But, the reality of life is that it isn’t always easy. Cooking every night can be challenging especially when working and regular life gets demanding- that is why meal prep programs such as Hello Fresh is such a fantastic idea!
My first experience
I will admit, I have heard friends talk about their meal prep plans for months but never really thought that it was my kinda thing.
I thought it was overpriced and to be honest, I was skeptical of the freshness but my good friend Haley loves it and after a few meals of it at her house my mind slowly changed- but not enough to buy it.
If it’s free- it’s for me!
Now, like most relationships- Haley’s has been long distance for a number of months and with her delicious meal plan sitting in her refrigerator and nobody to eat it- she let Denis and I try out a few of the meals.
It. Was. Amazing!
We had burgers one night and pork chops the next.
Let me tell you- I like to cook but admittedly, I often fall into the same ole’ food all the time slump.
I can whip up a lasagna, homemade chicken pot pie or order take-out as good as the next girl, but I’ll be honest, I basically cook the same four meals all the time, except I change the sides or add different spices.
This was nice because it was step-by-step directions with recipes I had never tried or seen on Pinterest.
I recently spoke with Rich about keto meal prep and he agrees if there are clear step-by-step directions it makes you 10 times more likely to actually try out the recipe.
Even Denis, who is [a wonderful person] but not the most comfortable in the kitchen enjoyed making the meals together.
Living in the DC area, you can learn just about anything you want but it will cost you a pretty penny.
Almost everyday, I walk by kitchen-type stores and see the classes [that are always sold out] that cost about $75 per person to learn how to cook one meal.
Since I am trying to pay off debt (this is also one of my FIRST blog posts) and Denis is saving, these expensive “date nights” are out for us right now.
I felt like this meal plan idea was:
- Way better bang for the buck
- Just as fun of a date night [plus side- we got to eat it on the back porch]
- Tasted better and more fresh than going out to dinner
So now what?
Since we have been working on tracking our budget and always struggle to stay in our “restaurant budget” we decided to try something new and use the $5 meal plan as part of our mock “going out”
Now, as it turns out, as I sit here and write, my next order of Hello Fresh is being delivered this evening.
I am already excited to get my package and see what my “weekend meals” are going to be.
I think this will be a fun way to try new recipes much cheaper than going to a cooking class [and I am famous for a good Pinterest fail- so count that out]
I am hoping this reduces out “eating out/restaurant” category, since we struggle to stay in budget each month.
How about you?
Have you tried any other meal plan services? What do you think?
I’d love to hear some feedback/advice in the comments! 🙂
Great way to utilise HelloFresh. I love how you’re cleverly using it as date night/going out spending rather than your food budget. I really think HelloFresh/BlueApron etc are extortionate if you’re a full time subscriber. You can make your own meals in the week for a fraction of the cost. However, this is a pretty unique way of thinking about/ utilising it.
Thanks! Yes, on the regular I think it is kinda pricey as well but for occasions/ convenience it’s a great substitute if you’re trying to cut back on eating out as much.