Mardathas meal planning thread

purpleivy

I'm trying hard to stick to my budget, rather get it down from what it was last year. Although there are only 3 of us at the moment, we probably spend about the same on food as when there are 4, as dd is vegetarian and when she is here we eat more veggie food as a family.

I kind of feeel I need to shop every week, as I always need bananas. I get them for dh for lunch at work. If I get them on a Sunday they will last the week. I don't see much of a way round this. If I'm going then I might as well get what I need. I hate shopping for one item, it seems such a waste of effort! I've got enough stuff for weeks worth of main meals, but would need fruit, veg, dairy.

zarazara

I challenge you....................go out and buy ONLY BANANAS. a big bunch if you like.

Tiggergirl

We used to do a shop every week, but with a bit of menu planning I've now got it down to every ten days or so.

I tend to do a check of what's in the cupboards, fridge and freezer and make a list of what I can make with it and what extra I'd need for those meals. I then try and pad that out with a few 'hardly any ingredients' meals like egg and chips or beans on toast for example. This means we can run down stocks of stuff sat at the back of the freezer too.

Now we do a big shop at the start of the month, which will include the months worth of baby milk and nappies, cat food and washing powder etc, and two more top-up shops during the month. these two will be roughly around the 10th and 20th of the month and will mainly be fresh stuff and any basics we've run out of.

I always do my shopping online now, since it avoids me or my OH shoving too many extras in the trolley, as well as keeping track of the spend as I go along. I find it easier to stick to a budget seeing a running total on the screen, and with lots of discount codes out there it's possible to get free delivery anyway.

purpleivy

zarazara wrote: »

I challenge you....................go out and buy ONLY BANANAS. a big bunch if you like.

Sorry, no can do! LOL!

zarazara

on the other hand, after reading the End of the World threads maybe we should be buying loadsa stuff and hoarding it all to use as currency come the day of doom.

mardatha

I tried online shopping and liked it - it helps me cut things down, but he has decided he likes going into the shop. I get so tired after the first few aisles that I start to long for sudden death.
I tried going one day later per week, but that cracks him up and he starts screaming about his bloody yoghurts.
I am thinking sneakily here, that maybe the only way to get him to do this is to make it a challenge. Tell him he wont be able to .. I need to do soemthing about it because its really bugging me and on my mind.

mardatha

ZaraZara, we live remote-ish, is 15 miles each way to the nearest shop, so we have to do it once a week . We get the weeks milk and freeze it, same with bread.

victoriaplum1

I really want to swop to food shopping online as I am the worst for browsing instore and spending loads more than necessary, I can pop in for bread and milk and spend £50 on 'bargains'....plus my son tends to put at least £5 extra in the trolley per shop with his cheese strings, chocolate etc that I only spot at the checkout, but I find I never get to the point where I can do a whole food shop online and nowt in between as I run out of essential stuff and then need to go to the supermarket, which starts the whole cycle off again cos I cant resist buyins extra stuff...so how do you get round that??? It must be bad as I am now really worrying about the cost of food and getting agitated having to go the shop and putting all the stuff away all the time but then a few days later seem to need to go again. Doesnt help that I have a teenage foster son who eats loads....he will literally polish off all the stuff for work lunches in a few days...I dont know anyone else who will eat a whole packet of wagon wheels for example, in 2 days flat, a loaf of bread in 2 days and a tub of butter in 3 or 4...drives me up the wall but no amount of telling him stops him and I can't not buy it cos I can't let him go to work with no food! Any suggestions???

fernliebee

lynzpower wrote: »

Yeah this is me too.

I thought, Oh we might have pasta tonight as I didnt get anything out of the freezer. Oh I think we need a garlic bread will run into tescos to get. 2x bags later....

Random stuff as well - falafel mix?

Im starting to leave my card at home cant be trusted!

Yuuuuummmmy! My fave! Homemade flatbread, lot's of salad, hummus and tahini! Bit more of a lunch or a summer food, not really filling enough for the winter IMO! Oh! I want falafel now!

fernliebee

My DH is self employed so sometimes we have lot's of money and other times not very much! When we are doing ok we tend to stock up on essentials (and non-essentials too! ) Then on weeks where we have very little it is easier to not go shopping and eat what is in the cupboards. I do find it easier if I only take cash in to the shop as if I have my card then I don't even look how much I'm spending. Some week's we walk round adding up as we put in and then have to make decisions hmmmm loo roll or chocolate !