Plan the gap, not just Monday
Block Thursday/Friday as leftover nights on the calendar. Otherwise you’ll rebuy chicken while the old pack waits.
Monday: 2 meals anchored on deals. Mid-week: 1 batch. End: leftovers + pantry.
The three-destination rule
Every cooked protein needs a planned second use (wrap, fried rice, soup, gratin). If not, buy less at the start.
Sunday roast veg become lunches. That’s not a new menu—it’s the same one, reassembled.
What not to rebuy
Herbs, sauces, shredded cheese, a fourth starch. Thursday’s “quick pickup” is often a duplicate, not a gap.
Before opening SimpleICI for a second list, open the bins. 80% of the time the meal is already there.
Flyers = first pass only
Circulars get good prices in early in the week. A Friday run “because specials remain” recreates waste.
Exception: ultra-perishable produce you’ll eat that night.
Safety and taste
Cooked meat: 3–4 days in the fridge, or freeze by day two. Reheat thoroughly. Change the sauce, not necessarily the protein.
A leftover bowl (rice + veg + protein + sauce) is a meal, not a guilty compromise.
Two deal nights, one batch, three leftover nights. SimpleICI helps the first pass; the budget often wins on the second, when you don’t go back to the store.
Ready to compare this week’s deals?