do you plan your meals?

Question

just wondering if you plan your dinner meals weekly/fornightly ect or if you just cook whatever you feel like on that day..

i want to start making a weekly/fortnightly dinner plan..but i cant get any ideas.

how do you do it? and is it cheaper planning meals ahead?

[cooking for 3 - son,hubby & myself]

Answer 1

Here is what I did:

When I started having kids I sat down one day and wrote in a spiral notebook about 30-45 meals that we liked. On each page I would write down the name of the meal and all of the ingredients that the meal called for. Then on sunday I would pick out 7 meals from that list. I would make out a list of all the ingredients for those 7 suppers and anything else that we would need for the week (toilet paper etc). I would also add one or two "fast, last minute" meals (frozen pizza's, mac and cheese, etc) for days when things didn't go as planned and I was running short on time.

I have saved alot of money by sticking to my list, and only buying what I needed. It was hard at first because I was a compulsive shopper, but now food shopping isnt a chore anymore because my list is made and I know exactly what I am shopping for. I always allow a small amount of money ($10.00) for things that might be on sale, but not on my list. this way I can still take advantage of the sales without blowing my budget.

hope this helps!

Answer 2

We (my hubby and I) plan meals once a week right before we go to the store. First we check the store circular to see what is on sale for the week. Then we figure out how many times we will be eating at home for the week. By checking the ad before we plan the meal we can save money (since we plan on eating what is on sale to some extent). We don't set a specific meal for a certain night though so there is still some flexibility. Also, if we see that the ingredients for our favorite meal is on sale, we stock up a little. This will also save money because often (at least for us) if we don't have a meal planned we will just grab take out which is usually more expensive and not nearly so healthy as what we would have made had we planned a little.

Answer 3

It is definately cheaper to have your meals planned ahead and shop for only those items that you need. It is best to include your family in meal planning. Knowing what they like to eat for dinner helps, and they may even suggest things you don't think of. I always had a meal plan when my children lived at home, it saves time as well as money. I sat down with my family every Sunday and we planned out the week of meals.

Answer 4

If you figure a few weeks & coordinate what you will make you can make it extremely cheap to plan ahead. Anyone whos been way poor at one time knows coupons & meal planning can save major$$$$ if you do it right. Now I make what I want most of the time in nicer weather, but if it's crummy weather I plan ahead. If it's crummy out I won't mind going the full 9 yards on a nice meal because I will want to keep warm by the stove anyway!!! The smells make the house better & it's nice when the windows have been closed a long time.

Answer 5

I usually have an idea of what I want to make each week, though I'm not necessarily sure which day will be what until about 4 PM.

I shop better when I plan ahead, however. But be flexible enough to take advantage of sales advertised that week.

And be sure and plan at least one day to eat up the leftovers. If you don't, you waste a lot of food AND have to cook every single night!

Or plan for leftovers to be used. If you have pot roast leftover, plan for it to be a roast beef sandwich or beef-veggie soup another night to use it up.

Answer 6

Yes, I plan my meal everyday. I'm going to eat this Monday, this Tuesday, and that Wednesday. HeHe. I been at walmart too much this week so I have to plan ahead!

Answer 7

I Dont usally plan meals as i only have myself to feed.. But when i was in a busy house hold i use to, cause it use to save time. But for ideas just look in recipe books and that...

Answer 8

I have a tentive plan when I make out my grocery list. Now I have everything I might want. Each day I decide what to eat and defrost it.

Answer 9

1

Answer 10

Paleo diet its a diet based around eating real food unprocessed