Weezl and friends Phase 2 -giving it a whirl for Shirl! Testing meal plan for a month

Julimk

I think you may have answered your own question about scariness in the ‘But if she does that already…’ Big But there!! My Mum (who does meal plan, write lists etc.) told me that she went grocery shopping with one of my sisters & she was randomly chucking stuff in the trolley. I think there are a lot of people, even if they are in debt, who go to the supermarket without a list & just pick up those things that they know their family will eat. And then stick it on the credit card!!

Shirl may never have planned or written a list & may think that as a working mum she really doesn’t have time to faff with that. Or even not properly budgeted, as it can always go on the plastic! Great, you’ve done all the hard work for her! But if she is used to not planning & randomly shopping, to then be uber-organised may seem scary.

Sian_the_Green

"Muuuuummmmm... Do we have to have that, I don't like peas. Can we get a kebab, it's got salad in it, that's healthy. It's only £3 each, go on, we'll go and get it! Please Mum, pleeeeaaaassseeeee, I'll clean my room, I'll wash the pots, just let us get a kebab!!!!"

Hope Shirley is a strong woman who knows that saying yes to her children all the time is not a good thing!

Sian_the_Green

(I think my initial comment about people who bob in and out was around the fact that you weren't sure of the merits of the extra recipes...)

Claw_back_money

I've heard that following one of the TV cooks doing some recipe on TV, that lots of people went to supermarkets asking to buy 'tepid water'. I'm not sure if that's an urban myth? IMO that sort of misunderstanding is far less likely to happen with this site.

The site is fab in that in amongst carefully thought out recipes with associated shopping lists and tips, terms are explained, things described, and I know I followed a new recipe that was outside my comfort zone because I thought I understood what I needed to do.

Cbm

ETA - I postedthis because I don't think that the site needs a massive re-weezling to make it less scary - some of the intrinsic features will help with that. This is in response to both: questions about why people might benefit from dropping in and out of the site, and, questions about why people might find adopting the complete plan scary.

nopot2pin

weezl74 wrote: »

potty m'dear! Do you have a spare bit of project energy?

kitty has 3 types of houmous, tomato, caramelised onion, red pepper and normal. I kinda need some fdifferent titles that aren't that long (so the planner table doen't crowd small monitors)

Can you have a think of any (short) but yummy sounding titles we can give these spreads?

:think:
Hmmmmmmmmm

1. Houmous
2. Tomato Houmous
3. Red Pepper Pate
4. Every so slightly Caramelised Onion Pate with chickpeas
Only joking
4. :think:

4. :think:


4. :think:

Hmmmmm...not sure how you reduce the lettering in that one, without losing the descprition...
I will have a think :think:

SusanC_2

weezl74 wrote: »

they see me plough all this energy into reducing the food shop, but no mention of all the other things and perhaps think I'm saying 'only make these extreme cuts on food!'

fascinating!

Do the regulars on here think this about me too? (other than allegra!)

I do think you are more extreme about food than other things relative to me but I just put it down to personal preference and different people distribute their effort and finances differently. I certainly don't picture you being super frugal with food and then spending a fortune on clothes (or whatever else) though.

weezl74 wrote: »

In truth, no. You will be you tomorrow, with asparagus in your poo.

:rotfl:

wendy+5

What about giving Shirl 'permission' to use one, two, three or how ever many recipes she likes. Maybe she see the planner and feels overwhelmed. It's a lot to take in when she or DH has been made redundant or they have a couple of big bills come in.

Could you break it down a bit and say that using this planner for a week or two will save roughly X amount of pounds?

shanks77

[

What scares you about the meal planner?

I will happily spend my energies revamping it if it will scare you less

Love weezl x[/QUOTE]

There is nothing that scares me about the planner but if i have my impression of Shirley right (prob not) but is she not all about the ready meals and takeaways? so what might scare her is cooking from scratch and to find out that quiche (onion tart) doesnt come out of a box from 1celand and why does her carrots come with dirt on them and not nicely sliced in ready to use batons etc?.
If that type of Shirl tries even 1 meal in a month then that might give her the sense of achievement to try another and another and to rope in Jason and Jenny to help and to show them that pizza is not off the menu for good if they go this way just that it is cheaper and tastier. Even if she has to add some cheese to help them try it it is another step towards the goal. She could give Bob the chilli and he wont know that it is cheap and good for him so it might have to be slow and steady rather than jump in feet first. I know you want Shirl to do the latter but you can lead a horse to water and all that.
HTH and doesnt sound to bossy (you already have the dibs on that master:rotfl:)xx

weezl74

Sian_the_Green wrote: »

"Muuuuummmmm... Do we have to have that, I don't like peas. Can we get a kebab, it's got salad in it, that's healthy. It's only £3 each, go on, we'll go and get it! Please Mum, pleeeeaaaassseeeee, I'll clean my room, I'll wash the pots, just let us get a kebab!!!!"

Hope Shirley is a strong woman who knows that saying yes to her children all the time is not a good thing!

dear Jenny and Jason,

You are very welcome to get a paper round to fund your kebab needs. (and I shall have half your wage to cover your keep).

Fondest love,

Mummy x

weezl74

nopot2pin wrote: »

:think:
...
4. Every so slightly Caramelised Onion Pate with chickpeas

:rotfl:
yeeeeeees, it's very catchy :rotfl::p