How do you plan groceries/meal plan for the week?

Options
alondrakayy
alondrakayy Posts: 304 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I simply walk by every isle at the store and grab what I feel like eating for that week. I want to get smarter about it though and maybe save a few $$$.

So I want to see how everyone else does it!
«1

Replies

  • rdevol
    rdevol Posts: 278 Member
    Options
    I struggle with the same issue, OP - good question! Bumping so I can mooch the insights you receive!
  • Need2Exerc1se
    Need2Exerc1se Posts: 13,576 Member
    Options
    We have many staples that we always have on hand and those are replaced as needed. Non-staples are chosen by what's on sale or freshest that week. We don't plan meals ahead very often, but we keep a well stocked pantry and 2 large freezers, plus the root cellar so we always have plenty of options to choose from.
  • janejellyroll
    janejellyroll Posts: 25,763 Member
    Options
    On Sundays I pull out my cookbooks and plan my dinners for the week, making a note of the ingredients that I need to buy. I'll also check for anything in the pantry or fridge that I'm running low on and want to replace. Then I'll take my list and go shopping Sunday evening.

    Planning my meals in advance lets me plan to use up anything I might have (if I'm making a meal that uses some spinach, I can plan another recipe with spinach later in the week so I use it all).
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    Options
    I don't do anything fancy. I have a grocery list in my note-taking app, and my dinner plan for the week is at the bottom of the list. That makes it easy to see my meal plan while I'm shopping. If I'm making something that has a lot of leftovers, I make it early in the week since we don't usually eat leftovers on weekends. I pre-log food a day or two in advance, but I've been logging long enough that I already know what dinners fit my plan.
  • TavistockToad
    TavistockToad Posts: 35,719 Member
    Options
    I make a menu for the week and write a shopping list as I do it.
  • H_Ock12
    H_Ock12 Posts: 1,152 Member
    Options
    I look at the sale papers to see what meat is on sale. Then I plan around the meat and pair it with frozen veggies and either a roll or potatoes. Sometimes I'll plan to make a multi-ingredient meal early in the week, but most of the time it's meat and veggies. I supplement with Stouffer's and a local pre-made meal company for hubby's breakfast and days we don't have leftovers for his lunch.
  • kommodevaran
    kommodevaran Posts: 17,890 Member
    Options
    I have to plan in order to have balanced and varied meals I really want to eat, and avoid waste. It works because my life is pretty predictable and I need and like predictability (I'm single and "retired"). Meal planning and cooking and eating is fun - I think so anyway - with just a little bit of effort.

    My method looks kind of complicated in writing, but it's really easy and automatic in practice. I keep a running inventory of pantry, fridge and freezer, check sales, then make up a rough menu for the next days or week, partly or completely. I write shopping list based on what I've decided to make/eat, minus what I already have. Some items are specific (i.e butter, frozen mackerel filets, rice noodles, potatoes), others are generic (i.e fresh fruit, munching vegetables). I usually do my shopping twice per week, and I make sure I get enough fresh foods (fruit, vegs, milk) to last until next trip. I pick the lowest number of stores to fill my needs, and I focus on my list to minimize temptation and to remember everything (does not always succeed though).

    When I'm in the store, I weigh price against quality, and usually pick the cheapest item that has acceptable quality. Luxury items only occasionally. But I also pick different things every time, or as often as possible, so I still eat very varied. I look for the price per pound, but weigh it up against storability and perishability. I actively ignore health claims and appeals to the busy, hip and modern consumer; I look for especially for cheap, store brand, single food ingredients.
  • EHollander89
    EHollander89 Posts: 169 Member
    Options
    I usually do my grocery shopping and most of my food prep on Sunday. I'll pick out a few recipes of what I plan to eat for the week for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. I'll make a shopping list with the items I need, and I'll check to see if I'm running low on any of my staples in the pantry. Once I get to the grocery store, I try to stick to my list as close as possible to reduce impulse buys of things that I don't really need. If something is on sale that I use all the time, I might go ahead and buy it, but I definitely try to limit putting things in my basket that are not on the list. After I've purchased my items, I'll prep as much as I can at home. This might be putting items in the crock pot and then portioning out into containers when it's done. I might bake some chicken and prepare some rice and veggies while the chicken is baking. I might chop veggies or fruit and portion out for snacks or to have ready for meals later in the week. I keep a small set of post it notes and a pen next to my food scale so that it is easy to record what I'm putting in each container. I also recommend using the recipe builder in MFP.
  • purplepadres
    purplepadres Posts: 36 Member
    Options
    I mostly use the subscription service Real Plans. I have a couple of add-ons from my favorite cookbook authors, and I have some flexibility to add in other recipes that I want to try. My favorite part of the Real Plans site is that once you've selected your recipes for the week, it makes your shopping list for you. I do try to stick to items that are in season to keep costs down, and always throw in a soup recipe to make sure I have a quick/easy veggie source throughout the week.
  • toxikon
    toxikon Posts: 2,384 Member
    edited December 2017
    Options
    I look up a recipe I want to try, write down the ingredients, and buy enough to make a big portion that will last me and my fiance a few days. I only buy enough ingredients to make the meal - plus a few staples (eggs, bacon, almond milk, Mio, cheese, apples, bananas), so I don't end up wasting food.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,426 Member
    Options
    I sit down and write a list of 28 dinners that I divide into 4 groups of 7.
    Sometimes I will have themes in mind so I just have to choose 4 of that type of thing and plug it into each week. So one night each week is pasta and another is soup for example.
    If we are having a pork roast I have planned how I will use the leftover meat another day. Same with something like cabbage where I might not use all of it in one meal.
    I post my meal list in my kitchen. I choose what I will have each day and cross things off as I have them.
    I don't generally plan breakfast, lunches or snacks because I eat a limited amount of items for those and just have to keep stocked up.

