I do my major shopping every 2 weeks too. And fill in through out that time. I don't make menus most of the time..I do usually have ideas of what I'm going to do through out the week. I sometimes go shopping based on things I want to make, but usually I just shop the best deals for meat..then do things around the "bargins".

Right now, I'm eating differently than the guys..so It's a little tough..
Tonight: I fixed them mini pizzas and ate some natural strawberry ice cream and gluten free ginger snap crumbs on top. I just didn't feel like eating "food".

Alot of my cooking is basically not following recipes..It's an "idea" sparked by a recipe and then I subb and change things to fit ingredients I have or we like.

I have a list of "staples" always on-hand. Weekly, I make a menu and shopping list.

I have my recipes as Word documents, organized as if it was a cookbook, such as appetizers, soups/stews, pastas, meats, desserts, breads.

Welcome out of lurkdom Christy, Hope you find a new home here.

I basically do like Khrios, keeping lots of staples. I try sometimes to make menus and buy for those things on the menu. It doesn' work very well for me though because I'm constantly getting cravings for something not on the menus I planned. I know it's cost me plenty extra for my cravings too. Now that I have a Publix opening up about a mile from my home, I hope it will save lots of cash. I currently have to drive about 15 miles to a store that has fresh herbs and many other items that I want.

I also keep my recipes in word documents and filed in folders on my PC just like a cookbook. When I print out one and try it, if we really liked it I put it in my Favorites three ring binders. I recently lost everything on my hard drive when it crashed and didn't have it backed up. I was thankful I has so many in my three ring binders.

Beverly

Once a month I stock up on staples and generally keep chicken and fish in the freezer, also canned salmon.

I live one block from my local grocer who is great about carrying locally grown food and once a week I shop at the farmers market. I can pretty much pick up fresh produce on a daily basis since we walk every morning and can stop by the grocer on our way home.

When I think about a menu it revolves around vegetables, since they play a major role in our main dishes. I also like to buy seasonal produce, this week winter squashes were featured in two meals, an autumn soup and chicken stew.

I am retired, so meal planning tends to be spur of the moment rather than well thought out ... :)

I grocery shop on an almost daily basis. At some point during the day I figure out what I feel like eating/cooking and then shop for it. I've always planned meals this way, even when my son was a baby. Even now that I'm working it is still the way I plan meals.

Ann

I usually grocery shop for two weeks, also. But beforehand, I like to make a menu of dinners. I usually don't stick to this menu exclusively - I always have different things in the freezer and pantry - but it's a good starting point. I always make up a detailed grocery list of the things I need for these dinner items (so I don't have to run to the store in between), but I also pick up things that might look good in the meat case, or things in the frozen dept. that catch my eye. Either way, I always have (in the freezer) dinner menus for at least two weeks (probably a lot longer). My pantry is also well stocked with staples. I always laugh and say there's no way we'd starve in my house! LOL!
Barb

It's just me now, and I live quite a ways from a grocery, so I shop about every two weeks, too. That means there is a delta between when I've eaten the fresh veggies/fruits from the last trip and have some days before the next one -- that's where frozen vegetables come in for stir fry or soups.

Even when I was cooking (or DH was) for two plus next day lunches, we never got into the groove of planning menus. Either our schedules would get jacked around or one of us would crave something else. So, it's a pantry full of staples and whatever looks good that trip at the meat/produce depts.

Not much help, huh? :) I think there comes a time when you have a full pantry but "nothing to eat in the house" that you have to just sit down and plan a week's worth of meals using what's already in the house just to clear out some space.

As for recipes, I copy them into Word and save them into folders like a cookbook -- appetizers, chicken, beef, soups, etc. My vision is not good, so this way I can print them as in a large font and hand them from the cabinet door for easy reading. And if they still get splattered, no big deal; if they don't, it's printed for next time.

I shop once a week, usually loss leaders and fresh produce. I get the sales ads in the newspaper on Wed., make up my menus for the week based on those and what's on hand, and get groceries on Thursday. Menus help avoid a lot of wasted food, especially fresh produce.

I keep a Price Book (so I can compare prices from past purchases) and an on-going grocery list. I also have an inventory of things in storage (usually 6-months worth of peanut butter, canned fruit/veggies, etc.) in my Price Book so that I know if I'm low on something and need to look for it when it comes on sale. I stick to the list for grocery shopping. I also have a set amount for food - $50 per week for 2 adults.

As others mentioned, I keep a well-stocked pantry and freezer. I can pull any number of quick meals out of the freezer, and all I have is the freezer in my refrigerator. Cook once, and get several meals out of it....

If you have a problem creating dinner menus, try this... I use this less specific method for figuring menus.

