Meal plans are just not for me. I prefer to eat whatever I feel like on any given day, so I tend to go with the flow. I think I'd be bored to the bone, knowing exactly what I was eating every single day. I mean, as it stands, sometimes I plan to make something, but my plans change and I go with something else altogether. I like the spontaneity.
I usually make a meal plan for the week based on what on sale. My grocery flyers arrive on Thursday so each weekend I sit down and make a meal plan for the week. By Sunday I can head out to the store and buy what I need. I think doing this is saving me money. I also like knowing ahead of time what's for supper. My kids do too.
No I usually don't stick to my meal plan. I buy ahead of time many things I'll cook for the month. When I find favorites of my family I spot buy and bring home their little food surprise. Their faces light up when they see their favorite foods unplanned, so I like to see my family happy with these surprises and skip the planned meal. Life is so precious and when we can make each other happy why not! Planning is great so we'll have food for the month, but surprises and the joy you see on your loved ones faces with these unplanned goodies is worth deviating from your meal plan.
I rarely plan more than 3 or 4 days ahead. As another poster said, you can't account for guests or even those days where you just can't be bothered. I always make sure I'm paying the lowest price available for my groceries and this is quite enough effort without factoring meal planning in too.
I think that having a meal plan is a good way to save money, but sometimes we need to indulge in whatever we want to eat for a change, if only once in a blue moon. So as for me, I do not plan my meals and I just buy what is on the menu since I don't cook, so I always have variety when I eat.
I have a really hard time following the meal plan. Whenever I try, I do succeed for a few days and then I start feeling terribly. With work, I often forget to eat at the right times and then I start eating at the wrong ones. For me, flexible meals work better.
I tend not to do meal plans even though I have heard they save money. I buy a range of ingredients that can be made into a wide variety of different dishes. So I always have a choice of meats and vegetables, pasta, rice, cheese and herbs and spices. That way, I know that we can choose something to eat that everyone will enjoy. Very little is wasted and I try to use leftovers to create meals or sides.
This is a great motivator for me too. When I know I have to save up and have a certain amount at a certain time I'll usually try and cut back on all my expenses and one of the places I try to cut down is in the groceries. The only problem is that it's hard to predict when you'll be eating out sometimes as invitations aren't always planned so it's not easy to strictly follow a meal plan but a rough plan can certainly be helpful.
