Laura's Laws of Thrifty Cooking #3

PLAN YOUR MEALS!

I can't tell you how much stress this little rule has prevented. I used to fly by the seat of my pants and it was incredibly stressful to try and decide what we were going to eat only an hour or two beforehand. We ended up eating out more, or ordering in because I just didn't have the energy to make a decision. We had plenty of food, but the motivation was lacking. This cost us way more in monthly food costs than was necessary. It also cost me a lot of time. Rather than taking time once a week (or every two weeks even) I was pulling out my cookbooks every night, and then giving up because it was so much work. Now, I sit down on Sunday night to plan out my menu. It usually doesn't go according to plan, and some days I am still too worn out to cook, but overall it works very well. It allows me to take things out of the freezer a day or two in advance, and I am not rushing to defrost. I don't need to spend any energy during the day, worrying about what we are going to eat, and I am much more efficient and effective in the kitchen. I also enjoy cooking more, it isn't so much of a hassle, and I have more energy for it and so I am more creative. Planning your meals also allows you to come up with more ideas for leftovers (see Law #2). I love the internet in this regard. Type in "leftover noodles" and Voila! Tons of ideas. Try planning your meals and see how much better it is for your budget, your life and your cooking!