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Dear Cath - January 2019
Q. Hello, I have a soon to be husband, a nearly 2 year old and a 5 month old. I am very fussy and it seems to be rubbing off on my toddler; we spend roughly $150 a week on food that I seem to be wondering what I bought the following day. I would love your help to help me make a plan for food and what to cook for dinner each night. The last eight nights I've had a pizza and three puffy dogs while I tend to cook the family something different. We are purchasing our first home so I need some guidance on how to save and spend our money on groceries and meal plans we could use. P
A. Can you not be so fussy for a little while? It's just for a short time until you get the money for your home together, it's not forever.
Or can you be fussy on the sale cycles? I understand fussy, there are some things I just won't compromise on; even when I only had $45 for groceries a fortnight I still had some things I loved. I just bought them differently - in bulk or at the chemist instead of the supermarket or only when they were on sale etc.
Whatever you decide, the process is going to be the same.
Start with making a list of all the meals you like. Most of us eat the same 30 - 35 meals over and over (boring lot aren't we!). This will be the start of your meal plan. As you are the fussy eater, and the rest of your family is happy eating what you cook, start with meals to your tastes.
Once you have your list, choose seven dinners from that list and stick them to the fridge. That is your meal plan for the next week.
Then do a pantry, fridge and freezer inventory to see what ingredients you have, and what you'll need to buy. Put the ingredients you need to buy on your shopping list.
If you need to add fruit and veg to round out the meals for the non-fussy eaters, put them on the list. Add milk, bread, toiletries and cleaning products and you have your completed shopping list. When you do the shopping, stick to your list.
You can allocate a night for each meal or choose one each morning and prepare it for tea. Just be sure to choose and make one meal a day, using the ingredients you have.
Repeat for the next week. And so on.
A. Can you not be so fussy for a little while? It's just for a short time until you get the money for your home together, it's not forever.
Or can you be fussy on the sale cycles? I understand fussy, there are some things I just won't compromise on; even when I only had $45 for groceries a fortnight I still had some things I loved. I just bought them differently - in bulk or at the chemist instead of the supermarket or only when they were on sale etc.
Whatever you decide, the process is going to be the same.
Start with making a list of all the meals you like. Most of us eat the same 30 - 35 meals over and over (boring lot aren't we!). This will be the start of your meal plan. As you are the fussy eater, and the rest of your family is happy eating what you cook, start with meals to your tastes.
Once you have your list, choose seven dinners from that list and stick them to the fridge. That is your meal plan for the next week.
Then do a pantry, fridge and freezer inventory to see what ingredients you have, and what you'll need to buy. Put the ingredients you need to buy on your shopping list.
If you need to add fruit and veg to round out the meals for the non-fussy eaters, put them on the list. Add milk, bread, toiletries and cleaning products and you have your completed shopping list. When you do the shopping, stick to your list.
You can allocate a night for each meal or choose one each morning and prepare it for tea. Just be sure to choose and make one meal a day, using the ingredients you have.
Repeat for the next week. And so on.