Meal Planning - how do you do it?

cutestkids

I would buy and cook what I wanted, I would put it down to him and he could eat it or not I really wouldn't care but i would make it very clear that there is no more money for the rest of the month to pander to him,

I really don't get people who allow their husbands or partners to behave like overgrown children when it comes to food and run about trying to cater for them.

Callie22

I'm probably being harsh, but I'd stop buying the fizzy drinks. Even if you buy the cheapest stuff, at just £1 a day that's a third of your budget just spent on cola every month. Apart from the health implications, that would buy an awful lot of groceries/meat/cleaning stuff for BOTH of you. It's ridiculous to spend that much of your budget on one thing for one person, especially when it's junk. Ditto the crisps - either don't buy or buy 1 six or twelve pack per week/fortnight, then when it's gone, it's gone.

But then I'm mean like that

spike7451

Re Marinades.

If the's an Oriental Supermarket near you buy;

Bottle of light soy
Bottle dark soy
Bottle fish sauce
Bottle oyster sauce
Bottle sesame oil.

Big bottles of each & the whole lot should come to no more than a fiver,which would be a fraction of the cost of if you bought much smaller bottles at the supermarket.

Add some basic spices to them,again the sachets can be bought for a fraction of the cost of the supermarket,and you have the basis for some really tasty & cheap meals.
The bottles will keep on the shelf,apart from the Oyster sauce which needs to be kept in the fridge & the spices in an airtight container.

Then if you want to make a marinade,mix & match the spices & liquids till it tastes good.That's what I do.

Add a teaspoon of medium curry powder to cheapo red sauce & you have a curry marrinade or even use with chips & sausages!

After the initial outlay of around a tenner,you have the basis for loads of meals from Chinese to Indian.If your hubs likes a curry,you can also buy packs of 20odd pappads for 50-60p as opposed to over a quid for 5 in Tescos!

BitterAndTwisted

Fizzy orange: how about diluting orange juice with sparking water? If he drinks two litres of that a day I suspect it would be more expensive than what you're buying now. Have you tried Lidl's own brand cola? Not that I know what it costs as I never drink fizzy pop myself

bossymoo

I think a rude awakening is in order! Give him his share of the budget and let him sort himself. Just once will probably do the trick.

I remember a few months after my eldest was born, my late dh wasn't really recognising the "relentlessness" of care needed for a young baby. So I said "you won't mind if I pop out for the afternoon, then, if it's such a doddle". I was gone barely two hours and came back to mayhem. Never again did he take me for granted... God Bless his soul.

Barneysmom

You need to get cunning for a while.

Next time you use a pasta sauce from a jar, wash the jar out and keep it.

Then fill it with Tesco passata (29p) and spoon of Italian herbs and use that to make your bol.
Just chop some onion and mushroom to throw in the pan.

Leave the jar out so he can see you have used the right stuff :cool:

You can sneak in a lot of generic foods that way, though I reckon cola would be hard to do?

maman

sapanga wrote: »

I am trying to create a more healthy meal plan for me at least because what he likes isnt that healthy and I hate eating rubbish and actually enjoy making my own hm meals.

That's what you're trying to do and very admirable it is too. But what about your OH? Is he on board with the money saving?

It should be possible to buy him some cheapo ready meals from Iceland or Farmfoods which might keep him happy as he seems not to mind eating junk. I see students doing it locally all the time. You could then spend your £50 on batch cooking HM ready meals and reheating them to your heart's content while he sits and drools!

On a more serious note, who's paying to indulge him? If he goes to the chippy or gets his own cola and crisps if you don't buy them whose money is he spending?

sapanga

thanks I am gonna try out the passata, and check out the local oriental supermarkets.
I think i will have to just be tough over the coke and crisps and not buy as much.

I buy all the food shopping for the house, so I do tend to get him what he wants which i shouldnt do and wont be doing anymore!

He tends to waste all his own money going to the chippy during work. I dont tend to have chippy for tea as I see it as a treat. He doesnt really money save he tends to spend first and think about the consequences later but I'm working on changing that and making him come round to my way of thinking because I'm obviously right!:rotfl:

Flat_Eric

There is a thread on here somewhere called Sneaky Ways to save the pennies. Its a fab thread with lots of ideas such as buying value teabags and sticking said teabags in a branded box etc.

How much does your OH contribute to the food budget? If little or nothing then the coke definitely has to go. If he really wants the coke then he should buy it but it should go anyway - just on the health issues.

I use a desk diary to keep track of what me/my OH are up to then I meal plan accordingly (but not as much as I would like). Usually its simple meals in the week with something more involved at the weekend which leaves leftovers. Things like curry and chilli actually taste better when re-heated.

ETA - https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/826963

and https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/2426287

Nottoobadyet

How old is your child? Surely he'll grow out of it!

:P