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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Eating like a king at the weekend, pauper during the week

104 replies

Cravingasimplelife · 12/10/2024 12:31

Not a pauper really, but, does anyone else spend more money/make *Better meals at the weekend and spend much less on dinners during the week.
Never really used to think like this until food and everything else became more expensive.
Now, we tend to either have a takeaway Fri or Saturday night (pizza usually) or I make a tachos/fajitas/curry type meal. Saturday and Sunday weve either had a lunch out or I make two better meals..meat based usually-lasagna, slow cooker stews, roast.
Then during the week I make simple pasta or just cheesy beans on toast, jacket potatoes with tuna etc.
Dd and Dh have cooked lunches at school/work, so I don’t feel too bad about giving something easy/cold type food during the week
Do others do this or is it weird?

OP posts:
Roundthemoon · 12/10/2024 13:00

I eat well every day. I would see a jacket potato with cheese and salad as eating well.

It has enough nutrients

roses2 · 12/10/2024 13:01

No but since things got more expensive I've cut down on takeaway from once every two weeks to once every few months and now spend more in general cooking better meals at home inc midweek.

Namechangefordaughterevasion · 12/10/2024 13:02

I'm retired now but DH still works and never eats at home during the week.

during the week I barely cook. I eat fruit/yogurt/cheese/salads/eggs and sometime reheat things I've precooked like pulses and vegetable stews or soups. At weekends I eat the same way during the day whilst DH fends for himself (sandwiches) and I'll cook a 'proper' dinner most weekend evenings.

it keeps the kitchen clean!

PepaWepa · 12/10/2024 13:03

Tbh, with the price of takeaway pizza these days, you could make a few days worth of decent meals throughout the week instead.

Angelofmycoins · 12/10/2024 13:04

I actually prefer simpler food and less meat.
Dd very much embarrassed me once- her little friend's parents were GPs and she was apparently telling them i feed her peasant food (a lot of vegetarian, lentil soups, even barley stews) whilst I eat luxury - i have the odd Gu chocolate pot as a treat!
Anyway, it's not really foe money reasons, I was brought up with it.

PepaWepa · 12/10/2024 13:07

LadyKenya · 12/10/2024 12:50

As long as you do not have to do it, then what she chooses to do is her own affair. I hate this attitude that women should never do anything for their adult sons, without being called 1950s whatever.

Check out her username though 🙃

TarantinoIsAMisogynist · 12/10/2024 13:07

Fedupmumofadultsons · 12/10/2024 12:35

No not really just whatever the men in my life fancy and they would have a fit if I served a cold tea unless summer salad but with carbs and surely beans on toast is a lunch .most school dinners are small .but good on you if no one complains

WTAF?!

It's like the last 70 years never happened.

LyndaSnellsSniff · 12/10/2024 13:07

@MyOtherCarisAVauxhallZafira

That curry sounds delicious!

ALunchbox · 12/10/2024 13:10

I certainly spend more time on weekend meals. They might also be a tad more expensive but not extravagantly so.

Cheesecakecookie · 12/10/2024 13:14

I do to an extent because in the week u prioritise easy and quick whereas on the weekend I have more time.

Richtea67 · 12/10/2024 13:15

We do similar to you OP, my DD8 has hot meal at lunch and at after school club so is never that peckish. My DD2 seems to be stuffed full at nursery so she has a small tea at home. I tend to make a big effort at the weekend, but we'll pick at leftovers in the week. If it works for you and it's balanced and healthy keep going!

Roarsomemum · 12/10/2024 13:16

Yes but like others, it’s partially down to time. Standard week meals of chicken burgers on night when I’m out, jacket potatoes, sausage pasta, quick carbonara or something from freezer we’ve previously cooked extra portions of.

Weekend we will usually do more than exiting things. Tonight we are having deep fried feta coated in sesame seeds with honey and then some Greek chicken thing my husband is making

Sunday night is always pizza night with home made dough as the kids love it

MargaretBetts · 12/10/2024 13:19

No, I don’t do this, we usually eat what be cooked whatever the day of the week it is. I have a weekly food delivery and plan based on use by dates/freezing stuff as required.

