£200 meal plan challenge ............ august 2014

I've tried this a couple of times now with reasonable success but it seems no matter how much I cut back the debts are still spiralling and the money is diminishing.

We have 2 weeks off at the end of August and I am desperate to take the kids away (normally one week would be at a Haven/ Park Resorts site) but I just can't justify it this year with the amount already on the credit cards.  So step 1......... rein in the food spending (not that I think I can much more then I already have)

If you've followed the last first £200 challenge here and the not so fantastic sequel here  then you'll already know how difficult it is to plan for my husband.   For those who don't know.....



my husband doesn't eat:
meat (except chicken, sausages, bacon, bacon grill, hot dogs, meat and potato pies and steak pie)
fish (of any description)
salad, vegetables or fruit

He also doesn't cook - unless he can bung it in the oven.  This means for the 4 days I work (and Fridays) he has to fend for himself for his tea.

Lunch for all of us is normally salad/ sandwiches/ cheese and crackers or something quick(toasties/ something on toast, noodles).  Hubby will cook something out the freezer (occasionally I can bribe him to make pasta) for their tea Mon-Thursday which means Friday and Saturday I am on the healthy fresh cooked meals for tea for them.

I tend to cook Saturday tea for me and hubby and my own meals when I get in weekday evenings.

Sunday we sit down for a family dinner - usually a gravy meal.  Tho with this heat I am trying to avoid being in the kitchen as much as possible and utilising my slow cooker.

Desert is usually something out the cupboard (jelly/ rice/ custard) or fridge (mousse/ yogurt) a bit of chocolate, fruit, ice cream or lolly.

Our circumstances have changed since the original challenge as in we now only have 1 fridge/ freezer not 2 so half as much storage room and therefore less room to put food.  On the plus side this means we tend to eat more cupboard/ fresh stuff and less frozen.

Whilst I would ideally have planned out the whole of August we have the 2 weeks mentioned above booked off work as a family.  At the time of writing I have no idea what we are doing, where we are going or any even potential plan..... as you can see I can't even remember which weekend hubby has booked off work.  As the time gets closer and I have a better idea of what is going on I will update the document.

August's meal plan

you can also download it here.

Now I know the first thing to come into your head it "but your husband won't eat that".  NOPE.  He will eat off it some things.

So the plan is what he doesn't eat off here I can get his own tea using something already in the cupboards or freezer.  

The only food I will be buying in the £200 is that off the meal plan and everyday consumables (bread, ham, cheese, butter, eggs)

I'll report back next weekend.