My Meal Planning/Grocery Shopping Challenge!

[Amaunet]

I must confess I really dislike both cooking and grocery shopping. Deciding what to have for dinner is one of my most hated parts of the day, especially when I realize I need something extra from the shop to make it! I hate having to lug two children around the shops and even when I go for one or two things I end up spending heaps.... Something had to change so I have set myself a challenge! I have made up a 6 week meal plan (of evening meals) and have grocery shopped for all those meals plus breakfast cereals, weekend lunches, snacks, drinks and nappies! Other than calling into my little fruit and veg shop for fresh fruit, bread and milk - I shouldn't have to set foot in Coles/Woolies/Aldi for 6 weeks!

I made a list of all the measls I can cook/like to cook/like to eat. I then set up a 6 week chart for meals and for each week have two "freezer" meals (pre-made main eg spaghetti/curried sausages) on Monday (Zumba night ) and Thursday night (our busy day), bulk cooking day on Tuesday arvo evening (to make the freezer meals) and easy night on Fridays (nachos, toasted sangas etc). I then allocated out the remainder of my list evening out the types of foods... I now know what we are eating every night for the next 6 weeks!

Hopefully this will save me some stress and money! Just thought I'd share my domestic accomplishment for the week

[FabFiona]

I did the same today. We always plan dinners but I did lunches and snacks for the kids as well today. Felt very smug. I only do a fortnight though as we like shopping (sad I know).

We are ace!

[Jewel]

Sounds great! Good one!

I meal plan weekly. Mostly it works but I still hate thinking of what to have.

[chody47]

Sounds good We do this on a fortnightly basis, and buy the majority our fruit and veg for the fortnight at this time too. We only ever need to duck into the shops for a few bits and pieces over the rest of the fortnight. This year we have actually started cooking what we call a '2 nighter' (enough for two nights) on a Saturday, and do the same on a Sunday. We then have Monday and Tuesday's dinner cooked. We go to DH's parents house every Wednesday. We then only need to sort out Thursday and Friday. This works well as DH works full time and I work Mon-Thurs, so we don't often have to cook after we both get home from long days.

[Amaunet]

Thought I'd update I am almost two weeks in and it's going really well! I love not having to even think about what to have for dinner! There have been a few adjustments but nothing major and I have stuck to only buying bread, milk and fresh fruit my bulk cooking has also been great - because I have heaps of freezer meals I have even been able to drop a few off to a friend whose dad is in hospital so she doesn't have to cook. Lamb roast tonight and fritters tomorrow night with the leftovers, yummo!