Mardathas meal planning thread

mardatha

I've been on this forum long enough to know how to do OS - to cook from scratch which I do, and to make things stretch, which I do, and how to buy value items not posh ones, which I do. But I still cant get the weekly spend down very much :mad:
I spent £45 today for just the 2 of us plus a cat. So I came home really fedup and started to put the stuff away - and realized the freezer is so full its ready to fall through the floor. The cupboards arent full but they're a lot fuller than they used to be, and I'm using more of them for food.
So i think I need to change my thinking --its like I HAVE to go to the shop every wed, and I HAVE to take my weekly allowance, ( plus spare in case of a red face at the checkout LOL ) and then I HAVE to use it all up. So I need now to change that pattern of behaviour...
But how...:D

littleredhen

what i do when i get in a rut like this is make a list of everything i have in freezer then plan my menus - when you have run freezer down do a list of store cupboard and start again - that way you can combine what you have in freezer and make up meals with stuff from store cupboard - write a shopping list - keep it on fridge - for things like coffee, toilet rolls etc and just go and get what you need - then before you go for another big shop sit down and write your menus and then write your shopping list - put what you don't spend into a jar and treat yourself at the end of the month or better still put it away for a rainy day

bluenose1

Been thinking the same myself. I just top up the cupboards and freezer all the time.
I intend to go through my freezer and cupboards this weekend and make a list of contents.
I then intend to plan meals with the food available. I am sure I have enough food to eat for at least 7 days.

katholicos

You raise an excellent point. I do believe that i am preconditioned to believe that i must go and do at least one big grocery shop a week....but who says i do? It's all in the mind! I know i could live off what we have in for more than a week...now i just have to try to avoid the supermarket altogether for over a week.

mandragora_2

littleredhen wrote: »

what i do when i get in a rut like this is make a list of everything i have in freezer then plan my menus - when you have run freezer down do a list of store cupboard and start again - that way you can combine what you have in freezer and make up meals with stuff from store cupboard - write a shopping list - keep it on fridge - for things like coffee, toilet rolls etc and just go and get what you need - then before you go for another big shop sit down and write your menus and then write your shopping list - put what you don't spend into a jar and treat yourself at the end of the month or better still put it away for a rainy day

Great advice - my husband does most of the food shopping in this house at the moment, and he's sort of in the same rut - it drives me mad, as he's like a stuck record with some items - we have enough herbal teas in the cupboard now to be able to leave some in our wills.

I am retraining him (slowly) and along the lines suggested above. Every now and then I wheedle him into going for a 'less than £20' week and then we can have the money towards something tangible and lovely instead - like a nice meal out one night on holiday...

littleredhen

[-

we have enough herbal teas in the cupboard now to be able to leave some in our wills

.

lol:rotfl:

fuzzyfelt_2

I often get stuck in a rut from time to time.....I'm sure it happens to the even the most diehard Old Stylers! Like the others here, I find it helps to do a cupboard, fridge and freezer audit from time to time - then plan your meals around what you have. I also find that meal planning means we have more varied meals. If you haven't found them already, the following threads might be helpful:

Storecupboard Challenge

Meal Plans

lynzpower

one great tip I read on here once, was if you ALWAYS do your food shopping say on a monday.

So you go on a monday

Then next week, try and stretch it till wednesday.

Then week after that go down to Saturday.

This should clear your stores down and rid you of you routine!

This unfortunately didnt work for me, as I spend more now when I do go!

onetomany

yea i agree with all above my freezer is kida half full my cupbards are starting to look bare but thats good as i still got enough for a least 2 weeks meals (family of four) ive been freezing the left overs now i recokon i got at least 2 days meals allready cooked , just makes you relise that you really dont need to spend alot on shopping (its hard but make sure u stick 2 u shopping list)

littleredhen

This unfortunately didnt work for me, as I spend more now when I do go!

[/quote]


oh no i was reading your post and thought great idea but you spoilt it with your last line:p

beautiful_ravens

mardatha wrote: »

I've been on this forum long enough to know how to do OS - to cook from scratch which I do, and to make things stretch, which I do, and how to buy value items not posh ones, which I do. But I still cant get the weekly spend down very much :mad:
I spent £45 today for just the 2 of us plus a cat. So I came home really fedup and started to put the stuff away - and realized the freezer is so full its ready to fall through the floor. The cupboards arent full but they're a lot fuller than they used to be, and I'm using more of them for food.
So i think I need to change my thinking --its like I HAVE to go to the shop every wed, and I HAVE to take my weekly allowance, ( plus spare in case of a red face at the checkout LOL ) and then I HAVE to use it all up. So I need now to change that pattern of behaviour...
But how...:D

Agree with other posts - just make a menu based on the freezer stuff.
It felt really quite scary to drop from £80 to £50 a week, but Ive got used to it now. Maybe you could shop online, so you arent physically going to the shop - its a different experience that way, and you can change the items and watch the price more easily.