I love meal planning I really do! I love doing the Meal Planning, grocery shopping and then preparing/organizing everything! I somehow feel like I've achieved something with being so organized. Being that it is such a big part of my daily life as a busy work from home mum, it's something I have really focused on to make these tasks more simple in return making my life more simple. A more simple life for me equals more time and energy for the fun things in life like spending more quality time with my family :) .... and that's why I implemented the into my family the Grocery & Meal Planning Wish List.
What Is The Grocery & Meal Planning Wish List?
A few months ago I implemented a wish list system into my Meal Planning. It basically became a place I would write down everyone in the families special desires for meals, snacks & drinks. This list was not a usual grocery list I would do each week, the items on the list were for special things that a person was desiring but perhaps hadn't had for a while (or ever in some cases!) For example my husband loves prawns, but it's not something I cook as no one else eats them. I honestly forget that it's something I can get fir him. So when he asked for the garlic prawn kebabs in summer for the BBQ, I wrote it down and his wish was granted on the next grocery shop!
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What The Wish List Is Not
It is not your normal grocery list. It is not a place to write things I've ran out of or things that are normal I don't want to forget. I already have a place to do this and that is on my Grocery List & Budget sheet. My wish list is something that is an ongoing sheet that lists everyones desires over a few weeks, rather than just a normal grocery shopping period. As I 'grant those wishes' for people I cross them off and focus on granting others!
Why Do I Have The Wish List ?
Truth be told I LOVE giving gifts to people I know they will love. I love seeing their excited reaction, especially a child, even when it's as simple as a handful of Smarties lol lol lol I found myself often picking up treats for each person when I was grocery shopping to surprise them when I got home with the shopping bags. As soon as I walked in they all go hunting through to see what I have purchased lol Surprises were little things like a bag of Twisties for my husband, a chocolate milk for Joseph and a Raffertys strawberry custard for Isabella . Oh the excitement when they found them was like watching a pirate finding gold lol
I got those treats for each person after asking them before Meal Planning/grocery shopping if there was anything special they would like. For myself I would have certain meals etc I desired, plus I also went through the weekly catalogues and spotted specials I would want to take advantage of. What I didn’t have was a organized spot to have it all. Mostly it was me writing notes on my phone, computer & scraps of paper. It was disorganized and I would always forget things.
The Solution & Benefits
After the constant forgetting of things and disorganization I came up with the Grocery & Meal Planning Wish List Printable. I now keep everything in the one spot and can decide when ‘wishes are granted’ depending on the week and our needs.
The benefits have been wonderful not only in simplifying my life that little bit more, but in also involving the family. Everyone gets excited when I ask if there’s anything special they would like when I’m meal planning and even more excited if they see it! It’s made everyone feel more involved and herd in the decision process of grocery shopping/meal planning. For Joseph who is 7 it has also helped educate him in how everything works in the world mummy :)