Frequently Asked Questions What is Menu Planning?

Menu Planning put simply, is working out what meals you will eat for a given period of time, and then compiling all of the recipes into a shopping list.

By planning in this way, you will:

  • Increase the variety of meals you and your family eat
  • Know exactly what you will eat each night
  • Always have the right ingredients
  • Only make one trip to the Supermarket each period reducing impulse or excess purchases!
  • Increase your free time!

Menu Planning also reduces waste (and therefore money) because you only buy what you need, so you no longer find food going off and having to be thrown out.

It is an amazing way to save time and money each week – no more dinner time rush, trying to figure out what to have and of course then finding out you don’t have the right ingredients. By Menu Planning each week/fortnight/month, you will know in advance what you are having and you will know that your have the right ingredients.

Can I Menu Plan myself?

You can! But you need to appreciate that Menu Planning properly can take many hours… it is a tedious task that is both involved and time consuming. Why not go and relax, have a cuppa, play with the kids or get out of the house and let us do all the planning for you?
The choice is yours – sit down for 2-3 hours (or more) each week and menu plan yourself, or spend five minutes on our site, select your meals from our extensive range and have everything you need sent to you… it’s an easy choice.

Besides, the savings you make at the Supermarket each week will more than pay for our subscription costs – so really, it’s a WIN WIN scenario.

Can your service really save me money?

Yes! An average customer is saving approximately $50 per week. So the subscription pays for itself, leaving extra money in your pocket each week!

How does your service save me so much money?

Most people can relate to running short of an ingredient at home, ducking into the shop to grab one or two things and walking out with a trolley load, most of which is not really needed.

By shopping for a week or fortnight’s meals in one trip, you will have everything you need to make a fantastic meal without having to revisit the supermarket (or spend money on fuel to get there!)

We also help you reduce waste (which after all is money going into the bin). You shop with a list – so you only get what you will actually use. No more fruit and veg being thrown out having not been used…

How much time will your service save me?

LOTS!!! Depending on your family and your circumstances, we can save you many many hours. To Menu Plan properly can take 2-3 hours, not to mention the hours saved by only shopping once a week or once a fortnight.
On top of that, when dinner comes around, you know exactly what you are having… no more time spent trying to figure out what you could possibly cook each night!!!

Is the subscription fee per person, or per family?

The subscription fee is per household – so you are welcome to select enough serves to feed the whole family.

Do you really offer a trial?

Yes we do – for only $1.00 you can trial our service for one week. If you love it as much as we know you will, your subscription will continue automatically – if you are not 100% satisfied simply send us an email via our Contacts Page and we will cancel your subscription immediately.

The only way to find out what our service is really like - and to see how much money we can help you save, is to give it a go - it could be the best $1.00 you've ever spent.

What forms of payment do you accept?

We currently accept Visa, Mastercard, Pay Pal and Direct Debit.

During the Registration process, you will have the opportunity to select you preferred method of payment.

How many meals may I select each week or fortnight?

You may select up to 7 Mains, 7 Sides and 7 Desserts per week.

If ordering fortnightly this is doubled to 14 Mains, 14 Sides and 14 Desserts.

Why should I choose your service over others

Unlike other Menu Planning Services, which give you no choice in your menu, theMenuPlanners allows you to fully customise you Menu to suit the likes and dislikes of your family.

We don’t presume to know what you like – where other sites may send you a recipe for a chilli dish when you don’t eat chilli, we let you log on and select the meals that you like.

On top of that you can customise it further by selecting the number of serves – having people over for dinner this weekend? Simply select the number of serves you require and your shopping list will take that into account!!!

What is the minimum length of time I can subscribe to your service?

There are no contracts with our service – you are welcome to subscribe week by week and you can cancel at any time. Even better, the first week will only cost you $1 – so give it a go.

If you are looking to save money we offer a discount of up to 20% if you take out a fortnightly, monthly, six monthly or yearly subscription. See What We Do for more information.

After I’ve selected my meals, what will I actually be sent?

