Thats exactly what I am doing. Its a nice feeling for once!

I too, am finding how meal-planning really works. I though I would save a couple of pounds per week, but when you get better at it, It saves so much, you can hardly believe it:beer:

[Deleted User]

nic_santorini wrote: »

I agree with all of you, I meal plan and have hardly bought anything. I have a £7 off voucher from Mr T if I spend £50 or more, this would have been easy before on a big shop, but I really don't NEED £50 worth of food this week. I have saved so much money on my food shops in the last 3 weeks, I have treated the house to 3 new chandeliers I had my eye on for a year that were in the BHS sale for £40 each and we are still eating well, just not snacking on rubbish.

It's very satisfying isn't it, to know that the family are eating well, or better and yet you can even have surplus cash!

[Deleted User]

After I lost my lovely OH almost 8 years ago the first time I had to go to the shops I came home in tears as I suddenly realised that stuff I had been buying I no longer needed to get.It seems very weird after 40 years not buying his favourite food.Took me quite awhile to buy just for one.Now I am at the stage when i only buy essentials that are on my list as I seem to have far too much stuff in the cupboards and freezer.Today I have literally a 4 pint bottle of milk to buy and a few tomatoes and thats all I need this week as I have quite a bit in the fridge still from my last shop last week.
Tonight I am going to DDs for a birthday Dinner for DGS and tomorrow I shall be out visiting and I'm not sure when i'll be home so I don't have to think too hard about meals for then either .Sunday lunch I will have something light as I always go to Sunday dinner in the late afternoon at my DDs. I am out to lunch on Monday at my sis-in-laws so the next dinner I shall have to sort out will be Monday night.Its odd at times, as for years I always ,like most Mums had to shop several times a week, but now I can often go for 6-8 days without going near a shop.Buying in essentials only does mean that you have more cash in your pocket though which is good as my spare cash goes into a fund for our family holiday in August.

valk_scot

I used to need a big trolly for my main weekly shop and spend at least £70 a week on it, plus a couple of top up shops at £20-£30 each. Now I go twice a week and it's seldom more than £25. I buy more in the local shops though..meat and fish...and the allotment provides a lot especially at this time of year. I make a list and stick firmly to it, plus whoopsies of course. I still get this nagging feeling I'm forgetting something though!

Spring_Time

So, so glad to see I am not the only one to feel this way!

I did my shop this morning and all brought in my basket for less then £25. So many times I looked at other bits and thought about picking them up but I talked myself out of it as I want to learn to trust my list and plans! Who would of thought saving the pennies would be so hard going! lol