I like cooking and find it relaxing at the end of the working day, if I couldn’t be bothered I’d cook a pizza or take some homemade soup out of the freezer.

I spend a lot on food shopping but never have takeaways. We eat out once or twice a month.

harriethoyle · 12/10/2024 13:21

I do this @Cravingasimplelife - I try and be relatively virtuous during the week for both diet and ease purposes and am teetotal, and then really enjoy the weekend wine and pizza or whatever treat we (or dsd) chooses. Makes weekends feel more special and a break.

midgetastic · 12/10/2024 13:22

We eat more expensive at the weekends , and more complex cooking

It makes the weekend meals more a real treat and a bit special and fun

And weekdays is healthy and cheap

Member984815 · 12/10/2024 13:23

No , eat the same aside from roast on Sunday but that's usual here . I have found meat especially has gone very expensive but try to look for deals and special offers

NotQuiteUsual · 12/10/2024 13:25

We eat decent dinners every night, but I'm off work as I'm recovering from severe mental illness. Last year I couldn't be trusted to boil water, so cooking a proper meal each day is an absolute joy I try not to take for granted.

SallyWD · 12/10/2024 13:28

I do more elaborate dishes at the weekend because I have more time. That doesn't mean I do cheap dishes in the week. For example, after work I might throw some salmon and potatoes in the oven. The salmon's expensive but it's an easy meal

Notmydaughteryoubitch · 12/10/2024 13:28

I've always tended to have nicer dinners at the weekend because we have more time and I want to treat myself, I will generally eat more healthly during the week and may be more indulgent at the weekend. But we do still eat home cooked meals during week too just generally a bit more simple and easy to prep.

CorvusPurpureus · 12/10/2024 13:28

Yes, but because of time constraints, really.

Today I'm making a mildly faffy Ixta Belfrage lasagna. I'm looking forward to a couple of hours pottering about in the kitchen in peace.

Tomorrow (weekday here in the ME) it'll be home made soup & quick bread machine bread, & the rest of the week it's mac'n'cheese, chicken kapitan, something sausagey in the slow cooker & salmon thai curry. All fairly straightforward & the prep can be done the night before.

If there's a two hour window between getting home & dinner, I'd rather spend at least half of it with my feet up, a book & a g&t.

Fedupmumofadultsons · 12/10/2024 13:32

PepaWepa · 12/10/2024 13:07

Check out her username though 🙃

Well I though that slave to adult children home and otherwise .Oh and general worshipper of grandchildren was a bit long. wouldn't really cut it on mumsnet 😁

Grimacethethird353 · 12/10/2024 13:34

In winter we try and have either a proper Sunday lunch or dinner.

But then we we have cold cuts and veg, or bubble and squeak, or salad on Monday (easy day) and maybe even shepherds or cottage pie or hash on Tuesday.

So yes we do eat “fancier” at weekends but meat is so expensive that we make sure the benefit lasts throughout the week. For example, I will always make stock from bones and freeze to use another time.

Faldodiddledee · 12/10/2024 13:39

As long as you do not have to do it, then what she chooses to do is her own affair. I hate this attitude that women should never do anything for their adult sons, without being called 1950s whatever

I would be truly embarrassed if my mum had to rush back from a social event, in her late sixties or seventies, to prepare me a lunch.

It is also inexplicable why lovely Ian hasn't attracted a wife aged 40 living at home with mum.

This kind of behaviour is doing neither of them any favours.

MrTwatchester · 12/10/2024 13:39

We do this OP, though not particularly for economic reasons, it's just that we like cooking and eating and there's more time at the weekend.

Anyway, I think people worry too much about making elaborate meals every evening these days—when I was a kid all our food was made from scratch, no UPFs etc, but 90% of our dinners were jacket potatoes or something-on-toast.

Lasagne absolutely should be a feast, to make it properly takes bloody ages.