Post by jennynumbers on Jul 17, 2014 10:15:33 GMT -5
Like, decide what are you going to have for dinner during the week (at least weekdays) and shop based on that? Or do you buy a bunch of stuff and open the fridge and decide from there?
ETA a follow up question based on some replies. How often do you go to the grocery store?
Post by OrangePixyStix on Jul 17, 2014 10:26:47 GMT -5
Usually the second one, and we go by what is on sale at the store.
I do try to pull something out in the morning to thaw from the freezer most days, and sometimes plan ahead by making a crockpot meal the night before then turning it on when I leave for work. But I don't know what I'm going to make each week and don't take the time to make a schedule.
We do usually have Taco Tuesdays, so that is pretty routine. Every now and again I'll have a recipe to try and will shop accordingly to get the right ingredients, but usually my shopping is not specific to a meal plan.
Post by OrangePixyStix on Jul 17, 2014 10:31:16 GMT -5
I could add that we don't meal plan because I do not cook all the dinners, and the H likes to choose what to make when he cooks dinner (fine by me!).
I mean, he wouldn't want to make a chicken parmesan meal if that's what I had planned, but he would make burgers, grilled chicken legs, fajitas on the grill, etc, so it's just easier to make what we feel like cooking on weekdays.
Most weeks I decide what we're having but not necessarily in what order. So we can pick what we're in the mood for that day.
This is me too. Usually Sunday mornings over coffee J and I will plan the menu and shop from there. We don't put anything in a specific order unless something is ripe, not ripe enough, or we don't want to have to freeze something.
ETA: We shop 1x a week (unless of course we need to run in for something we forgot or FUCKING avocados that won't ripen no matter how many bananas you throw in the bag with them.- oh, umm, sorry. I just want a ripe avocado.)
Most weeks I decide what we're having but not necessarily in what order. So we can pick what we're in the mood for that day.
We are trying to get better about this, and this is the way we do. We do try and plan out specific days, but often change it around for what we are feeling like that day. We also have very limited freezer space, so a lot of what we plan has to be able to keep in the fridge for a period of time, so that also can change when we eat what.
I keep a grocery list of things we run out of and use often (ketchup, rice, etc.) but mostly we just wander through the store and buy whatever looks good at the time and throw it together in random combinations for meals. We also only go to the grocery once a month.
I keep a grocery list of things we run out of and use often (ketchup, rice, etc.) but mostly we just wander through the store and buy whatever looks good at the time and throw it together in random combinations for meals. We also only go to the grocery once a month.
About the same for us, but usually twice a month for us. Though we spend $250-300 per trip on average. But that includes ingredients for homemade dog food and we rarely eat out, so I think that's about as good as we can ask for on grocery spending.
Not really, especially now since it's just me. I see what's on sale, or decide on something to make and eat for a few days and buy stuff for that.
This week, between my CSA pick up and a stop at the farmer's market, I didn't even need to go grocery shopping in order to make lunch and dinner for the week.
ETA: I usually go to the store once a week and spend about $30.
Post by theatre4life on Jul 17, 2014 16:13:06 GMT -5
After looking at our bills/budget, we realized we went to the store 23 last month, with transactions of only $13-$30. Hence why we are trying to get better about planning, so we only need to go once a week, maybe twice for more veggies.
After looking at our bills/budget, we realized we went to the store 23 last month, with transactions of only $13-$30. Hence why we are trying to get better about planning, so we only need to go once a week, maybe twice for more veggies.
We used to pretty much go after work every day and buy dinner for that night. Now we go 1-3 times per week, depending on if we forgot something. I say going often is justified based on something I remember from my international business class - that in China, they go buy groceries literally every day.
Post by lexxasaurus on Jul 18, 2014 8:33:01 GMT -5
I plan some meals for the week, buy the ingredients and then pick them to make throughout the week as we feel like eating them, while eating leftovers and having lazy dinners (mac and cheese, etc) some nights since I work late if I'm at job #2.
I go to the store probably 1-4 times a week depending. I love grocery shopling, it's my weakness.
Most weeks I decide what we're having but not necessarily in what order. So we can pick what we're in the mood for that day.
IF I meal plan, I use Ala's method. But usually if we decide to eat at home we're having people over and need more food or we just figure out what we can make with what's there. We eat out a lot.
I need to get better at meal planning. Well more like meal prepping. I will plan an shop for the meals, but if I don't prep the food when I get home from grocery shopping, it's probably not happening when it is supposed to and then the food goes to waste.
Ideally I would go shopping weekly, but I hate the grocery store with a passion. I try to plan 2 big meals to make for the week with leftovers in between. I would say twice monthly is more accurate as we eat out a lot. There are usually smaller trips sprinkled in for produce or eggs.
I'll plan out most meals for the next 2 weeks (usually for week nights), and I grocery shop about every other week. I keep extra stuff on hand, not necessarly for a planned meal, but in case I need to whip something together without much notice.