Your grocery shopping, that is. Over the last (almost) 4 1/2 years since Jeff and I have been married I've been trying to figure out the best way to go about this necessary task. I've tried going only once a month but then you run into problems when you want to keep fresh fruits, vegetables, breads, etc. in the house. There is a grocery store only a few miles from our house but it's ridiculously overpriced and I just can't bring myself to shop there unless it's an absolute emergency. So, we do our grocery shopping over the hill, giving us at least a 40 minute drive to the store. This wouldn't be a big deal if it weren't for the two little mouths we feed and, while they are growing up fast, they aren't yet ready to be left at home on their own. So, I either have a lapse of judgement and attempt to drag them with me to the store which results in me stressing out, the boys getting grouchy no matter what time of day we go, and the challenge of finding a place for groceries plus two kids in a grocery cart (which doesn't work well so my 3 year old usually gets out of the cart and I have to try and keep an eye on him while deciding between iceburg or romaine lettuce). OR. I drop the boys off at grandma's while Jeff and I go grocery shopping in the evening. We've done this the last four months and it's seemed to work out the best except for the whole keeping-fresh-foods-in-the-house situation.
There's no way I can go grocery shopping every week, especially with these gas prices, that just wouldn't be economical. Every other week looks like the most practical option but then there's my next question:
What about the grocery list?
Do you plan out a month's worth or maybe two week's worth of meals, come up with a list of ingredients for those meals, and then go shopping? Or, do you just stick to your regular kitchen staples and come home with various items and then come up with whatever you've got in the cupboard? Planning meals sounds like a good option, then I'd know what I'm making each night for dinner and I wouldn't have the
"What do you want for dinner?"
"I don't care."
"Just tell me so I can make something."
"Spaghetti sounds good."
"We're out of noodles, what else sounds good?"
onversation. I'm just wondering what everyone else does and what works. Grocery shopping is like laundry, it just has to be done. So, how do you do your grocery shopping?
9 comments:
I was just thinking about this! I saw a cool idea in the BHG mag about stocking your pantry. It was a walk-in pantry with tall shelves, which I don't have, but it could be modified:
It was organized into baskets for breakfast, lunch, and dinner foods. For example: cereal, oatmeal,and breakfast bars in one, stuff for sack lunches in another, and everything for a taco dinner, or a pasta dinner were organized together in other baskets. It was all labeled and easy to see, so when the stuff was running low it was easy to pick it up at the store to stock up. I thought it would be helpful at my house...
So, besides all that, I go about every two weeks(around pay day!)and always go with a list and usually get the basics, stuff to do some chicken and beef meals and then sometimes stuff to make some new recipe.
Ahh...it's a chore with Mason. I'm sure having two to pack around is going to be lovely!
Thanks for the great ideas!
I crazily make a menu every month. I keep the first two weeks for all of my fun fresh veggie meals. The second half of the month is the frozen or canned veggie weeks. I also pre make meals. If I make a meatloaf, I make three or four and stick them in the freezer. I learned from a lady in Grangeville how to cook a months worth of food in a couple of meals and then meal prep time is really easy after that. I just pop already prepared stuff in the oven. I do shop locally for sale items, milk, and lettuce. Hope that helps.
I do my big grocery shopping once or twice a month. I go at night and Emery stays home with the kids. Then I will go about every week and a half or so for fruits and vegetables. It seems to work good for us.
Good question. It's easy for me since we don't have any kids. I make a menu of about 10 meals(that usually last us the month, since one meal actually doubles as two-it's just the two of us and we eat it as leftovers about 2-3 times) and then go shopping for those meals(once a month). Then I post that on the refridgerator, so i always know what my options for dinner are. Most of my fruit and veggies stay good for 2 weeks but after that I will go to the store and buy fruits/veggies if needed. Once every couple of months I go "pantry shopping" and just stock up on common foods like tuna,spaghetti sauce, noodles, creams of ckn/mush soup, flour, sugar, foil, etc. Hope that helps.
Holly, have you heard of Debbie Myers Green Bags? They really keep your produce fresh for longer. They are $10 @ Bed Bath & Beyond.
I am over the hill almost 2-3 times per week & at leat one of those days I stop @ Winco before I come home. You know my cell, give me a call!
So many great ideas, thanks everybody!
Shanna, I really like the idea of keeping something posted where you can see what your dinner options are, I'm going to start doing that!
Di, I haven't heard of Debbie Myers Green Bags but they sound like a good investment, why didn't I think of that first?
Dana, I'd love to get some recipes for dishes you can freeze, I've been looking into that and have found a few on the Internet I'd like to try. How much easier my life would be if I made several dishes all at once!
Megan, I love the idea of hubby staying home with the kids while I go grocery shopping! Just the thought relaxes me...
Thanks again, I'm actually excited for this month's trip(s) to the grocery store! If anyone else has any ideas they'd like to share, please do.
Sandi, Do you keep those kinds of baskets in your pantry? I'd love to hear how it works for you. I don't have a pantry but I've started putting my breakfast items in one cupboard, canned foods in another, snacks in their own cupboard, etc. Thanks for all of your great comments! :)
I just finally sat down and tackled this problem too. I tried to only go once every 2 weeks, but I kept running into problems of not having enough fruit, veggie, and bread. So I go once a week adn I only plan what we want to eat a week at a time.
I find we waste A LOT less food and spend a lot less money. PLus I actually end up cooking less cause it forces us to eat left overs more and not go out and pick something up because we are out of everything.
That is what works for us
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