Sunday, January 12, 2014

Meal Planning 2014 - week 2

Last week I began meal planning in earnest on a pretty limited budget of £5 a day for the three of us. Working around the limitations of a very picky partner and a 5 year old whose likes and dislikes change with the wind; the fact that we have none of the 'Big 5' supermarkets within walking distance and my pledge to shop locally and utilise local butchers, bakers and grocers wherever possible.

My first week went ok - many of you warned me that no matter how well I planned it was pretty much a given that all would NOT go to plan and this proved to be the case. (Want to see what I planned? It's here )
Roo decided that he didn't like the chowder on Monday because it was too creamy (?!) and also turned his nose up at the home made veggie burgers (which he has had and enjoyed before...) Luckily vegetable soup always goes down well and I made enough for two meals (Wednesday & Friday) with crusty bread and cheese.

Saturday night takeaway for the Other Half's birthday was paid for by his parents (thank you!) and the cake went down a treat. Plus there is still half of it left for pudding today - and, as it was so rich, probably tomorrow too!
Sticking to the list proved easier than expected - although I did buy a couple of extras that had been reduced for the freezer - these have been incorprated into this weeks plan so still saving me money over all.
The best bit of all? I actually had a couple of pounds left over at the end of the week. This has been stashed away - as will any left over food budget each week - so we can treat ourselves occasionally.

I have decided not to bother listing the Other Half's meals for the week - to be honest they are pretty much the same each week. If he's happy with that (and he is) then so am I...

What me and Roo are eating this week...

Monday

Fish fingers or vegetable fingers, potato wedges, mushy peas

Tuesday

Chicken, rice and peas

Wednesday

Leek and Potato soup with cheesy rolls

Thursday

Shepherds pie and veg

Friday 

Tagliatelle with homemade veggie pasta sauce

Saturday

Creamy cheese and tomato pasta bake with garlic bread (we ALL eat this meal!)

Sunday

Roast chicken with roast potatoes, cauliflower cheese, peas, carrots and stuffing
(we all eat this meal too, although some of us eat more components than others ;-) )

A rough tot up of ingredients needed for these meals and the OH's is approximately £25 which leaves me £10 for bread, milk and other sundries for the week.

I will spend a fair chunk of my budget on Sunday's roast chicken as I like to get either free range or at least higher welfare (no 3 for a tenner stuff here) BUT left overs will be made into at least one more meal next week and I shall probably sneak a chicken, stuffing and coleslaw sarnie as next Monday's lunch too...


Are you meal planning your way through 2014? How's it going so far?


5 comments:

  1. Looks good. Although I wouldn't like the mushy peas. *shudders* I never can understand why Flower turns her nose up at something she's eaten umpteen times before, but has decided that today she's not going to eat it!

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    1. By the way, I love the new blog header!

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    2. ref picky kids - who knows?
      ref blog header - thank you :-)

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  2. I changed last year to only using cash for the money so take out a set amount each month for everything and also planning meals a month at a time (these change if things happen etc) - we're a family of 5, thankfully we all eat the same thing apart from a couple of meals. I then do a big shop at the beginning of the month for everything which will keep/can be frozen and just get the bits and pieces week to week. Like you we stash the 'saved' money each week, great to see a wee stash of cash at the end of a month :)

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    1. oh I think I need to build up to planning a whole month in advance - I have enough trouble thinking about tomorrow let alone that far ahead! I am amazed at how much money we have saved already and also by how little is getting thrown away...

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