Menu Planning

[Halex]

I have never done this before. This is my first week of menu planning, my usual weekly grocery bill is around $300 per week which is ridiculously high considering I feed 2 adults and a 7 year old boy (who eats like an adult).

To date my bill this week is just under $200 - which also includes buying food in for my varoma demonstration. I might spend another $20 on a few extra items, but will see if I can go without.

I am really impressed with the menu planning idea and will try to do this each week. If I can save $100 per week on food within approx 4 months my TM will have paid for itself.

Would be great if there was a "budget meal" section in the recipe index.

All I can say is another win for the TM.

Hally

[Yvette]

It is really worth menu planning Hally once you buy the initial ingredients when you first get your TM your grocery bill should go down by heaps. I also keep a whiteboard inside my pantry and when things run out write them on to buy next shopping then you shouldn't run out of things

[judydawn]

It hasn't taken you long to get into the swing of things Hally - you definitely will save money if you continue to menu plan.

[ellie j]

I have been doing it for the past 2 weeks and its fantastic .. spend less time going back to the supermarket everyday too .. Im really trying to use what we have in the pantry as well .. And with sudden drops in temperature (its freezing and raining here )  I am happy to swap thing around and swap the salad for vegies etc ... I love it ...
 

[Halex]

Yes this menu planning is the way to go. I am so impressed and so will DH be as he says we spend too much money on food.

I am working the basis at  1 mince meat meal per week, 1 vegetarian meal per week, 1 soup and then plan the rest of the menu.

I used to be a the supermarket daily, have been once this week, need a few things for the weekend so will pop into today or tomorrow but that will be it for the week.

I am really enoying the menu planing.

Good luck with too elliej.

Hally

[HelenN]

Menu Planning is great!  I started menu planning again when I got my TM.  I am doing a Summer, Autumn, Winter & Spring menu over 4 weeks - we don't eat anything the same in the 4 weeks.  My most unwelcome job of the week was sitting down on Friday night working out what we were going to eat for the next week so I did the menu over 4 weeks and then I did up shopping lists for each week!  I then just have to mark off what we have and then buy what we don't have.  I sit down at my computer on Thursday night and do my fruit & veg order with First Froots and it gets delivered to my door on Friday afternoon straight from the markets and then I do my grocery order with Coles Online and then that gets delivered to my door.  I save myself about an hour at the shops - there is no stress as I don't have to be at the shops with the kids! and I save money too by not going to the shops and buying things I don't need!  I just have to go and get bread and milk basically!  I love it!   

[Halex]

HelenN
I am just at the computer now looking at doing a spreadsheet of fav meals which I can do in the TM. I will try and do a 4 week menu as I think that is a great idea but as I am new to this  - I might not have enough recipes.

I have been going through some of the recipes here on the forum and am going to try some of the all in one meals, bangers and mash and the Italian meatballs with spag and tomato sauce. They are on next weeks menu already.

I am also trying to have one pasta, one rice dish, one potato dish, plus my soup. I am finding it really good fun at the moment. Not sure how long it will last, but if I can see me saving around $100 per week and eating good food, well that's gotta be worth the work.

I have Aussie farmers deliver fruit and veg and dairy and eggs, I go to a wholesale butcher so I shouldn't need much from the shops.


Hally

[faffa_70]

When I menu plan I use our favourites and at least one new recipe each week... which often then makes it to the favourites list!! We rarely have the same thing - though I do plan for the nights when the kids are going to be tired from sport etc and plan something I know they will eat without any dramas 

I resisted menu planning for so long, you will find threads about it on here somewhere  Now I can't live with out it!! My life feels out of control if I haven't menu planned 

[judydawn]

Here's one thread with meal planning - plenty of pages to browse through.

[cookie1]

I only menu plan for dinner as we are creatures of habit for breakfast and lunch. I always try to have red meat, chicken, fish and something else. eg quiche, pasta etc. On the weekend we have things like homemade pizza, calzone etc that are 'fun' meals swhen no one has to go to work. On my menu plan I have a column for things that are on that day and may affect the time I have to cook. Where the recipe can be found and the things I need to buy for that recipe. I also have suggestions for the next plan and some of the things I'd like to bake.
It sounds very complex but it isn't. The best part is I no longer have things in the pantry that don't get used.

[KarenH]

Mmmmmm - I can see that I am going to have to take the plunge and start menu planning again.  Too many positives .......... the main problem that I had when I tried menu planning before was that I would plan meals for the week, buy everything I needed, and then some meals would have left-overs that would do us a second night - so at the end of the week we had things unused that were past their best and sometimes got wasted .......  any suggestions?

[cookie1]

Perhaps you could then make the meals that you missed the next week. That's what I do as I've already boought the things I need.  Alternatively you could put the leftovers in the freezer for another week.

[judydawn]

You could also allow for one night a week using leftovers and if you don't have any (rarely happens in this house) have a stand-by meal in the freezer or just have baked beans and eggs which is a good wholesome meal anyway.

[cookie1]

With bacon on the top Judy.

[judydawn]

Yes Cookie