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Hello Forumites! However well-intentioned, for the safety of other users we ask that you refrain from seeking or offering medical advice. This includes recommendations for medicines, procedures or over-the-counter remedies. Posts or threads found to be in breach of this rule will be removed.Reverse Meal Planning
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There has been a lot of reverse planning over the weekend - and the freezers do seem to be showing the benefit!
- a portion of chicken & sprout orzo bake got eaten for my lunch on saturday
- Bread for toast all weekend was supplied from the freezer too
- Yesterday's lunch used up various oddments from the freezer: Christmas leftover veg, bacon and cream, plus a chunk of chorizo. Pudding was a rice pudding with the addition of a couple of blobs of mincemeat from the jar in the fridge.
- Yesterday's tea also used up freezer bits - a picky plate with the last half of a box of mozzarella sticks, the last of the christmas smoked salmon and one of the items from a charcuterie selection box we bought in Ludlow last autumn, along with some cheese, crackers etc.
The meal plan is written up to the middle of February and is again heavily informed from the freezer contents - that in turn should mean that we are able to keep grocery spending low for another month too. I think my February aim is going to also be to start looking at the various storecupboard bits we have kicking about that need using too...🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her4 -
Reverse planning has been going well here too and we had begun to see gaps in the freezer and cupboard using up lots of bits and pieces and the leftover Christmas veg. Then I went to the shops last week for bread and milk and came out with a load of 50% off meat! Not complaining as we have restocked the meat supplies and saved loads but I am feeling like we might never have a clear freezer!
We used up a good bit of the Christmas veg last night as part of a traybake, it was a bit bland but I can see how we would flavour it up better for the future and will try it again before all the veg runs out. Out for tea tonight and then planned up until the end of January with what we have in, other than bread and milkInterest beater challenge £365 for 2026 £140/£365
4 -
I've long felt that efforts to get to the bottom of the freezer are invariably doomed to failure before they really even start, for just that reason!🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her5 -
Smug mode over here then - I removed everything from the large commercial upright freezer and turned it off at the wall, to defrost, yesterday. Admittedly the contents have not all been used, but enough have been used for me to fit three carriers in the chest freezer (meat, bread and SM frozen veg) and two in my bee freezer (in Mr Sl's workshop).
Ideally, I would like to move that commercial freezer out of the pig shed and into Mr Sl's workshop (a large wooden shed) so that there is no longer a major blocker to us removing the contents of that block built (structurally impaired) pig shed and demolishing it, ready to rebuild it. In my head, we offer the large domestic upright bee freezer for someone wanting to use it to freeze frames (to kill wax moth larvae) or to convert it into a honey or jar warming cabinet. Then I can have another, larger chest freezer in the new building, which we will no doubt call the Pig Shed.
On the back of that, I found a bag of wonky forest fruits, two bags of raspberries and some SM blueberries that are out for breakfasts (with the homegrown raspberries in a jelly) - and the bag of courgettes that seemed half full of ice, along with some swede, have made two large pots of soup, for lunches this week, and into next.
I'm sure it was someone here that recommended keeping Christmas veg in a garage - well our veg is outside the back door, on a table against the wall, and it works better than a fridge. Cabbage, leeks and carrots out there now. Thank you for that top tip!!Save £12k in 2026 #2 I have banked £865.15 in January against a £10k target The 2026 Save £12k in 2026 thread is here
OS Grocery Challenge in 2026 I am sticking with a £3000 annual budget for 2026 - currently £138.39 for January and a bigger target of £300 for February, with lots to stock up on
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the grow your own in 2026 discussion thread
My keep within our budget diary is here2 -
Might have been me - ours is in our shed and seems to be keeping rather marvellously there. I just bury it under a pile of newspaper to save the risk of it getting too cold!
🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her3 -
Our Christmas veg is also in the garage and keeping beautifully, I've been checking it as I take things out but all looks good so far and should last well into February.
Very jealous of you clearing a freezer Suffolk Lass, my aim is to be able to get things in and out without playing tetris!
Interest beater challenge £365 for 2026 £140/£365
3 -
For anyone else who still has Christmas shallots from the veg wars, just bear in mind that mine at least are beginning to get slightly past their best, and probably need using up reasonably quickly now.
🎉 MORTGAGE FREE (First time!) 30/09/2016 🎉 And now we go again…New mortgage taken 01/09/23 🏡
Balance as at 01/09/23 = £115,000.00 Balance as at 31/12/23 = £112,000.00
Balance as at 31/08/24 = £105,400.00 Balance as at 31/12/24 = £102,500.00
£100k barrier broken 1/4/25
Balance as at 31/08/25 = £ 95,450.00. Balance as at 31/12/25 = £ 91,100.00
SOA CALCULATOR (for DFW newbies): SOA Calculatorshe/her5 -
Our shallots are still holding up well but thanks for the warning. I also saw someone online who peeled them and then cut them in half lenghtways for freezing so I've done that with some of them.
Christmas veg carrot and parsnip soup for lunch 😄
Interest beater challenge £365 for 2026 £140/£365
5 -
Also remember that onion(shallot)/carrot/clery can be chopped up and combined 2:1:1 and then frozen in 100g quantities as a mirepoix/sofrito - a great base for soups & stews and ready to go! Saves them going off - we always have a couple of zipbags of these ready to go for lazy home-cooked meals.
4 YEARS 10 MONTHS DEBT FREE!!! (24 OCT 2016)(With heartfelt thanks to those who have gone before us & their indubitable generosity.)...and now I have a mortgage! (23 AUG 2021)Original End Date - Sept 2041 New projection - Dec 2039 (reduced by 21 months)4 -
We used up a pre-cooked slab of pasta bake from the bottom of the bottom drawer of the little freezer in the kitchen last night. Soup and freshly baked bread were lunch. I am still trying to fast until 2pm but might have to vary it this morning, just so my body isn't convinced I am starving. We are in remnants mode but I have the fruit I defrosted and another pot of yoghurt so that might be it, with some nuts and seeds. And maybe some oat bran and jumbo oats…
Frozen cod fillets with steamed veg this evening has already been agreed. They don't need to be defrosted first so that's good too. Just the jelly bag dripping blackcurrant juice out in the kitchen then…
Save £12k in 2026 #2 I have banked £865.15 in January against a £10k target The 2026 Save £12k in 2026 thread is here
OS Grocery Challenge in 2026 I am sticking with a £3000 annual budget for 2026 - currently £138.39 for January and a bigger target of £300 for February, with lots to stock up on
I also Reverse Meal Plan on that thread and grow much of our own premium price fruit and veg, joining in on the grow your own in 2026 discussion thread
My keep within our budget diary is here6
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