Vent: My food spending dropped by half after I started meal planning on Sundays

I used to grab lunch out every day and order dinner a few times a week, which was costing me around $400 a month. For the last three months, I've been sitting down every Sunday to plan five dinners and make a grocery list. My food bill is now about $200 a month. The biggest change was just knowing what I was going to cook and having the stuff already in my fridge. Has anyone else had a win just from planning meals ahead of time?

3 comments

3 Comments

ryanm601d ago

Honestly, that strict Sunday plan is the only thing that works for me. If I don't have a set list and everything prepped, I'll just stare at the pantry and end up ordering pizza. Tbh, the structure takes the stress out of my whole week.

margaretramirez1d ago

Honestly, my meal planning is more of a loose suggestion (like that sad kale that turns to soup in the crisper drawer). But seriously, that's an amazing drop in your spending. The few times I actually pull it off, it does feel like magic not having to stare into the fridge at 6 pm. My wallet definitely wishes I had your follow-through.

juliarodriguez1d ago

Disagree with the whole strict planning thing honestly. I'm more like margaretramirez where a loose idea works better for me, because a set plan just makes me want to order takeout more. Maybe it's just me but forcing it takes the fun out of cooking.