Its a new year and with that I bring you some changes heading into 2023! My plan for this year is to bring VIP's more content. So a way of doing that is giving you more regular 'VIP Members Early Release Videos'. What does that mean? That means I can create more videos, that as a VIP member, you will see first before the regular public on the YouTube channel! You can see them first and ask me questions all before others. The videos will also be more 'in real time' and relevant to what I am doing in real life rather than later. One of those 'early release videos' you will be seeing is the (now monthly) Meal Plan With Me Videos. Switching this type of video will now help me get them to you faster rather than much later or even missing, as I have in the last year with my increased workload :) So I hope you all enjoy some new changes coming to you here on the VIP Lounge in 2023 . . .
In todays video I am looking ahead for the entire month of January. Whilst I am still shopping fortnightly, I am meal planning as much as I can monthly. This change in recent months has helped me combat and balance life as it is now with my increase workload, being a mother and running the household. Its really just about making it a little more simple for my circumstances , to ensure I am meal planning properly :)
Going through my fridge freezer and pantry, I have found I have a good amount of things already here that allows me to not have to purchase much in the way of main meal meats, for the month of January. I'm going with using everything that I have just to save as much as I can for this month, as it is an expensive time of the year for us (especially after our huge vacation we recently went on). I want to keep the costs down as much as possible.
My current grocery budget is $70 per person ages 14 years + and $50 under 14 years, for the main grocery shop in the first week of my fortnight and $70 for the top up shop in the second week. The top up shop I base off my budget per person in the first week. As a family of 4 that is a total of $310 for the fortnight for food, drinks, toiletries, cleaning products etc anything you buy in a grocery store. I feel no matter where you are living in Australia - city, country or coastal states - it's a fair $ goal for your budget. However if you worry about starting this low, then perhaps increase it by $10 per person to begin with and work from there to see if you can reduce in a few weeks time.
So be sure to watch the matching grocery haul to see if I stay under budget !
Some tools I used to do my meal planning were:
(VIP's use the shop code found on the private Facebook Group to download FREE)
- 7pk Monthly Meal Planner + Shop Your Pantry Meal Ideas + 40 Dinner Theme Night Idea's + Blank Family Favorite Meals Sheet - INSTANT DOWNLOAD
- A Easy Grocery Calculator - INSTANT DOWNLOAD
- 2pk Grocery List Budget + Grocery & Meal Planning Wish List - INSTANT DOWNLOAD
- Lunch Box Meal Planner - INSTANT DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE
- Daily Meal Planner For The Busy - INSTANT DOWNLOAD PRINTABLE
Print out these using the VIP shop code found on the Facebook Group!
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So that is where I'm at this week. Be sure to check out the matching grocery haul vlog if you want to see what I got and how I went with staying within my budget.