any sucessful meal planners out there?

HairyHandofDartmoor

I'm not as good as I'd like to be but I am only allowed to buy food once a week (and usually stick to this). So if I run out of something then we have to make do until I go again. If the kids eat everything on the first day then they will have to make do with what's left for the rest of the week! This does limit what I spend to some extent.

red74

HairyHandofDartmoor wrote: »

I'm not as good as I'd like to be but I am only allowed to buy food once a week (and usually stick to this). So if I run out of something then we have to make do until I go again. If the kids eat everything on the first day then they will have to make do with what's left for the rest of the week! This does limit what I spend to some extent.

I'm going to have to try this on the OH. No matter how much milk I get in - he always seems to go through it within two days. He doesn't drink it on its own so I've no idea how he does it!

chevalier

Hi there
I used to do written down meal plans, did that for a long time. The point about them is that it gets you thinking about COST. I now don't do written down meal plans, but I know what is in all my cupboards/freezer/ fridge, so I have a pretty good idea what I can cook in a week. Then I mix up easy to prepare meals (can't be bothered nights), with ones that take longer (I am jamie oliver in drag!), so that it doesn't become a chore.

Knowing what the contents of various food containers are means that I can ALWAYS cook a decent meal for the 4 of us. So that takes the pressure off shopping too. I do a tins/frozen/household shop either online or in person about once a month - usually saving myself at least the price of delivery with vouchers, do a meat shop at my butcher once a months, and the fruit and veg from the market. And boy is that cheap. I usually get to mine about 1.30pm. When they want to go home. Last week I got 3 huge bags of grapes for a£1:D . Would of cost about £6 in Mr T's! Result, and I got a free large tomato too, went in the bolognese....

best of luck with this. The next time you are shopping think of your debt free date. Does that bottle of wine, extra packet of biscuits put it further back or bring it closer. You will be amazed at what stays on the shelves.

Oh and as far as I can see it is genetic, OH DON'T EVER stick to shopping lists!:rolleyes: This is so you take the chore back off them, so they don't have to do it!

chev

piggeh

My space is fairly limited so I dont have anything to scrounge from my cupboards (I houseshare so only have a shelf in the fridge and one in the cupboard). I find the best way to save money is to do something like a lasagne, and then make enough for 3 days or so. Mince £1.99, pepper 50p, onions 40p, mushrooms 40p, lasagne sheet 80p or whatever, puree 30p, tin of tomatos 40p, milk and flour (dunno - 80p in total?), £5.60 in total for 3 nights worth, or £1.87 per meal. Plus some grated cheese, so probably nearer £2. I dont know if £2 per meal is good to others but for me (being a 25 year old bloke) I'd be delighted to pay that for each meal!

If I dont do something in bulk, then I'll generally get bored of cooking after a couple of days and waste money on microwaveable currys or a takeaway which then means my efforts the days before have gone to waste! So it's a good way to give me a break from cooking before I have to be disciplined again.

sammiboo

custardy wrote: »

easy way to do it is make all(or most) of the meals in advance eg sunday so you have the bulk done ready to reheat/finish off saving time and effort during the week.

i know how pushed for time you are sammi

Why dont you come and cook for me craig