Just realized I was overcomplicating my meal prep

I used to spend hours planning elaborate weekly menus. Then my neighbor Betty said she just makes a big pot of chili on Sunday and eats it for 4 days. I tried it with ground turkey and canned beans, saved $12 this week.

3 comments

3 Comments

adamgreen2mo ago

Is that really such a big savings win though I mean you're talking like $3 a day saved. Ground turkey around here is like $5 a pound and canned beans are what a buck fifty each. I guess if you were eating out every lunch before maybe but were you really spending that much. Feels like the bigger deal is just not having to think about what to eat for a few days. Maybe it's just me but I'd get bored of chili by day 3.

claire_ramirez1mo ago

Yeah but see I think the boredom thing is actually part of the win. Like if chili's just fine and not amazing you're not gonna overeat it. I'd rather eat something okay for a few days than constantly think about what to cook and end up grabbing fast food because I'm tired. And the $3 a day adds up way more than people think, that's like $60 a month just on lunch.

miles722mo ago

Read a study once that said people waste like 30% of their groceries because they buy stuff for complicated recipes they never finish. Keeping it simple with a chili rotation probably cuts down on that waste a lot. Plus your wallet and your brain both get a break, which is worth more than the $3 a day in my book.