Once you have selected your meals, you will submit your order. We will then collate all of the information and email you a Menu Plan, Shopping List and all the Recipes you will need for the period.

Do you customise the Menu Plan each week?

No – YOU DO! We don’t presume to know what you and your family likes to eat, so we let you choose your meals… simply select your meals, submit your order and we do the rest.

Are your meals complicated? I really don’t like cooking.

Each meal is rated Basic, Intermediate and Advanced to give you an indication of how involved each recipe is. This way, we are able to cater to all cooking abilities.

We consider Basic to be something really quick and simple, Intermediate is a recipe with a few extra steps and Advanced, is a little more complicated and time consuming, but still something an average person could make.

How long will it take for me to receive my Menu Plan and Shopping List?

Within 48 hours, depending when you submit your order. All orders submitted on a particular day, are sent out the following day. So if you place your order on a Monday, you will receive it Tuesday.

Does the service only contain main meals, or are side dishes included in the recipes?

Side dishes are included in the subscription. When selecting your meals, you may select 1 side dishes per main meal. Some meals do not need to have side dishes added. Please see each items description for more information.

On which day of the week do I have to make my selections?

At theMenuPlanners, our service is all about choice – so we let you make your selections on any day of the week. We will send you a reminder each week, so that you don't forget to place your order in time for your shopping day.
Orders are emailed out the day after selection.

Can I change the serving size of a meal?

Of course – we are all about customisation – simply select your meal and from the drop down menu select the number of serves (quantity button). Each meal can be individually tailored to suit your needs.

Where do your recipes come from?

Unlike other ‘recipe sites’ where you filter through hundreds or thousands of poor recipes submitted by anyone registered on the site, our recipes are developed by our Chef. Recipes are tested and then modified over time based on subscriber feedback.

How often are your recipes updated?

At the end of each month, the meals that have been chosen the least during the month, will be archived and replaced with new choices, to ensure that there is plenty of variety in the meals you can choose from.

Can I enter and use my own recipes?

This feature is not currently activated, however in the near future you will be able to upload your own recipes and include them in your menu plan. Uploading recipes will not make them available for all to see, but will be saved in a favourites section for your use.

I have special dietary requirements, can I still you your service?

Of course you can… our site currently includes Low Calorie meals and will soon include Low Carb meals. Simply select the correct category and the choice is yours.
We will be expanding our range to include more options in the near future.

I am watching my weight – will your menus work for me?

All of our recipes have a Nutritional Panel to assist you. We also have a range of Low Calorie meals to choose from.

A member of my family is Vegetarian, will your menus work for us?

A large number of our meals do not contain meat, whilst others can easily have the meat omitted. Soon we will have a Vegetarian section specifically for our Vegetarian customers.

How do you calculate nutritional information for your recipes?

theMenuPlanners makes its best effort to assure that the dietary information provided for our recipes is accurate.  The nutritional values presented are derived from adding the nutritional data of each recipe ingredient.  While we do not analyze the recipe's nutritional value after preparation, we do attempt to infer the end value based on how the recipe is prepared.  theMenuPlanners does not warrant the accuracy of recipe nutrition data.

Does it matter where I live – can I still use your service if I live in a different country?

It doesn’t matter where you live. When you register you will tell us if you use imperial or metric measurements and your recipes will be sent in that form.

I would like to give a subscription to your site as a gift, is that possible?

Of course it is! Please register under the recipients name and email address and then contact us at info@themenuplanners.com to notify us that this is a gift. We will then forward them an email containing their log in information.

How do I subscribe to your service?

Follow the START TRIAL button in the top right corner of the page, or CLICK HERE.

How do I unsubscribe from theMenuPlanners service?

Please visit the Contact Us page for full details. Unsubscribing via the Contact Us page is the only way in which you can unsubscribe - we cannot unsubscribe customers over the phone, or to any other email address.

Please also not: If you wish to unsubscribe, you must do so at least 24 hours prior to your next payment being due. If this does not occur and a payment is processed, no refund will be issued.