Why does nobody talk about how much meal planning actually saves?

I started planning dinners three weeks ago after getting tired of throwing out wilted herbs. Already down to one grocery trip a week instead of four, and my fridge actually has room now. Has anyone else noticed their trash can getting lighter too?

3 comments

3 Comments

blair59710d ago

Wait you actually ended up with a HEAVIER trash can? That seems wild to me.

hannahm3910d ago

Meal planning just shifts the waste from fresh produce to packaged stuff, because you buy exactly what the recipe calls for and it always comes in a bag or jar you can't avoid. Trash can got heavier over here once I started stocking up on canned tomatoes, broth, and sauce packets every Sunday. Also, the time spent mapping out meals and making the list cuts into the time I used to spend just grabbing what looked good, which felt a lot less like a chore.

jana_scott10d ago

Used to be a big meal planning cheerleader but this is making me rethink it. The exact same thing happened with me and jarred pasta sauce. Had a pantry full of glass jars and cans by Wednesday and still had to throw out half a head of broccoli that didn't fit the plan. Also that Sunday afternoon list making is exactly as tedious as you describe. Maybe the grab and go approach has more merit than I gave it credit for.