    I have a paper list in my kitchen that I add things to as we run out and a grocery list saved on my computer that I update. I buy some things every single week like fruit, milk or peppers. I look at my meal plan and add what I need to the grocery list once a week and then shop.

    I do look at store ads or sales but it doesn't impact my shopping much. I might buy 2 packages of chicken when they are on sale because we use chicken a lot but I'm not going to buy something just because it is on sale and then try to figure out how to use it.
    I do try to stick closely to my list while shopping. I do require that my family and myself think about what we want that week before we shop. If they want chips they had better get it on the list by shopping day.

  • jemhh
    jemhh Posts: 14,261 Member
    Options
    I think of what we have going on each evening and plan around that. Example from this week:

    Monday - daughter has GS at 6:30 and husband is home so he can pick up a rotisserie chicken and make everything else early enough that we can eat as a family and still get her there in time
    Tuesday - no commitments but had chicken the day before (husband/daughter don't like it 2 days in a row) so hamburgers will be good
    Wednesday - husband works until 7 and i want something that can bake in the oven while I workout so it's homemade pretzel chicken and baked fries
    Thursday - always pizza night so daughter can take it to school for lunch Friday
    Friday - end of the week, don't want to take a long time to make dinner, we'll put a roast, potatoes, carrots in the crockpot in the morning and eat it that night
  • lucys1225
    lucys1225 Posts: 597 Member
    Options
    I get my meat from a local farm and butcher box. On Thursdays I look through the freezer and see what meat I feel like eating and decide the preparation. On Saturdays, I go the the store to get all the things I need, usually just vegetables. Since I don't buy my meat at the grocery store, sales don't mean too much to me. I just buy seasonal produce, better quality, better price.
  • nutmegoreo
    nutmegoreo Posts: 15,532 Member
    Options
    I don't plan my week too much. I have basics that I eat regularly. To save money, I have been shopping what's inexpensive and then plan my meals based on what I have in the house. Some great tools to help with this:

    Flipp - an app that has store fliers, you can use them to "clip" and make a shopping list

    Myfridgefood.com - website where you can input what you have available in the house, and it will give you recipes.
  • madwells1
    madwells1 Posts: 510 Member
    Options
    I buy around protein. I try to eat grass fed no-hormone meat which is expensive, so I buy whatever is on sale on the weekend and focus around that.

    Many times I have staples in the house, so with the protein, I can change the sides up by simply buying some fresh produce (if needed). I also try to repurpose everything...if I roast a chicken, I try to make different things with it so i don't get bored (soup, empanadas, hash, etc.).

  • rainbow198
    rainbow198 Posts: 2,245 Member
    edited December 2017
    Options
    I jot things down that I run out of during the week on a dry-erase board on the fridge so I don't forget.

    Hubby and I search the flyers and see what's on sale and where.

    Grocery shopping is done once a week. I get most of my items from the farmers market, he stocks up on meat from the butcher about once every 3 weeks.

    Regarding meal planning we come up with a dinner list together for the week ahead. I'm always trying something new so I look at recipes online for inspiration and put my own spin on things. Also I plan my breakfast and lunch the night before for the next day in my food journal.

    With the info above I write what we need on paper and I keep the order by separating by stores.

    Almost every Friday evening we go out for yummy gourmet pizza. This is usually the only time I have a meal that I don't cook myself all week.

    Sundays is my food-prepping day. Depending on what's on my list for the week I would make things like veggie burgers and freeze, boil eggs, make a couple of batches of steel cut oatmeal, make homemade protein bars etc.

    Having a plan with my meals has helped me a great deal with staying on track and keeping the weight off. Plus it saves time overall and money.



  • avskk
    avskk Posts: 1,789 Member
    Options
    I scout recipes pretty much every day (I read Buzzfeed, the NY Times cooking section, etc. every morning) and bookmark any that look good by month and year (so if something looks good but is out of season I bookmark it in the appropriate upcoming month). On Tuesday or Wednesday I go through this month's bookmarks and choose 3-5 recipes that look good, depending on the quantities of each, and create my shopping list from those recipes. After that it's just a matter of rounding out the list with breakfast and lunch stuff!

    At the end of each season I archive bookmarks -- I just move, say, September, October, and November 2017 into a group titled "Autumn 2017" in case I want to revisit any recipes. Some months I add a sub-folder (like in November 2017 I had a sub-folder for Thanksgiving recipes). It all sounds ridiculous when I type it out, but the key points are 1) regularly scouting/saving recipes, 2) making a realistic weekly plan from them, and 3) creating a shopping list directly from said recipes so nothing is overlooked.
  • nic_27_grassisgreener
    nic_27_grassisgreener Posts: 193 Member
    Options
    I have an app on my phone for my grocery list. Whenever I run out of a staple it goes on the list.

    I read the flyer and add produce items that are on sale to my list. I also add additional fruits/vegs that are generally low cost (and in season). I pick out what I want to make, check if I have any of the ingredients already, if not onto the list it goes. (Or, often this process is reverse, if I have something I need to use I plan a meal around it).

    I try to pick some produce that will last longer in the fridge so I don't need to go shopping more than once per week. Examples are apples, potatoes, carrots, pears.

    I don't specifically decide ahead of time what days I will cook specific meals. I try to have a few that depend on frozen veggies or pantry items, so that if something comes up my food won't go bad.
  • alondrakayy
    alondrakayy Posts: 304 Member
    Options
    Thank you, all! I have prepared my meals for the week, wrote down ingredients, and we'll see how today's shopping goes. Also following all the tips (sales, what's in season, quantity, etc.) you guys suggested.

Categories