Monday - Big Meal - something that provides leftovers for lunches and other meals. This would include meatloaf, baked chicken, roast beef, baked ham, etc. This used to be a traditional Sunday meal, but I find we are just too busy on Sunday so I've shifted this meal to Monday.

Tuesday - Something based on the leftovers from Monday.

Wednesday - Stir-Fry A good way to use up veggies and use smaller portions of meat, and is quick to fix. It also takes a lot less energy (gas/electricity) to prepare, so even more savings.

Thursday - Mexican - something in, on, or around a tortilla or taco shell. I always have pre-cooked containers of taco meat, black beans, rice, and homemade tortillas in the freezer. I shred (grate) 1/2 to 1-pound of cheddar cheese each week and find I use it in many meals with enough leftover for Sunday Pizza. I also mill pinto beans into pinto bean flour and make "instant" refried beans from the flour. It only takes a few minutes to prepare as much as is needed, rather than having 3/4 of a can of refried beans sitting around and wondering what to use them for. This day could just as easily be Italian, because there are a lot of choices from the basic sauce/pasta.

Friday - Vegetarian Day - This is a day you can also have breakfast for supper. A good day for pasta dishes, as well.

Saturday - Soup and Sandwiches - "sandwiches" can include wraps, roll-ups, pita bread, grilled, Sloppy Joes, hamburger/hot dogs, bbq beef, etc.

Sunday - Homemade Pizza (good way to use up veggies and leftover bits of meat)

Nearly any day can be switched for another day, when needed, without botching up the whole week. You will also find you can change things with the seasons. Instead of soup and sandwichs, try hearty salad meals in the summer.

Another easy idea for one day of the week are all the things you can make with Bisquick - all those "Impossible Pie" recipes which are quick and easy to make, and usually include enough for leftovers for lunch.

I also try to make one new recipe each week, so that keeps things from getting to boring.

-Grainlady

Well here is my "method" if you'd call it that. From my tried & true local store that I've decided is the best priced, good meat etc. (and I have 4 to choose from) whenever I shop, I picked up stock up items if they are on sale (whether I know about them or not ahead of time) such as noodle rice a roni, the marinara sauce I start my spaghetti base with etc. I might by 10 of an item that is a $1 and saves me .59 cents each. So I'm always doing that so I keep inventory on hand that can be turned into part of a meal or all of the meal at any time (and I know it will be used, even if eventually, and for less money). I stock up on meat etc.

Then we have a local and close produce market that starts their ads on Wed. (they have actually the previous weeks specials and the new weeks so I get a double whammy there). I collect any fruits/veggies I've wanted or if something is on sale and in season I get that, then accomodate my cooking for the week to work around that.

From Costco, stuff that makes sense or can be had in quantities I'll use or are cheaper to get from them come from there.

Rule #1 and most important out of anything I've said is:
Cook in large quantities (there are 3 of us but I always make enough when I'm cooking for a second meal of the same amount or more) PREP AND CLEAN UP ONCE, EAT TWICE.

I might cook like this 2 days in a row (2 diff things so that Days 1 and 3 we eat meal #1 and days 2 and 4 we eat meal #2 I've made and we haven't had the same thing each night, you know what I mean). And you can always freeze part of it for another time.

Now, it's just a matter of pulling together from what I've got. Over the years (13) since I've been married, I've semi started a recipe book of my favorites.

You can make one from a 3 ring binder with dividers, pockets etc. When I've made something from a cookbook and liked it, I put the date and any notes or substitutions down in pencil and earmark the page. If it gets made say another time or 2 and we still like it, I made a copy of it, best if 3 hole punched, and it goes into the binder under that catagory. Over time you will build up 3 or 4 meatloaf recipes you like, several soups, lots of casseroles (at least I do), lots and lots of chicken recipes, beef, italian, mexican, whatever. You get the idea.

Over time your repertoire (sp?) will grow. Somethings you'll be able to make by heart and will start to house those staples in your pantry when you see a pattern of the recipes you like that have the same ingredients.

This book can always be added to and can later be copied or handed down to your children or you can make a sub album of their favorites when they start cooking for themselves.

That's my non-method, method, but hope it helps or gets you thinking. I always make sure my meals are balanced with lots of vegetables and fruit and we eat really well for a lot less than most of my friends do and I'm only cooking half the time!! Get your family used to leftovers and insist on it. Con them if you have to with "see we have extra time for a board game since dinner's already made" or whatever will get them on board. I know people who's families have not been trained for leftovers and every night is a hassle, things get thrown out and money and time wasted. Gee, I've just done a public service announcement and I feel better!! :)

Such wonderful suggestions!!! I would certainly love to shop daily. I shop at the Commissary on base, takes about 25 minutes to get there. When they have specials on meat, I stock up, but for the most part their prices ARE the cheapest. Twice a year they also have a bulk sale, like a costco in the parking lot. Their produce can be lacking, but I do manage to find what I need. If I hit the local grocery store for produce I try to buy what is on special. It's the odds and ends that turn up pricey. For example, those South Beach Bars. They are $1.75 at the Commo and $5.00 at the grocery store!! Plus, I regularly find a 75 cent off coupon :) I also try to hit the farmer's market, but they are seasonal. My pantry is limited, I actually converted the coat closet in 1/2 coat closet 1/2 pantry. My staples always have a back-up.

