I've been trying to go to the grocery store twice each month. It has actually worked out to be about three times each month but that's better than once or twice a week. Why? Because I always spend more money than I intend to.
What do I do you ask? Let me tell you.
First, I make dinner menus for the entire month...that's right, all 30 days. I try to go for all different meals but some (like homemade pizza) show up a couple of times. I plan for at least eight of the meals to be things I can put together really fast (again, homemade pizza--I nearly always have dough going, spaghetti, rice and beans, taco salad, etc.) And I always make sure there are at least TWO curries (Gotta keep the hubby happy).
Then, I sort out breakfast and lunch. I pretty much keep to rotating breakfast and lunch menus, so that's easy to predict and plan for (waffles, smoothies, pancakes, muffins, oatmeal, cold cereal, yogurt/granola, waffles, smoothies, pancakes...). It sounds boring, but hey, we're boring people and it works.
Next, I plan two different snacks each day. I sounds like a lot to plan, but it's not. I wouldn't even write it down, but it helps to make sure we have enough variety and having the list of available snacks on the fridge helps me make sure the kids aren't just eating junk. Some examples of what we rotate are: string cheese, apples/dip, crackers, bananas, oranges, granola bars, fruit leather (homemade), pudding, jello, cookies, popcorn, pretzels, etc.
And I have to make sure I have the ingredients for at least one special something each week (this month its strawberry shortcake--already eaten, rice krispie treats, pineapple upside down cake, and cookies). Like I need the calories. Oh well.
And bread. Don't forget all the homemade bread. I'm on a kick right now (see future post).
And I make sure that each meal has fruits and/or veggies.
Lastly, I make a gigantic shopping list, go once a month to Costco and Walmart (sans the kids--I need the whole cart for this haul), and buy in BULK baby. Then I go to the store as needed to pick up fresh produce and milk (about every ten days).
The menus aren't set in stone and I often modify them and I always switch them around, but at least I know I have what I need and I don't have to think about it the rest of the month.
All of the work accomplishes three main things:
What do I do you ask? Let me tell you.
First, I make dinner menus for the entire month...that's right, all 30 days. I try to go for all different meals but some (like homemade pizza) show up a couple of times. I plan for at least eight of the meals to be things I can put together really fast (again, homemade pizza--I nearly always have dough going, spaghetti, rice and beans, taco salad, etc.) And I always make sure there are at least TWO curries (Gotta keep the hubby happy).
Then, I sort out breakfast and lunch. I pretty much keep to rotating breakfast and lunch menus, so that's easy to predict and plan for (waffles, smoothies, pancakes, muffins, oatmeal, cold cereal, yogurt/granola, waffles, smoothies, pancakes...). It sounds boring, but hey, we're boring people and it works.
Next, I plan two different snacks each day. I sounds like a lot to plan, but it's not. I wouldn't even write it down, but it helps to make sure we have enough variety and having the list of available snacks on the fridge helps me make sure the kids aren't just eating junk. Some examples of what we rotate are: string cheese, apples/dip, crackers, bananas, oranges, granola bars, fruit leather (homemade), pudding, jello, cookies, popcorn, pretzels, etc.
And I have to make sure I have the ingredients for at least one special something each week (this month its strawberry shortcake--already eaten, rice krispie treats, pineapple upside down cake, and cookies). Like I need the calories. Oh well.
And bread. Don't forget all the homemade bread. I'm on a kick right now (see future post).
And I make sure that each meal has fruits and/or veggies.
Lastly, I make a gigantic shopping list, go once a month to Costco and Walmart (sans the kids--I need the whole cart for this haul), and buy in BULK baby. Then I go to the store as needed to pick up fresh produce and milk (about every ten days).
The menus aren't set in stone and I often modify them and I always switch them around, but at least I know I have what I need and I don't have to think about it the rest of the month.
All of the work accomplishes three main things:
- It ensures that we have the food on hand that I need to fix foods that we like and that are good for us
- It saves time (Takes me about an hour and a half to plan at the beginning of each month but the real time savings is in shopping time--come on, I've got THREE little kids!)
- It saves money!
Does all of this sound a little OCD? It probably is. I run the shopping like a business: Elizabeth's Diner. I want returns for my shareholders. That's just me.
What do you do? Go shopping every day? Go once a month? Fast every night? Tell me I'm not the only one on a quest to save time and money in this department.
What do you do? Go shopping every day? Go once a month? Fast every night? Tell me I'm not the only one on a quest to save time and money in this department.
This menu was taken from "the book." That's right, I file my menus for a while to get future ideas. Again, OCD.
p.s. The book also records the best unit price I've paid for items I regularly buy, as well as where I bought it and the quantity I bought it in. I take it with me on my big shopping trips so I can tell if something is a good enough deal that I should buy REALLY big amounts of it. No, I don't take it everywhere.
Yes. I have a life. And it's good. I promise.
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