Wednesday, May 07, 2008

I've tried (WFMW)


Shannon over at Rocks in My Dryer has asked that we play a little different in this week's Works for Me Wednesday, and has turned our thoughts to what doesn't work for me.


Personally, as much as I'd LIKE it to, cutting coupons just doesn't work for me. I've tried; I peruse through all 32846865 of them that are included in our Sunday paper, but I can never seem to find any for the products that we actually USE. Since "name" brands aren't a big priority with us, and we purchase very little in terms of pre-packaged or prepared foods, there aren't many that are useful for us. And, even if I should come across $1 off the dog food brand we DO buy, then, I enevitably leave the coupon home when I trek to the grocery store.
Which brings me to my next doesn't work for me issue:

Planned weekly/monthly menus. Another fabulous idea in theory, but one that just doesn't play out well in practice, at our house. I've tried; I've planned the meals, purchased the needed ingredients...then, the Mister works late on Wednesday and picked up a pizza on the way home, or it's Thursday, and I'm just not up for making lemon chicken tonight, and want pasta instead! We're more of a stop-at-the-fresh-market-on-your-way-home and get "what's for dinner TONIGHT?" kinda household.

So, there ya have it - two frugal, money-saving opportunities that just Don't work for me...for more non-working dilemmas, be sure to stop by Works for Me Wednesday - maybe you can learn from (or empathize with) the pitfalls of others!

2 comments:

Shannon said...

I'm with you I can't plan a certain meal for a certain day. I have a list of meals that I maintain a list of meals that I have the ingredients for. Then during the day I can look at my list and figure out what I feel like making, what I have time to make, or maybe I'm just craving something on the list. Works like a charm. Some days I don't feel like cooking so I look at my list and pick the meal that requires the least amount of preparation. I have no desire to be tied to a particular meal on a certain day.

Mom2fur said...

I semi-plan my menus in that I probably know what we're having 3 nights out of the week. But my husband makes pasta sauce on Sundays and we either go out or have pizza (lately, homemade!) on Fridays, so that takes care of two more days. Leftovers cover the sixth. And since I work from 4-7 on Saturday, it's a 'find what you can make yourself' night. (This works because the youngest person here is almost 18.) But even the nights I have planned ahead are not carved in stone. I have no qualms about calling my husband and telling him to bring home deli meat and rolls. I have been known to brown up ground beef meant for spaghetti and throw it back in the freezer if we can't eat it within a day or two.
The menu planning thing just means one less thing to think about each day, but I sure don't let it run my life, LOL!
Oh, and I love couponing--it's kind of like a hobby that pays me back. I wish there were 32846865 of them in my sunday paper, LOL!