Meal Planning
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Caribbean girl
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I would not normally meal plan weeks in advance. I do my meal planning on a day-to-day basis. The only time I would meal plan a couple weeks in advance, is if I had guests coming over for dinner, or guests who would be staying at my home for some time. But even at such times, I may change my mind and switch it up a bit.
purplepen88
Veteran
A few years ago I was planning my Monday to Friday meals on Sunday night. I would look at the weekend grocery flyers and plan my meals by what's on sale. I could save a lot of money doing it this way. This helps keep you super organized. I always knew what was for supper and so did the kids. It's a great way to do things. It really helps make your grocery list too. I run the weekly plan past my husband too and the kids so if there is something no one wants I can do a quick switch up based on what's on sale that week. I stopped doing since I've started renovating my house, but once the renovations are finished I'll go back to weekly meal planning.
At the beginning of the week when I am doing my groceries I always have a plan of what I could have each meal so that I can make sure I pick up the things I need. I don't always follow the plan because sometimes things will come up or I am not in the mood to eat what I thought I might have wanted at the first of the week. For me it is just a rough idea and then I just go from there. Sometimes I will make a big pot of something like chili or stew and I can have to for a good part of the week.
cupcakechef
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Usually we sit down on a Sunday morning and plan what we want to eat for the week and then also do our grocery shop for the week on Sunday too. That way we still have a plan but it's not so far in advance that we no longer feel like that food anymore!
I just find planning is so much better for our household budget - if we don't have some idea of a plan then we end up shopping at the last minute or getting take out, which ends up being pricey.
I just find planning is so much better for our household budget - if we don't have some idea of a plan then we end up shopping at the last minute or getting take out, which ends up being pricey.
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On a Friday night or Saturday morning we sit down and plan 7 meals and 7 lunches. That is what we eat for the week. We don't necessarily decide which day we are going to eat it on, but if the meal contains something that will perish more quickly then it is eastern earlier in the week. A list is written of what we need to shop for for that week and that is what we eat, end of story. It controls the budget much more tightly and allows us to Dave up for the house we are trying to purchase.
ReadmeByAmy
Veteran
Before I do tried plan our meals in advance but my husband does not want it that way. He is very meticulous when it comes to eating. He will not eat foods that is reheated that is why I do plan my meal on a daily basis when he is here. But if he is assigned from other place to work then I do plan my meals in advance to save time and so that I can do some things in order for me to be productive even I am only at home..
ReadWriteLearnLove
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I don't do a formal meal plan, but I do all my grocery shopping for the week on Sunday afternoon. Usually, meals are planned around whatever meat and seafood is on sale that week, and I try to get everything we will need to prepare the meals in one stop. We prep all of our lunches for the week on Sunday, too, so we just go ahead and cook/grill anything that can done ahead of time at that point. It does help to have some sort of plan for the week, especially when the days get busy. Otherwise, we find ourselves going out to eat or even running through the drive-thru way too often and hurts our pocketbook and our waistlines!
winterybella
Guru
Work in progress. I've spoken about this time and time again but I can't be consistent. I've not be able to plan for an entire week so far. I won't give up. It makes good sense especially for someone with my lifestyle. Further nothing bothers me as much as paying for food that falls very short on taste. I get that a lot when I am forced to eat out.
I am in awe, @SatNavSaysStraightOn ! I am quite an obsessive planner and list-maker but tend to be deviant (if not delinquent) when it comes to putting it into practice.
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We started it many decades ago now when we were students and had a very tight budget. It has just carried on from there really. We did have a period where we didn't plan the meals and found that we were throwing away too much food and our weekly food bill was in three figures (OK we could afford it then but that was not the point). Now it keeps the budget down to sensible figures and well some things get bought at different supermarkets depending on which one is offering Almond milk at £1 a litre.... but the list is what we stick to and it keeps it under control, even on holiday!
Corzhens
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Hmm, this is the territory of my husband. He is the meal planner in our home because he is in full charge of the kitchen. But he always consults us on for our requests, if there may be. We are meat eaters so our menu would usually be pork, chicken, beef in that order of frequency with fish coming in last. Vegetables dishes also include any of the meat above although sometimes we have a full vegetable dish especially for the fasting season of Lent.
winterybella
Guru
Don't you remember the fridge picture that SatNavSaysStraight presented in a thread months ago? It comes as no surprise that she would be that organized. I hope to get there sometime. I have little pockets of organization but it doesn't last long.
Oh yes. I remember those fridge pictures...
