I do not use one of those subscriptions, but I just wanted to suggest, if someone is planning to throw you a shower, ask for MEALs rather than gifts. This is what a friend did for me for my second baby, and it was so helpful. All my friends made me double batches of frozen meals in disposable containers that could just be heated up in the oven (enchiladas, lasagna, casseroles, etc.)...I had, I think about 20 meals in my fridge. I used about 2 a week...it was great. Way better than presents. The gift of TIME.

*I like the website "budget bytes". They break down the cost of the meals per serving. The meals taste good and are fairly simple to cook - even for a novice like me. What I have made so far has gotten rave reviews from my husband and kids. I also like how there are tabs so that you can select "meat" vs. 'pasta" vs. "breakfast". I usually try to double the recipes I make so that I can have leftovers for lunch or for freezing.
*I also use Pinterest to pin meal ideas that I like.
*We make up our menu plan for the week on Sundays and try to use similar ingredients so that we are not buying too much stuff
*We eat the same thing for breakfast everyday, makes life simpler and cuts down on costs.

I've subscribed to Leanne Ely's Saving Dinner on and off through the years.

I think it can be helpful if really aren't used to cooking at home or are used to wandering the store every day or so to pick what you want to eat. (And there is something to be said for outings with small children.)

Did I save money? Not really. Did I save time and eat more healthfully? Yes.

Ignore PP. She is another wackadoo waster like you O P.

Ignore PP.

I tried The Scramble for a while and did not like it, but I was coming from a place of cooking most nights.

What I didn't like included the following:

1) didn't take into consideration what I had in the house and wanted to use up, sales, or my family's likes and dislikes (i.e. we hate olives). So I had to tweak their plan anyway.
2) didn't consider sales.

It did have some good recipes. I found it took longer to cook from recipes on weeknights though.

Your mileage may vary! We were not a take out family even pre-kids.

OP how clueless are you? You want to save money by using a meal planner? Are you and your husband really incapable of grocery shopping and making meals? How were you both raised? i am sure those trying to find a job in this area or any other could sympathize!

Anonymous wrote:How much do you spend per week on groceries, using one of these subscriptions? Do you find it actually saves $ in your food budget in the long run?

OP, what are you currently spending per month on groceries? Where do you shop and what type of foods do you buy (how much organic? how much processed? how much meat products? how much fresh vegetable?) What are your cooking habits currently (do you have lots of recipes up your sleeve? frequency of cooking, how much do you tend to waste, do you currently cook double batches and freeze?) How much do you spend on eating out (include lunches, etc) per month?

OP, Teaching friends how to meal plan is sort of my hobby. I would be happy to talk you through it. Post an email. Services can be fun, but IMO it 's easier to plan based on things you already like and know how to make vs. Trying to follow the recipe of the night and juggle a newborn and services that offer premade/frozen are either low quality or not much cheaper than takeout.

not familiar with it, however if you are looking for meal planning/assistance I am a personal chef in the area and do this regularly if your interested. In addition to cooking I can grocery shop, run errands etc

Anonymous wrote:I really didn't need meals until I went back to work! A new baby sleeps a lot!

Not all of them! My first went an entire month before sleeping more than two consecutive hours. We ate a lot of re-heated frozen dinners.

I really didn't need meals until I went back to work! A new baby sleeps a lot!

PP here again. Didn't answer your question about saving money. It most definitely saves money to plan your meals! Probably a meal or two carryout/out a week. I find a great way to coordinate with my husband too. When I am out running around he can look up the dinner for the night and get started (we don't follow the meal order per sec and we always have ingredients around for quesadillas/rice and beans/tacos/rissotto as backups)

I didn't learn to really cook until i had kids!

Every week i make a meal plan for dinners on a scrap sheet of paper. One side the items and the other side the days with associated meals. With each meal i write down the ingredients and put a question mark by those i am not sure i have. Plus the normal stuff you need in the household. Then i rummage thru fridge and cross off those questioned items i already had and write down additional items. We also have a white board to note depleted items that are needed eg Flour.

With a new baby you will be needing lots of premade meals so Let's Dish sounds like a good idea. Or make a dinner (eg lasagna) and freeze half.

I had scramble for a year and really liked it. I think it got to be too much for my family - all those different meals and we certainly did not use it as intended but you might consider it when your child is older.

Good luck and embrace your inner housewife!

Anonymous wrote:Also posted this in the food forum but thought the wise minds here might also have some good feedback...

I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to pay for a meal planning service, specifically fresh20 or the scramble (leaning towards fresh20). DH and I are expecting our first in a few weeks and I'll be on maternity leave for the next few months. We're really trying to tighten up our food budget (we eat out a lot) and I am admittedly clueless when it comes to meal planning on my own. As a new mom I know I won't have any brain cells to devote to meal planning for a while, which is why I'm thinking of signing up for one of these but I'd like to hear from others first who use/used them with success.

How much do you spend per week on groceries, using one of these subscriptions? Do you find it actually saves $ in your food budget in the long run?

You can also try Let's Dish for a while, where they will actually make and deliver (or you can pick up) the food. It's all frozen--each meal has different thawing/cooking instructions--but we've done it lots of times and have been perfectly happy with the quality of the food. You can choose from a different menu each month. Even if you do fresh20, it might be good to have a half-dozen Dish meals in the freezer for times when all you have the energy to do is throw something in the oven or crock pot.

Also posted this in the food forum but thought the wise minds here might also have some good feedback...

I'm trying to decide if it's worth it to pay for a meal planning service, specifically fresh20 or the scramble (leaning towards fresh20). DH and I are expecting our first in a few weeks and I'll be on maternity leave for the next few months. We're really trying to tighten up our food budget (we eat out a lot) and I am admittedly clueless when it comes to meal planning on my own. As a new mom I know I won't have any brain cells to devote to meal planning for a while, which is why I'm thinking of signing up for one of these but I'd like to hear from others first who use/used them with success.

How much do you spend per week on groceries, using one of these subscriptions? Do you find it actually saves $ in your food budget in the long run?