How I Quit Running Errands : Part 2 - Hello Fresh

Happy Hump Day folks!
Welcome to Part 2 of the how I eliminated all the things that don't bring you joy goals of 2017.

I decided to stop running errands. Yup.....I just stopped doing all of it.

All that precious weekend-time wasted doing things like meal-planning, grocery shopping, toiletry shopping, checking labels, cutting coupons, looking for deals, driving all over Hell and back, loading up the loot, schlepping all the bags up the porch stairs, unpacking the loot, and dropping into a pile of exhausted confusion.

I eliminated. All of it.

If you missed Part 1 where I explained how I buy all my toiletries and non-refrigerated grocery items from Target now, read up here!

For weekly dinners, we typically volley between actually wanting to cook or throwing in an oven pizza. With this inconsistency, I took a chance on Hello Fresh.

We have been customers for a couple months now, and it's been great. A breathe of fresh air, really.

I have seen other meal delivery services like Blue Apron, but for some reason, Hello Fresh caught my eye. I have also been fielding some questions from interested people, so I thought I would round up my answers on this post.

Q: DO YOU HAVE TO KNOW HOW TO COOK?
A: Sort of. I am not a chef in any way, but I do know how to chop up veggies and sautee things. I would say if you have ever made more than mac n' cheese, you're good. Plus, they give you step by step instructions with cooking times. It's basically full-proof.

Q: WHAT ARE THEY EXPECTING ME TO ALREADY HAVE?
A: The basics. A pot, a pan, an oven, a fridge. :) Olive oil, butter, salt, and pepper have been the only things I have had to use out of my own stock. And how much you use is completely up to your own taste.

Q: WHAT IF I DON'T LIKE A LOT OF DIFFERENT TYPES OF FOOD?
A: You maybe SOL, then. But, I will say, a lot of the meals we look at it sound...weird. But then we make it, end up loving it, and can't believe we never thought of the flavor combo's before!

Q: HOW LONG DOES IT TAKE TO MAKE EACH DINNER?
A: No more than 30 minutes. A lot of the steps are made in tandem, so everything is finished at the same time. In our home, I'll wrap up the second half of dinner, while Mark feeds the pets. Then we can eat while everything is still hot!

Q: WHAT IF WE THINK THE MEAL IS GROSS?
A: Tell them! Hello Fresh is CONSTANTLY looking for feedback to improve their efforts. I write a review for nearly ALL the meals.

So with those out of the way, let's talk about the details!

FIRST, CHOOSE YOUR PLAN TYPE AND AMOUNT:

There are three options:
Classic (meat and seafood meals)
Vegetarian (plant-based protein meals)
Family (budget-conscious meals for larger groups and tiny tummies)

You choose your plan and how many mouths you feed.
We chose the Classic meal plan, for three nights per week, for a family of 2.
Each week we are given seven meal options that typically include meat and fish/seafood options.

Of the seven meals, there is typically one breakfast meal and one pricier meal upgrade (for about $10). I have upgraded twice and have yet to be disappointed.

CHOOSE YOUR DELIVERY DATE:
I chose Saturday delivery so we can enjoy the three meals during the following work-week.

You are not required to be home to accept the delivery!
They are packed in ice packs, very professionally (similar to how my IVF meds arrive!).

I love this delivery option because it takes the mental stress out of trying to figure out something new all the time. A lot of times when I was making meals at home, I would eliminate some of the extras because, well, who always has a container of sesame seeds on hand?

Plus, you can always skip a week if you're out of town, or just burned out of making food.

We typically make these meals Monday, Tuesday, and Thursdays.
We open a box, turn on some Tom Petty, pour a glass of wine, and within 30 minutes, dinner is ready.

Three meals for two people is $60.
So, $10 per person, per meal.
Not too shabby.

BONUSES:
1. Sometimes they throw in "extras" like some chocolates. For Cinco de Mayo they gifted us a whole bottle of Tabasco!
2. All the recipes are available to download if you ever want to recreate a dish again!

A GIFT FOR YOU:
If you want to try it out, sign up HERE and get $40 off your first order!
That's over 60% off the regular price! (Referral code does not expire!)
We did the same thing, splurged on a premium box with our first order, and ended up only paying $30 for 3 meals!!

With the elimination of three week-night meals, all I have left to shop for the remaining grocery items. Stay tuned for my thoughts on our weekly Peapod grocery delivery next week!

Thanks for reading!! XO