Quick Question

My partner does the meal plan, and I do the groceries. We have a system Mondays - a stew Tuesday - one of the easy meals Wednesdays - leftover stew Thursday - easy meal Friday - eat out or order in Saturday - foodie meal = more creative cooking Sunday - same as Saturday or we go out either of the days

@Livia how you guys afford going out that much😭

@Maryam yeah, it's something we budget once a week or so... Sometimes it's just a simple McDonald's, other times it's nicer like sushi... But I know it's def not cheap in some places and we can't do the nice things all the time. Additionally, before we had kids, my husband and I used to go out drinking more, and I guess that money is now being used for this.

@Livia aww bless, I’m happy for you xx

We rarely cook the same thing in a month as we love to try out different recipes each week. As the years have gone by it gets more challenging for sure. We start by seeing if there’s anything we fancy for that week. Then we look at what’s in the house that might need using up that we can add to, to make up a meal. Then we look at variety across the week between different meats and veggie dishes. I know if we had a chicken dish each night we’d be so fed up of chicken. Always look at having the odd quick meal in there or a convenient back up in case someone is ill, tired or just can’t be arsed. I have a huge Pinterest board of foodie inspirations and pick up recipes from books, magazines and online etc. Once a month we probably have a takeaway or a meal out. I note anything that becomes a fave as likely to repeat those. I also think about portions, is it something that will have leftovers that I could make into another meal or it might make lunch. Try & cook smart.

Over the years I’ve created a recipe folder. Initially I used simple cookbooks or bbc good foods to get ideas, then I would try the recipes and if we liked it and it was easy enough to make, I would type up the recipe and add it to the folder. We now have a selection of meals to choose from such as spaghetti bolognese, chilli, pad Thai, katsu curry, pasta dishes… Each week we write on a whiteboard any meals we fancy that week and then make sure we have the right ingredients added to our weekly shop. We also try to use anything we already have in the fridge, freezer and cupboard. You could ask friends and family what they’re eating each week and try each other’s recipes too. Sharing recipes could help you and them both.