My husbands' job here actually has him cooking occasionally, he is not a cook. So I've been helping him. I made him a 3-ring binder, like piper mentioned, and made it into sections in plastic inserts to protect from splatters. I'm thinking of taking it back, and making it my own :) Also, the soup file is considerable, a few months ago someone on this forum compiled many soup recipes and offered them up, I jumped - and thank you!! Everyone's suggestions are so helpful, I guess when I would plan a bunch of recipes, I would have so much leftover, that it wouldn't all get eaten. And if I only had a few meals planned, we would eat the same food too often. And if I didn't like it, my husbands lunch would repeat until it was finished :) I'm a big fan of leftovers, I love to cook, but sometimes I need a break. Grainlady, I have done the stir-fry before, and it has never been the same!! Thanks so much :) Christy

I usually go the market every 2 or 3 days. My husband, being active in local and regional politics, has lots of evening meetings and frequently is not home for dinner or, if I have been busy, we go out for dinner. I never seem to know too far ahead. I like to grocery shop and eat according to mood, so it is enjoyable for me, especially having the ability here in So. California to have fresh fruits and vegetables. I know the produce man at the market very well. Sometimes he picks out the best produce for me. This is just great, considering I am in an area of millions of people, just to have that personal hometown touch. I stop at the grocery store as my last errand if I am out and about, or what location I happen to be near.

My city is blessed with a number of great grocery shopping venues, which include Henry's, Trader Joe's, farmers market and several nice chain stores.

Christy...welcome out of lurkdom. I post sporadically (sp) and have come to find that EVERYONE here is so helpful when you have a question. I love that everyone is willing to share their recipes. All of you here, ROCK. I don't always get a chance to post...but I read a lot of the posts. This was a great question and I learned a lot from it. Thank you for asking it.

Some of my best meals are when I don't grocery shop. By picking around in my pantry/freezer and making do with what I have. Not only does this eat down the overstock but I wind up making stuff I don't normally make.

Certainly this does not go on forever but it feels good to use up things that might sit on shelf for months untouched. I made egg sandwiches for dinner a couple weeks ago. Cheap, simple, and easy but not something I'd normally make. They were so good I need to make them again.

As for the actual shopping I never buy stuff just because it is on sale. I really don't care if stuff in a box is 2 for 3 this week. I don't eat stuff in a box so why buy it even if it is cheap. Regular food like meat, bread, veggies, and potatoes actually makes better dinners cheaper. I steer way around free samples. If it was good they wouldn't be giving it away. I almost always look for last day beef that is marked down. Beef almost never spoils and the flavor does not suffer from being aged. Last month I found strip steaks on sale for about $4 a pound in the family package.

: )
lyra

I keep a large number of staples in my cupboards, freezer and fridge. As soon as I start to get low on something or finish it altogether, it goes on a shopping list. Once a week I go and shop for whatevers on the list. If I need something before grocery day, I go out and buy it at any one of the three supermarkets that are within walking distance from where I live.

I used to shop for food nearly every day without a list, but then I did some calculating and discovered I was always spending money on stuff I didnÂt really need, so I switched to weekly shopping with a list.

IÂm sure if I lived far from a supermarket I would probably pre-plan my meals and just make a couple of big grocery runs per month.

Every now and then I have a Âclearance week when I try to eat up the foods that have been hanging around the longest. Then the only things I shop for are non-food items and perishables like milk and vegetables. The following weeks I keep a lookout for specials I can use to restock

If you liked the soup recipes, here are: chicken recipes

I do a monthly menu. I bring up a calendar on Microsoft Word and type in what I want to have. This way, I don't have duplicates and I can spread out the types of meals. I might put a chicken meal, a pork meal, a "theme" meal (Sangria cocktails, followed by 3 pastas and 3 sauces so you can make your own, and an Italian Creme cake), a sandwich/soup meal, and a tried/true meal each week. I sit and put them on each week and spread them around.

But when I do the menu monthly, it shows me where I can use the gazillion pounds of ground beef I bought on special over several weeks. Say I want spaghetti, Shepherd's pie and a meatloaf, weeks one-three. I make them all on Sunday and then refrigerate or freeze them. I can also use them again in the next month, unfreezing them when I'm ready. It also uses the same ingredients over again. If I make spaghetti, I normally put in peppers, onions, and mushrooms, but doesn't meatloaf also need those?

