MealPlans WB 30th November 2009

prettypaula

why not do the store cupboard challenge, what do u have in the fridge freezer etc?

MrsTinks

Would your hubby take soups and stews to work? You can get thermo style boxes to take soups and jacket spuds etc with you to work - I know WIlko's used to do them

piglet6

Definitely meal plan. We used to spend a lot more on food, but meal planning helped us shop properly, and not waste so much at the end of the week (you know, all those impulse buys that seem like a good idea at the supermarket and then go off before you can use them...?!).

Have a look at the weekly menu planning thread on this board (I can't do a link to it, but Penny-Pincher usually starts it on a Thursday/Friday - I'm sure somebody will link it for you...). Its full of great ideas to give you inspiration, and people are always happy to post recipes if you see something you like the sound of.

Piglet
x

piglet6

Another idea that some people use is to move your weekly shop by one day each week (week 1, shop on Monday, week 2, shop on Tuesday, etc, etc). Over 7 weeks you will save the cost of a week's shopping, which if you are spending £100 a week, soon adds up over the year.

Piglet
x

chickywiggle

Using up the boooring food from the freezer (hence the random meals for each person) so I can have some nice food in December. Not too much I need to buy (in red) tomorrow.

Monday—toad in the hole and mash.
babywiggle —pasta (that i found in the freezer).


Tuesday— hubby: crispy chicken and croquettes
babywiggle: Burgers and veg waffles
me: Burgers and hash browns


Wednesday— sausage, egg and chips (ohh and maybe beans)


Thursday - hubby: chicken wrapped in bacon and waffles
me: Mince (freezer) with jacket potato.
babywiggle: fishcakes and veg waffles.


Friday - golden drummers and curly chips


Saturday - am in Manchester for a day out so nice quick pizza


Sunday - chicken pie and roast tatas

PasturesNew

You need to look at everything you're using and price it up.

Price up each ingredient for what you're making - and see if you can reduce the spend of each item, or drop an item from the cost. e.g. chilli con carne can be reduced by omitting peppers and wine.

Price up everything you put in the bin. How much did it cost? Why's it in the bin? Could you have cooked less? Or portioned up an extra portion from the meal and frozen it? Re-used it as the basis of another meal?

That way you're still eating the same stuff, just paying less to produce it and wasting less.

lala1974

Hi Lisa,

I'm into my 2nd week of meal planning. We usually spend £100 pw on food for 4 of us!

I made the plan based on all the things that we'd got in the freezer and cupboard. The first week we spent £70 on shopping which I know isn't great but for us it was a £30 saving.

This week's shop came to £52. Hopefully it will work out. I keep the receipts of all food spends through the week (eg. mid week loaf and milk).

Our favourite meal is Bolognaise. I decided to get the sauce basics myself - 2 tins of value chopped tomatoes, an onion, a squirt of tomato puree and an oxo cube. Kids didn't notice the difference between mine and the usual d0lmio. I had enough sauce left over to put some pasta (already had some in) in and have it for lunch the following day.

I'm also freezing sandwiches - very useful if you know you wont' finish a loaf before its use by date or any cold meats/cheese. They only take a couple of hours to defrost - you could take them out in the morning and have them for lunch - or DH could take some with him when he heads for work in the evening. There is a great link on here about frozen sandwiches - sorry I'm hopeless at attaching links but should be easy to find - I'm sure its only a few pages back.

I've also started a shopping list of basics so that as I use the last of something I note it on the list. I've also got the kids in on this which is a bonus - they announce when they're running short on juice and DS (aged 6) informed me yesterday that I'll need toothpaste next week.

I've not posted on the Meal plan thread yet but think I will when I get into the swing of it.

HTH and have fun!

Lala

Ps. Don't know what it is about me but I love walking around my local supermarket with shopping list in hand and it also means I can cut short aisles and only go to the ones I need which means I halve the time I'm in there!

mineallmine

Bubble & squeak (leftover veg cooked with bacon or ham)
HM chilli & tagliatelle pasta
Seabass, baked tomotoes, roasted peppers & new potatoes
Asda hunters chicken & jacket potatoes
Ham (poss also mushroom) omelette & egg fried rice
Turkey (cold slices) "roasted" up, so served with roast potatoes and veg

Last meal - anything out of the freezer (know there' colcannon in there and other bits)



freakyogre - do ya have a recipe for your veg curry pasties, sound yum.

Penelope_Penguin

lisa.m wrote: »

Ive decided to meal plan for the week hopefully this should reduce the cost ?

We have a weekly meal plan thread; I'll add this to that thread so that you can see what others are having to give you inspiration

Penny. x

mumoftwo

I am trying to reduce our shopping bill, have tried the grocery challenge but I just can't stick to it, always something that makes me go over.

I am going to try meal plans, see if I have any more luck this way. I had a lot of stuff already in so went shopping with Asda this morning and this is my menu plan for this week

Monday: Curly Kale stampot (Dutch dish, where you cook and mash tatties and cabbage together)
homemade meatballs from yellow stickered pork mince, grated lonely apple in the fruit bowl mixed in, with Ikea gravy (had that in the cupboard from our last visit to Ikea and kids love it)

Tuesday: fishpie, white fish with hm white sauce, leeks and mash with grated cheese on top, carrots

Wednesday: chicken stir fry, peppers, carrots, leeks, broccoli, rice and reggae reggae coconut sauce ( I know it is from a jar, but we all love it)

Thursday: british pork sausages, cauliflower, carrots (everyone loves carrots), onion gravy

Friday: Spicy chicken and potato wedges

Saturday: Hm lentil soup with some bacon bits on top and hm bread

Sunday: hm quiche with leftover veg and some bacon, or if I have time and can be bothered it will be fishcakes as I have two salmon steaks in the freezer, not sure what, will decide on the day.

That should sort me out and not need to pop into a supermarket and buy more stuff half way through the week.

Breakfasts are porridge, toast for DD lunches for DD, one goes with friends to shops, one eats packed lunch, Oh doesn't eat lunch. Lots of potato dishes this week as I have lots of potatoes to use up in the garage.