A MINDSET FOR MEAL PLANNING

AS WE START ANOTHER NEW YEAR, I THOUGHT I WOULD RE-POST SOME ENTRIES ON MEAL PLANNING THAT MAY INSPIRE!

WHY BOTHER?

A PERSON'S REASON FOR MEAL PLANNING IS A PERSONALIZED REASON. WE ALL ARE IN DIFFERENT SITUATIONS AND SO OUR REASONS WILL VARY, BUT ALL PARTICIPANTS HAVE A COMMON FACTOR....TO SAVE MONEY. UNLESS YOU HAVE A MONEY TREE IN YOUR BACK YARD SAVING MONEY SHOULD BE ON YOUR RADAR SOMEWHERE I WOULD HOPE! I CAN ONLY SPEAK ON MY OWN REASONS AND SHARE MY PERSPECTIVE ON THE SUBJECT.
WE USED TO HIT COSTCO AND FILL OUR FREEZER AND CUPBOARDS TO THE BRIM. EVENTUALLY THERE WAS MANY UNKNOWN MEAT PACKAGES IN THE BACK OF MY FREEZER AND EXPIRED ITEMS IN THE PANTRY, ALL ENDED UP IN THE GARBAGE AT SOME POINT. WHY WAS I BUYING MORE MEAT WHEN I ALREADY HAD MEAT IN MY FREEZER? NOT SURE!  I REALIZED THAT THE AMOUNT WE WERE SPENDING ON GROCERIES COULD ALMOST PAY A RETURN TICKET TO HAWAII ! YET, I HAD NOTHING NEARLY AS EXCITING AS THAT TO SHOW FOR THE MONEY.!!  I WOULD RATHER HAVE A MONTHS WORTH OF FOOD THAT I HAVE VERY SPECIFIC PLANS FOR, THAT WILL END UP IN NO WASTE, AND IS FRESH. WHAT KINDS OF FOOD LAST FOR MONTHS? USUALLY  NOT THE HEALTHIEST.  EITHER FULL OF PRESERVATIVES OR HAS LOST NUTRITIONAL VALUE IN MY FREEZER.
THE TICKET WAS... NO WASTE... AND THAT IS GETTING MY MONEYS WORTH.
WE STILL EAT EXACTLY THE WAY WE EVER DID....I DIDN'T SUDDENLY BUY ALL NO NAME BRANDS AND ONLY EAT HAMBURGER MEAT. WE EAT REGULAR FULL MEALS CONSISTING OF CHICKEN, STEAK, ROASTS, ETC....  ALL I STARTED DOING IS WRITING DOWN WHAT WE WOULD ME HAVING FOR SUPPER AHEAD OF TIME AND MAKING A SPECIFIC LIST FOR ONLY THE INGREDIENTS TO MAKE ONLY THOSE MEALS. EASIER TO PLAN IF A MINIMUM MEALS OF TWO WEEKS ARE MADE IN ADVANCE, IDEALLY FOUR WEEKS IS YOUR GOAL.
FIRST STEP?.... IS TO DO THE PANTRY PURGE AND SEE HOW FAR THAT TAKES YOU. THAT WILL GIVE YOU PRACTICE IN PUTTING MEALS TOGETHER.
BUT, IT IS A MINDSET THAT YOU HAVE TO GET YOURSELF COMMITTED TO.  I HAVE FOUND THAT IF A PERSON COMPLETES THE PANTRY PURGE THEY ARE INSPIRED AND EAGER TO CONTINUE. HAPPY PANTRY PURGING!

MY REASON! LOL!