Recipes? I print them out and keep them in hard files that sit in a magazine holder. I do that because I like to sit and go through them to remember "Oh yea! I haven't made that in forever!", it's inspiring.

When I was working and had kids at home to feed I was very diligent about planning. A bit of planning can save lots of time and money (both on prices and on tossed food!)

Each week I would check the flyers for the sales, I would also check my freezer for things that needed to be used and make a list of both. Then I would go through my recipes and find dishes that matched the list..... plus any other recipes that grabbed me. Then it was back to the cupboards and fridge to see if I had everything I needed for those recipes.

From this information I would prepare my weeks menu and make my grocery list. I only ever planned for 5 out of 7 nights as life always had a way of changing our plans or maybe we ordered in, or maybe there were lots of leftovers.

The secret is to plan the meals, make a grocery list and then follow the menu plan.

Another thing I did, and still do, is stock up on things like flour, chicken broth, pasta, canned goods etc. when they are on sale. Even if you don't need them this week it will save dollars and when you do need it there it is!

I use recipe software to store my recipes but have taken to printing ones I really like and placing in a binder divided by category.

I'm fortunate enough to have a basement in addition to my pantry, and two chest type freezers. I grow my own beef and pork, so I'm not dependent on the specials for what I want for dinner. I also have a big garden and can or freeze vegetables, so I nearly always have something I can turn into a meal in a pinch. I stock up on things like paper goods, canned broth, peanut butter. Like Michael I don't buy things I know I won't use or eat, other than cheap frozen cheese pizza for Ashley and the grandkids. I sure won't eat that but there's always a couple in the freezer, somehow. :-)

Staples for me are baking items like flour and yeast because I bake all my own bread, and cleaning supplies. My only real "grocery" type items are dairy product and fresh produce, I even have my own eggs.

When both girls were at home I'd hand them a stack of cookbooks and they'd plan meals, a week each. They either chose favorites or something new. If it was something new they bookmarked the recipe and I could check it for necessary ingredients.

I try to go to the grocery store (only one, it's half a mile from the house) once a month but milk won't stay good that long, LOL, so it's more like every week.

Now it's just me and Ashley I've abandoned the weekly menu method and tend to cook whatever one of us wants. Ashley didn't feel well a couple of nights ago and wanted chicken rice soup. I made it, but I'll be eating that soup for lunch all week. If I'm making something "messy", like meatballs, I'll make a triple batch and freeze some so I have a quickly "poof"ed (Pull Out Of Freezer) meal in a pinch.

Somehow, though, I tend to end up with eggs or cereal in a pinch, that freezer stuff stays frozen until one of the kids finds it.

Annie

Annie, I freeze my milk. I buy one gallon, and 3 half gallons. I freeze the 3 half gallons. When I need one, I just stick it in the sink for a few hours then pop it in the fridge. Christy :)

Like Annie, I have a basement that I can shop in, so a store run is about once a month ofr staples, and generally it is Costco. My kitchen panrty is stocked to gills also. I do check the grocery ads each Wednesday and make a run for sale items. If rump roast is on sale, I grab two, large pack of pork chops get broken up and frozen, and stock on staples. I will stop for milk or produce on the way home from work at the produce market about once a week. Many nights I have not idea what will be for dinner, but a walk through the basement with looks into the freezers come up wih something. tonight it was one salmon filet with lemon dill sauce and some leftover shrimp sauteed in herb butter, green beans, a salad and one potato pancake. All scrounged from the kitchen freezer.

Frankly, I hate grocery shopping but I love wondering the aisle of ethnic markets.

Peppi

Christy, that's a very good idea, except that my freezer space is at a premium. by the time I put a whole pig, half a beef, 40 or so pounds of blueberries, some cherries, strawberries, asparagus, rhubarb, etc. in my freezers, there's never any room. As I remove items, I always seem to replace them with leftover soup or frozen meatballs or something.

And no, I am NOT buying another freezer. (grin) I tried nonfat dry milk and it's OK for cooking but I can't drink the stuff!

Annie

Funny, Annie, I started thinking about your "store" as I was scanning this thread... you've got a very sustainable lifestyle!

For me, I do a big shop every two weeks, but find myself at the store on an almost daily basis for veggies and milk.

Grainlady, I love your menu plan, I really need to organize more!

Catherine

like a mental patient.

First I read the circular, then I cut coupons, then I go thru the circular make my list and move the applicable coupons to the front of their respective sections, then I re-write the list in the order that the food appears in the grocery store with stars by items that have coupons.

Then I take my Prozac and hit Shop-Rite.