Frugal meal planning challenge – varied and healthy

We want to live healthier and more varied while trying to save money. This can hopefully be achieved by frugal meal planning. From my learnings during the Zero spending challenge combined with a wish for more healthy and varied meals, we have high hopes.

By failing to prepare, you are preparing to fail.

Benjamin Franklin

I see several benefits in this:

• Save money by not falling into the takeaway trap.
• Way more likely to get a healthy salad when we actually plan for it.
• Use what we have in the cupboards and freezer.
• Vary our meats and vegetables.

Our youngest is closing in on her first day in day care (where does the time go?). Luckily it’s in the same building where our oldest attends kindergarten – and both places are all-inclusive with organic and varied food. This has helped our guilty conscience when serving hot dogs or rye bread four out of five weekdays.

I don’t see us go all in and do a /r/MealPrepSunday thing because I already tried it. My former workplace didn’t have a canteen and I was too frugal or cheap to buy sandwiches. The saved money simply wasn’t worth the saggy and repetitive lunches.

The youngest is now 8 months old and started tasting what we’re having. Planning ahead could also make us more thoughtful and ensuring dinner has something for everyone.

We’ve had different subscriptions to meal boxes, but found them not worth the cost and short on meat. Both points of criticism were primarily coming from me. I feel restricted when I have to use a recipe. They’ve always been suggestions to me. Whereas my better half loves shutting down and following directions – that doesn’t apply elsewhere.

I expect once her maternity leave is over that we’ll return to some degree to meal boxes but for now we’re doing frugal meal planning one week ahead.