Our family and our neighbor’s have been doing a meal co-op. Its great!
We each cook enough food for both of our families once a week. So one night I cook and split the meal with them and another night they cook and split the meal with us.
Lots of pros:
1) The size of our family usually means that if I cook anything from a box or in casserole form (which is about all I do), we’ll have leftovers. I’m not really a huge fan of leftovers. This arrangement reduces leftovers!
2) I get a night off! (and the other family gets a night off)
3) We get to try new things that I don’t normally cook and vice versa.
4) Usually its pretty simple meals so that’s nice.
5) It has stopped us from going out a couple of times (probably hasn’t saved us any money as we just go out a different night instead).
6) Get to know our neighbors better.
7) Makes me pay more attention to planning, which maybe has saved us some money.
8) There are probably others, but can’t think of them right now. . . .
Cons:
1) Sometimes we have do to a little rescheduling, but totally worth it.
2) Sometimes we have to take a week off and my children want to know why we haven’t seen the neighbor yet this week (aka why are you cooking tonight mom?).
Not very good cons. . .
Thanks Guymons!