Have you stood in front of the refrigerator trying to figure out what to cook for dinner only to find spoiled food as you rummage through the drawers? I have.
"In the US, an average person wastes 238 pounds of food per year (21 percent of the food they buy), costing them $1,800 per year."
https://foodprint.org/issues/the-problem-of-food-waste/
Yep, I have been a contributor to the 76 BILLION pounds of food wasted in US households each year and tossed that good money and someone's hard work disrespectfully into the compost (aka manure) pile. I knew it had to end well before Covid came to town - no more being a guilty wasteful slacker for me!
Once upon a time, I used to Meal Plan - kinda. I remember checking the fridge, freezer, garden & pantry for what "needed to go" then the searching through the store circulars for what I could cook to use it up. Not exactly a stringent "Meatloaf on Mondays and "Fish on Fridays" or calendar with recipes planned but far better than binge buying without a plan and watching it rot. You see, I buy food I don't need if I do not have a plan.
Meal planning is a tool that frugal housekeepers would do to make sure they got the most bang for their buck in food purchases as well as making sure they had enough provisions for the family to eat - routines made it easier. Not only did you plan for meals, but you planned your garden & what in-season foods you would preserve for the rest of the year and even housework had a plan.
Having a plan reduces stress because decisions are stressful. A plan saves time because you are prepared. It saves money because you waste less. You can eat better with less money and you feel MUCH better because you do not feel guilty about being wasteful.
I'm in, are you?
