Meal Planner

[nic28]

Does anyone use a Meal Planner? As a tip for budgeting I have read that it is a great way to save money, as you only buy what you need for the week.

Just wondering if anyone is doing it and whether it is the sort of thing that is worth while??:chef:

[shorty_851]

I would love to do this coz i love th eieda of knowing what is for dinner and what you need etc nbut Jas would never do ti becuase he doesn like have a rster of what to eat. I know that you can change it around and stuff but he would never do it

[Kittylou]

I work out what we are going to have for dinner every night for a week before I do the groceries. I find it helps because I don't buy more than I need, I always have everything I need for each meal and knowing what I have planned to cook each night helps me avoid the temptation of take away if I can't decide what to cook/don't have everything I need.

[Eeyore]

I swear by menu planning. The thought of having to go to work everyday and then come home only to have to decide what we are eating just chills me to the bone. I spend lots less money as I am not impulse buying and the shopping is done relatively fast as I dont browse as much. DH and I start by brainstorming what we might like during the next week, then I find the recipes and make a list. I dont go as far as picking a meal for a specific day - we decide that the night before. And we dont have a regular "Friday is fish day". Having said all of this, it only works if you stick to the plan.

[SassyMummy]

I do it with dinners and also plan to bake twice a week (so I get ingredients for whatever it is I want to bake).

I've found it's cut back the price drastically... from between $250-$300 a week, to under $200 a week (my goal is always $150 but sometimes we go over).

I just go through my magazines (because I'm a Super Food Ideas addict), and pick out meals to cook for the week ahead, and get all that I need for them. Sometimes I've already got some ingredients in the pantry, so I just get what I need at the shops.

It's great because I also don't have to rely on my own brain to cook dinner - I just use recipes. If I only cooked the things I knew off the top of my head, I'd cook the same things over and over. We're eating relatively fancy-ish dinners each night, and it's really yum. I actually look forward to grocery shopping and cooking most nights now!

ETA: I usually only buy 5-6 dinners a week though... to leave room for take-away or leftovers or if DP wants to cook something special. Also have some excess mince and stuff in the freezer in case we need it for whatever reason. We also don't plan the meals day-to-day... I just plan so many meals and choose a different one on the day... it's not very strict.

[Ana Gram]

I menu plan. It is so much easier. I have so many recipes waiting in line that I have planned a few weeks ahead and if I can fit it into the budget, I buy the non perishables for those recipes weeks before.

[kiah]

We eat the same meals every fortnight but in a different order.

Knowing the menu in advance, I buy the same things each week at the shop. All i have to do is look in the pantry and fridge and see which tupperware container is empty.

I used to have the meal planner on the fridge, i had a housework roster too. But now it is all in my head. Saves time, money, energy.

[MrsDribbleDrawers]

We eat the same meals every fortnight but in a different order.


Kiah,

Does this become boring for your family? I have lots of meals that I repeat, but if I do them too many times in a month (ie, every week), then the whole family is up in arms, and meals become a battle!

As for the OP, meal planning has saved me so much money! Lately, I've been slack while we move house, and the purse strings are open wide for take away most nights, costing us a fortune!!

When I work out our budget, I even allow for a meal at the pub each month, and takeaway each week for the 3 other weeks. I plan five meals a week, and a "freezer" night. And like SassyMummy, I'm a baker, and plan to bake at least two things each week, sometimes more. It's definately worth the time to menu planner, and saves the hassle of the kids constantly asking "what's for dinner?"... they just check out the fridge!

Cate

[kiah]

Studentmum:

Noone seems to mind. Each night it is a gourmet salad, brown rice or cous cous with one of the examples below.

- vege/prawn/chicken skewers
- stirfries
- grilled salmon or other fish (we have this lots)
- calamari
- grilled lean meats
- chicken wings, ribs, drumsticks
- chicken/prawn fajitas
- chicken tacos
- vegetable lasagne
- vegetable bakes
- homemade pizzas with heaps of gourmet ingredients, yoghurt and nuts


I have about 10 different salads that they request with extra vege protein - legumes, chickpeas etc and good fats eg. avocados, nuts. I also make all sorts of healthy soups and homemade dips they can have for entrees.

This is just a rough plan in my head, but i kind of change it around or if i feel like cooking something new i just ask the bubhub gals for help with a recipe.

[shorty_851]

I would love some new ideas so i can try and create a meal planner maybe we could sahre them and if you like the sound of it pm them for the recipe

[whatwasithinking]

I work out what we are going to have for dinner every night for a week before I do the groceries. I find it helps because I don't buy more than I need, I always have everything I need for each meal and knowing what I have planned to cook each night helps me avoid the temptation of take away if I can't decide what to cook/don't have everything I need.
I have started doing this over the last 6wks - no turning back for me! Best thing I ever did!

[shorty_851]

Has this saved many people much money

[Kittylou]

Yep - I can't tell you exactly how much money but it definitely works. I don't spend as much when I do the groceries because I don't buy things 'just in case' because I already know everything I'm going to need. I don't have to pay high prices at the convenience store when I start to make something and realise I'm missing a key ingredient. But, the biggest one for us is definitely the cut down in takeaway dinners!!