I definitely need to start meal planning better!

[NAB3wishesfor2008]

DD wanted jacket potato and the boys pasta. No problem. They could all have what they wanted with tuna, sweetcorn and mayonnaise.
Get home, no tuna or sweetcorn. DD had potato and cheese and the boys had pasta and baked beans and cheese! Oops.

I have a wipeable sheet attached to the inside of my larder cupboard. I mark off when I take a tin of corn, beans. finish a type of dried pasta, stock cubes etc. Then have a quick look at it when writting my shooping list to restock. Same for my freezer, and I have a wipeable board on the kitchen wall which I jot down other thing when I finish them or notice they are running low (cleaning products, loo roll, juice, milk, butter etc etc).

yes this is a problem that i have had.
Ive been budgeting and meal planning for 4 weeks now and my cupbourds are decidedly bare.
Although i have stuck to my plans 99.9% of the time, i want to be a bit flexible and make some thing that we "fancy" every now and then but strict meal planning and budgeting doesnt allow this so much does it.

I used to have a note for what was in the fridge and cupboard but I didn't always remember to cross things off, and hubby hardly remembered too so it was a nightmare. Having said that I do now have a spare wipe on/off board but have so much food it wouldn't be big enough!

Nab, you only need to note down the things that you are running low on or have used the last of.

we just have a quick snoot through the cupboards before we go shopping, tinned tomatoes, pasta, stock cubes, garlic, onions, beans etc and top up as needed.

I think as well £ has been a bit tight so I haven't replaced everything in the next shop like I usually do.

We have just got Great Nanny's 4 drawer freezer with fridge on top so I will be able to have a drawer fo fish, meat, potato stuff etc and keep a better idea of what is in. There is always stuff in, it is sometimes a funny combination!