How To Save Time And Money Planning Your Meals

To use an age-old cliche: "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail". Those words couldn't be more true when it comes to planning what's for tea tonight. We have all been in that situation, "What's for tea Mom?".

You've just got in through the door after a long day at work and kicked off your shoes. You don't know what's for tea because had your kids not wasted time this morning you'd have got a ready meal out the freezer beforehand. But now you have to think on the spot...Hang on...Takeout/pizza!

We know where this drama is heading; into your purse, again!

Here is the shortlist of how to save time and money by PLANNING:

1) Choose a weekly set menu that is both what the kids will eat and is healthy

SAMPLE:

Monday - Butternut Squash soup
Tuesday - Lasagne
Wednesday - Egg 'n' Chips
Thursday - Stew
Friday - Home-made Pizza
Saturday - Bangers 'n' Mash
Sunday - Guess?

2) Avoid pre-made and ready-made meals; buy the raw ingredients. Simply put, you pay for convenience. Although it takes a little more time to make a meal from scratch, what you save can be astronomical.

3) Buy loose meat and veg; go to the market. It pays dividends to go to the local market to buy your meat and vegetables. Superstores charge way too much just to put our food in a neat little plastic box. We want our food to come from the earth; not cost it!

4) Reduce your intake of alcohol. Now, this can be a bit touchy this one. After all the frugality it's understandable one would only want to treat oneself. It's up to you, but it doesn't take me to tell you about the expense of alcohol.

5) Bulk-cook in advance and freeze. This is probably the least utilized technique. When you get a bargain price on, say minced beef, cook a huge quantity and freeze it in portion sizes. Then you have a pre-made meal of your own ready to heat through another time in the future!

As you can see, planning is essential, especially in a recession. As I always say, "Sometimes when we need an answer and can't find the right one. It doesn't mean it doesn't exist; it's just we haven't found it yet. Sometimes a good suggestion is all the answer we need".

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