Grocery Shopping

because of intolerances there are only certain foods I can eat anyways so I usually buy the same things but we make different things out of them, but they all usually have the same ingredients.

I usually toss in my basket all sorts of stuff I can do many things with. I find if I plan meals ahead, more often than not, I am not wanting it anymore.

I feel like I save more money if I just go buy staples and things that are cheap that week and then I create interesting meals with whatever I have.

yeah I get the usuals in and then try and be creative with them! If I decide to make something in particular then I will get the ingredients for that meal if don't have them. I don't often plan too far ahead as I am likely to change my mind!

I make my grocery list off of my dinner menu

My husband and I are on a budget so I plan pretty carefully. I start by perusing the adds to see what's on sale and taking a look to see what I have on hand. Then I use a spreadsheet where i plan Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner for each day and then a few things to have on hand for snacks. Then I figure out what I need to buy to make that happen. My spreadsheet has a column for the different stores we shop (Target, Kroger, Costco & Sprouts) and I note what I need to buy at each store and estimate how much I'll spend on each item. Then, I make sure my estimated total spending is within our budget before I go shopping. Works well for me!

We eat similar things from week to week so we always buy the basics. If I'm going to make something different that week, I add those items to my list. Usually I only need a couple new items anyway though.

Pretty much the same thing here!

i hate to shop except on ebay lol

I have done both planning and spure of the moment. I like menu planning and would love to try to prepare meals ahead of time. So far if we make a dish the night before we make a lot of it and I take small portions for lunch's throughout the week. I just made a grocery list for this friday. Going to try to put in some spices to begin a spice rack. Bought a low fat/low cholesterol cookbooks because my dr suggested these type of meals.

I purchase frozen food items from Schwan's Food. It's a little pricey for most; but I'm single and the pre-portioned items with calories, etc. on the package help factor what I can and want to eat each day. I normally stick to the Live Smart options. When I go grocery shopping, I normally pick up fresh fruit, veggies, and almond/coconut milk and organic dry goods to mix into my menus. I don't go down the chip, cookie, frozen pizza aisles, or the deli items (too many preservatives)...gotta watch the ingredients on what you're buying.

I plan our meals one month at a time, and make weekly changes if needed. I shop once a week for our groceries (mainly to keep fresh veggies and fruits in the house to supplement the monthly menu items). I buy on sale and with coupons, and use a large standing freezer for extra purchases (I do not shop at a club store or warehouse.) I cook three times a week, but double the recipe to make it last extra days. I find it cheaper and easier to double a recipe rather than make new ones each day.


ETA: My husband is active duty military and we get his schedule on a monthly basis, so I plan cooking around this. We have no children.

I buy set staples depending on what we've been eating, then the others depend on what's on sale AND that we'll use it, won't buy stuff we won't use just because it's on sale though it's been a way to try something new from time to time.

Fresh stuff we usually buy some fruit and veggies for the week but way too frequently the stuff is going in the compost pile before it goes in the pan for cooking, so we buy enough fresh for 3 or 4 days at a time, SO works in the same building as the grocers so it's no hardship to stop in on the way home. Wouldn't do it that way if that wasn't the case though. Not as much need for veggies from the grocery anyway with the garden putting out so nicely.

If there's a case-lot sale on something we'll use I'll buy a case... 12 cans of soup at 50 cents a can bought at once is a lot better than paying the $1.29 a can buying them singly on an "as needed only" basis $6 instead of $15.48, gives me more money when they aren't on sale and I try to buy enough to get to the next sale cycle. Buying extra of the things we know we'll use... tomato sauce in a can that will do us for 2 meals... at least until the tomato's in the garden start to ripen up then we'll be back to making our own, much better sauces.

I'd say I buy 85-90% staples when I shop, but since I like to try at least one new recipe every week I'll add on the things I need for that recipe. And even "staples" can vary. Since I'm single and live alone, it can be hard to use up everything quickly, so by the time I do I can be pretty bored with it. So one shopping trip I might pick up broccoli as my main veggie accompaniment and the next time zucchini and the time after that asparagus. If I buy them all in the same trip, it's: a) expensive and b) going to go to waste before I can eat it all. Especially since I shop once a week. I found the thing that works the best for me is to keep a running list on my refrigerator door. When I'm out, or close to out of something that I consider a staple, it gets written down. Things for new recipes that aren't already on my list of staples get written down. Then when I shop I stick to my list. It saves me money and helps me eat healthier.