FOLLOW US

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • About
    • PRs Work With Us
  • MEDIA
  • DIRECTORS CUT
  • Contact Us
Joleisa logo
  • Frugal living
  • Eat for less
  • Start a blog
  • Recommendations

Success at Meal Planning

This post may contain affiliate links

Today I have a smug look on my face. You know, even the simplest little things are worth celebrating. For me, I am smiling because we have saved quite a bit of money. How? By not going food shopping three weeks in a row! Of course, we have had to be quite creative and some of the meals we created were simply amazing if I must say so myself. I don’t know about you, but I always find that some of our tastiest meals are created when the kitchen cupboards and fridge/freezer are almost bare.

Meal planning isn't just about writing a list. Geting creative in the kitchen and saving money are among some of the ways you'll find success with meal planning.

 

Here’s how we got on this week

Firstly, I must say that we will go shopping on Sunday or Monday as the cupboards are looking too bare now. Some of the meals we prepared with what we had left include:

  • Fish soup
  • Turned cornmeal (polenta)
  • Steamed courgette with salted cod
  • Pasta with cheese sauce
  • Spicy chickpea curry and homemade chapatis
  • Seasoned rice

We have looked into doing this more often (shopping less often for food). There are a number of factors which helped us to be able to manage this for so long. These include:

  • Always having reusable plastic containers in which to store leftovers
  • Always add a few extra tins of foodstuff each time we go grocery shopping
  • Having a stand-alone freezer in which to store portions of leftover food, surplus fruits, and veg etc.
  • Buying yellow stickered items that can be used up in meals
  • Doing a freezer clearout every now and then as it shows us sometimes foodstuff we had forgotten about.
  • Being willing to experiment with ingredients and being creative in the kitchen

What are we proudest about?

  • Cutting down on food waste
  • Saving money which can be used to pay off debt or go on holiday
  • Our cooking skills (Thanks to Home Economics lessons and a poor mom when we were growing up)
  • Being able to share some of what we have planted and reaped with our friends
  • Sharing this meal planning linky each week with Katy Kicker and others and learning so much

We hope you have been inspired by something in this post and do better with your finances, get creative in the kitchen and enjoy living the frugal lifestyle.

Have a great week.

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn
  • More
  • Click to print (Opens in new window) Print
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email

Related

Filed Under: Frugal

About Joleisa

« How to Have a Fabulously Frugal Fall
Five Frugal Things to do That Will Save you Money in the Long run »

Comments

  1. Sharon says

    October 5, 2018 at 9:11 pm

    You deserve that smug look on your face! I’m terrible at planning menus. We end up having a salad with some chicken most weeknights. You are an inspiration!

    Reply
    • Joleisa says

      October 21, 2018 at 3:51 pm

      That smug look! You’ll have it too, as soon as you start saving money with meal planning. Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
  2. Gonçalo Cruz says

    October 5, 2018 at 9:50 pm

    I’m always searching for ways to save money for traveling and this one is article is just what I needed to read! We can save so much money with meal planning! Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!

    Reply
    • Joleisa says

      October 21, 2018 at 3:47 pm

      We enjoy meal planning and sharing these ideas with other too. Thanks so much for stopping by.

      Reply
  3. Anna Szenasi says

    October 6, 2018 at 12:43 pm

    Love these tips! Great job!

    Reply
  4. Shoestring Jane says

    October 6, 2018 at 2:17 pm

    Great post! I would love to know what turned cornmeal is though! I have some polenta in the cupboard and little inspiration about how to use it, apart from in a gluten free lemon cake.

    Reply
  5. Louise Fairweather says

    October 7, 2018 at 4:31 pm

    I try to only do one shop a week. The only problem is with the amount of bread my boys eat and sometimes with more fruit. Your spicy chickpea curry sounds lovely #mealplanningmonday

    Reply
  6. Charlotte says

    October 8, 2018 at 8:17 am

    I have just started meal planning and my two biggest goals are to reduce food waste and getting better at cooking!

    Reply
    • Joleisa says

      October 13, 2018 at 11:45 pm

      Wow! You are going to enjoy the journey. It is honestly, one of the best things we have done to save money.

      Reply
  7. Katy Stevens says

    October 8, 2018 at 9:29 am

    You’ve done amazing – well done ladies!

    Reply
  8. Kim Carberry says

    October 8, 2018 at 12:58 pm

    You are right. The tastiest meals are always when the fridge and cupboards are nearly bare. Simple meals win!
    Great meal plan. I love the sound of the Spicy chickpea curry. x

    Reply
  9. Sarah - Mud, Cakes and Wine says

    October 8, 2018 at 3:53 pm

    wow great work and i love cheesy pasta as do my children. So you should look smug xx #mealplanninglinky

    Reply
  10. DebtandCupcakes says

    October 8, 2018 at 5:08 pm

    Hello! I would like to be added to your Pinterest Group Board “Frugal/thrifty 101”. Would this be possible?

    My pinterest ID is:www.pinterest.com/debtandcupcakes

    Thanks!!

    Reply
  11. Candy says

    October 11, 2018 at 3:40 pm

    Great post, totally agree with you that cutting down on food waste and saving money are the proudest things when doing meal prep. I’m not as lucky as you are to have a standalone freezer, but still, meal prep for the win!

    I love to be a contributor for your Pinterest group board “Frugal/thrifty 101”, we blog on very similar topics. My Pinterest profile can be found at: https://www.pinterest.com/thecentstofreedom/

    Thanks for your consideration!

    Reply
    • Joleisa says

      October 13, 2018 at 11:37 pm

      I am so glad you are a meal prep girl too! Do what you can until you are able to get a free-standing freezer which will give you some more space to store food. On another note, I have added you to the board as requested. Please remember to pin out as much as you put in. Happy pinning

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CommentLuv badgeShow more posts

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Hey guys and gals!

Hi, we're Jo and Leisa, twin sisters and authors of Joleisa.com. Originally from the sandy beaches of Jamaica we now reside in England where we followed our calling to teach. But sometimes that call changes and our new passion is writing. We're here to give the ups and downs of it all with our lifestyle tips and tricks to help you avoid the sour lemons that can get in our way of frugal budgeting, intentional living and happiness. Join us and learn more about how we found the simplest ways to achieve easy living. Read More…

AS SEEN ON CHANNEL 5’S

We are Sociable

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Recent Posts

  • Our Word of the Week is Break
  • Easter is our Word of the Week
  • Our Word of the Week is Grateful
  • Adjust is my Word of the Week
  • Hyperkalemia is my Word of the Week

MOST POPULAR POSTS

Why we left teaching

  • Be your own boss
  • Set up a blog
  • Making money from your blog
  • Using Pinterest to help your blog
  • Fixing sleep problems
  • Frugal family fun at half term
  • Having to plan a funeral!
  • Let’s show you how we save money on food
  • Our time on Channel 5’s Shop Smart, Save Money
HIBS100 Index of Home and Interior Blogs HIBS100

Copyright © 2025 · Tasteful theme by Restored 316

Copyright © 2025 ·Tasteful Theme · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress · Log in

YOUR PRIVACY

This website uses cookies to improve your experience. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish.Accept Reject Read More
Privacy & Cookies Policy

Privacy Overview

This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience.
Necessary
Always Enabled
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Non-necessary
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
SAVE & ACCEPT
 

Loading Comments...