meal planning

That Never-Ending Question

As a Mum and Wife, the question that I can bet money on I'll hear EACH day is "What's for dinner?". And my response will usually be "Not sure yet" or "It's a help yourself night" (obviously if you have littlies this second response won't apply to you - well I hope not anyway!! haha) - or, you might be like we sometimes are and reach for the phone and "UBER-in"!! (expensive for sure, but the pay-off... no cooking right?!?) And if you are like me, the fridge is full of your "well intended food shopping finds" of which there was no plan at the time - and in all likelihood will be thrown out at the end of the week!!

Make a Clear Plan

For a prolonged period whilst we were saving for a house deposit, one of the ways I knew we had to cut down was in the food dept! So I got to work and went through all my cupboards, fridge & freezer and created an "inventory" (which I still keep tabs on to this day!). What I discovered was that by planning, I was able to feed 2 adults and 2 teens EACH and EVERY meal for the day (including snacks) for $100-$120 per week, simply by making a meal plan and moving to online shopping where I could keep track of my spend, as well as look for cheaper alternatives!! 

Set aside 30 mins - 1 hour, once a week 

Once a week (usually on a Friday night), I grab a cuppa, put on some relaxing music, put the oil burner on, jump online (which I chop & change depending on sales) and get to work with pen & paper and start planning!    For me I plan our week's meals on a Friday as Sunday is my "Bulk Prep Cook" Day and I usually try and have my order through in time to either have it delivered, or Click and Collect ready for cooking on Sunday.   But you could do whatever day works for you, particularly if you have a free day during the week ... it really doesn't matter when "your" week starts to plan, but try to do at least 7 days of planning. 

Shop Once a Week or Online

My preferred option is to shop online. I find that I can monitor my spend to keep within budget. The added benefit I have found is that I always start by going to the "Half Price" section and this often forms the basis around snacks and meals to cook for the week.   If you prefer to shop in-store, then you can apply the same principles, but I would recommend that you take a calculator and a list - or better yet, check online for the specials, plan it, write a shopping list and then stick to it when at the store! 

Easy Snacks

I always try and plan out the snacks - usually consisting of fruit, yoghurt, muesli bars and some treats every now and again. And I always have them with me wherever I go as this helps to prevent stops at the shop when hungry which again saves $$$ - and let's face it, we all get the munchies when least expected!!!  ♡

Benefits of planning

One of the things I have noticed since meal planning, apart from saving $$$, is that my teenage kids particularly don't hassle me so much as they know what is on the "menu" (I'm convinced they think this house is a restaurant!! haha) AND my hubby (bless his cotton socks as he cannot cook for the life of him!) can at least "try" to prep the food before I get home from work (him getting home earlier than me).   So there you have it! If you want to know more or have a question, my door is always open, so drop me a line!!! ♡♡

Happy Planning!!!! ♡♡