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Menu planning

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  • jackyann
    jackyann Posts: 3,433 Forumite
    I do use OurGroceries for lists. I don't like walking around the shops with my phone in my hand (I just can't manipulate it quickly) but I find the list facility great.
    I don't do a big 'supermarket shop' but use various independent shops and markets, and go to some when I am in that area.
    So I have the following lists, which were a bit of a nightmare on pen & paper:
    'wholefood co-operative'
    Lidl
    Waitrose (both of which I get to every 4-6 weeks)
    Boots
    Lakeland (so when I go to do an order, I don't forget the clingfilm or plastic bags!)
  • I use a small dry-erase board. If you have access to a laminator, you could draw up a plan that you like, then laminate it and write the week's meals on the laminated sheet with a dry-erase marker.
  • Mr_Singleton
    Mr_Singleton Posts: 1,891 Forumite
    kinkine wrote: »
    I have decided to get organised and would like to find a monthly dinner menu planning template.

    I would be seriously concerned about planning a menu 4 weeks in advance.

    Going to be doing a beef stew from David Leibovitz’s book “My Paris Kitchen” tomorrow after I found some excellent beef yesterday. Having that freedom is great.
  • ruby_eskimo
    ruby_eskimo Posts: 4,526
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    I use a spreadsheet to plan the meals and then have a separate tab where I list out what I need to get. I then copy this in to mysupermarket and compare where the cheapest place is to get everything I need.
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  • jackyann
    jackyann Posts: 3,433 Forumite
    I think we all find our comfort zone on the line from 'whatever I feel like today' to 'strict menu plan'.
    Most of us like to build in some flexibility to take account of offers (and price hikes), things that look good, weather changes etc. I think when you have been ding it a long time, it is second nature. But those new at the game often need to be rigid for a while.
    In the days before the internet, and shops had stopped delivering, I had 4 young children to take shopping! It was fine at smaller shops and markets, but supermarkets were a nightmare! Anyone remember Kwiksave? My DH used to do a monthly Kwiksave shop for all our basics, and I had a quarterly delivery from the wholefood co-op, so I needed some advance planning!
  • GreenQueen
    GreenQueen Posts: 539
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    I would be seriously concerned about planning a menu 4 weeks in advance.

    Agree. I plan on a weekly basis, and check what is left from the previous week (e.g. half a dozen mushrooms that need using up, etc). General items are written on the kitchen calendar in a spare column. If there's e.g. fish pie on the menu when I come to cook and we fancy breaded fish instead, I'm happy to swap with something using roughly the same ingredients.

    For the plan, I think about the things we usually eat - a roast meal, a leftover roast meal, a pasta meal, a soup and baked potato evening, a fish meal - and once they are on the plan, there aren't too many other gaps to fill. As I shop on Saturday, Friday tends to be a thrown together leftover meal. Breakfast and lunch tends to be fairly standard (apart from weekends), so don't menu plan, just check that there is enough bread/cereal/items for packed lunches.

    The secret to making a plan work is to keep it simple. If it's a complicated exercise that takes hours, you won't keep it going
    GQ
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  • kinkine
    kinkine Posts: 119
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    Thanks to everyone who took the time to reply. I'm sorry I never replied earlier but I forgot my password and couldn't get back in! Lots to think about, lots of helpful advice.
  • PipneyJane
    PipneyJane Posts: 4,002
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    I would be seriously concerned about planning a menu 4 weeks in advance.

    Going to be doing a beef stew from David Leibovitz’s book “My Paris Kitchen” tomorrow after I found some excellent beef yesterday. Having that freedom is great.


    You can factor in a degree of flexibility. As long as you have a reasonable store cupboard, a minced beef meal can swap from Spaghetti Bolognese to Beef Chilli to Keema Curry depending on your mood.
    "Be the type of woman that when you get out of bed in the morning, the devil says 'Oh crap. She's up.' "

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  • S_Wales_Saver
    S_Wales_Saver Posts: 241
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    edited 11 October 2017 at 5:25PM
    Agree with New Shadow. Make your own spreadsheet template. I use google sheets which I access on my computer or tablet for planning, and on my phone while shopping. I cook for OH and myself, as well as two DDs and twin 9yr old DGDs. I plan for a calendar month.

    First column is date, 2nd the meal, 3rd children’s meal (usually the same but it gives the flexibility to do them a quick meal on the days that they have a late running activity).

    4th column is ‘what’s on) usually the twins activities, but could be appts etc, next is a column for school meal (so they don’t have fish and chips twice!). There’s a shopping column and a column for food to be defrosted ready for cooking.

    The following sheets detail expenditure on food, food for stores (bought at good prices and ‘bought back’ when used), toiletries, pet food and petrol.

    I do love LameWolfs idea of a running inventory so maybe need to add another page.

    It sounds complicated, but I keep a template and it takes about 15/20 minutes to fill in during the last week of the month ready for the new month. Using the mathematical properties of the spreadsheet enable me to know just how much I have left to spend, keeping my budget on track.


    I shop the first week for meat & fish to freeze and any frozen food, tins & jars that are not already in my stockpile. After that twice weekly for milk and yoghurt, fruit & veg and bread.

    Although the plan is there, I use a degree of flexibility. Meals can be swapped about, or chicken dinner changed to chicken salad if the weather is hot for example.
    Dor
  • Tink_04
    Tink_04 Posts: 1,204
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    I like trying to be flexible

    We try and plan the meat and work around that - so will say this week we are going to have -
    chicken - sausage - mince - meat free night - roast - left overs.

    The next week
    Beef - fish - meat free - chicken - leftovers - mince - pizza

    Then I can draw up a menu from that and it allows me to factor in offers and I can switch things round and make some meals ahead to pop in the freezer like chilli, spag Bol, shepherd pie, curry, casserole etch so I have one night a week I can just pull something out of the freezer - I always cook double and freeze one so I get another meal for another day.

    Everyone has a different system - just try different things that might work for you!
    Living the simple life
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