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Location: Originally from the Home of the Super Bowl Champs!
Posts: 9,696
Are you an organized grocery shopper and menu planner?
This is something that I have tried many times to do but, for one reason or another, I always wander away from it.
I found the article "Organized Dinner Planning and Grocery Shopping" to be filled with great tips. If you are wanting to become more organized, please read this article and let us know if you picked up any good tips that you are going to try.
If you're already an organized menu planner, let us know if you use the tips and tricks that are mentioned. Do they work for you? Have you come up with other ways to stay on track? If so, please share your tips with us!
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Oh my goodness, this is my thing! That article is pretty much what I do. I used to keep everything on paper, but now I do it online and transfer the master list (DH calls it the dreaded list) to paper once it's completed.
First, I keep an ongoing list of things I run out of or am running low on such as toilet paper, dish soap, and so on. I find that if I write it down on the dreaded list then I don't forget to get it during the next store trip. That saves me a ton of time as if I forget things, it would require extra trips to the store. My time is as valuable as money to me. Plus, extra trips to the store costs lots in money in gas alone.
Next, I plan meals for 1 week. But, you could plan for 2 weeks, a month, or any amount of time. For each day's worth of meals, I write below it, all the ingredients that I will need. Some items can be put together like a loaf of bread for one meal can be used on another meal. Keep in mind, that leftovers might stretch out the weekly menu, but that's okay as it means you won't have to plan another menu for awhile.
Another time/money saver is to keep a breakfast, lunch, and dinner meal that doesn't have to be refrigerated on hand for those emergencies. For example, I keep tuna and canned chicken on hand. I have a recipe for chicken and dressing casserole that is made entirely in the microwave. I take 1 stick of butter, which I always have on hand, and melt it in the microwave. I add 1 large can of chicken, 1 box Stove Top stuffing mix, and 1 can cream of chicken soup. I cook in the microwave on high for 8 minutes, stirring after 5 minutes. I serve with canned cranberries, green bean casserole (also all canned ingredients), and heated up canned yams. This way, if I get busy and forget to defrost something or I am not in the mood for heavy duty cooking, I can throw this together in a minute.
One other time saver is when you make out the master grocery list, keep everything that is located together in the store, together on the list. For example, I put all the produce together, I put all cheeses, milk, eggs, and the like, together, and so on. This saves more time as I don't have to run to the other end of the store to get something I forgot. I also put items in order of where they are first approached in the store. For example, the produce section is just inside the doors, so I have them listed first. The eggs, milk, and such are at the very back of the store and therefore, will be picked up last. I put those down at the bottom of my list. If you aren't sure where things are located in the store, be sure to spend a little extra time making a map so that in the future, you will save tons of time making your master list.
One other thing, I do. Bring a pen to mark off items as you get them so that you don't accidentally forget to get them. If for some reason you do forget your pen, you can always make a tiny tear on the paper next to the items and use the tear as a marker.
I make menus for a week. Sometimes though things get changed. I also have a list on the fridge of things that I need, etc. I always tell DS to right down things we are out of but he often forgets!
__________________ Lauri
Proud Granny of Maddox Timothy Joseph and Saorla Laurie Elizabeth!
You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try.
Beverly Sills
I already follow the tips in that article. Always good to have a reminder though!
I have a freezer so I do keep a stock of meat for dinners, and a large pantry. My kids call it the Bomb Shelter I have a list of what's in the freezer (which I sometimes am good at updating ) At the beginning of each month I look at that list, and my pantry, and make a list of what I could serve for dinner in that month. I also include a shopping list if there are ingredients (or fresh produce) that I need to get to make those meals. When the store flyers come out, I make a weekly plan from that list.
I am a very organized grocery shopper,,no kidding, I have to have a very detailed grocery list,,and then always gotta start in the produce section,,and everything has to go into my cart in order and certain things go in certain places in the cart,,I even unload it onto the til in a very specific way,,so that it is easiest to pack into bags etc...
But,,as for as planning day to day meals,,I do that daily,,wake up in the morning and decide what we will have for dinner,,,
Another thing that I do when I am at home and not in the RV is that I make double and triple batches of casserole dishes. I cook one of them for that night's meal and make and freeze the other one or two. This not only saves money because I can purchase the ingredients in bulk, but it saves an incredible amount of time, which I have a very limited supply of.
For 3 meals, I shop once and prep once. The next two meals are just taken from the freezer at a later date. I use foil or plastic and a Sharpie marker to mark the date and title of the dish. DH loves it because I cook up a storm between semesters and then, while I am away, DH can just pull things from the freezer for a home style meal rather than something a guy who is acting as a bachelor would make.
I find it helpful to make a list of 14 meals that I can make from what I have on hand. Working from that list will get me through 14-20 meals depending on leftovers. Which allows me to buy more on sale for the next month.
I too use most of the tips that were in the article. I enjoy cooking and trying new recipies. I will star the recipies in cookbooks, 1 or 2 stars being OK and 3 or 4 stars being a "make again."
I make a detailed menu and grocery list every two weeks. I plan the meals but not necessarily which night we will eat them on.
I buy milk and fresh produce every weekend.
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Lauri
I have a list of what's in the freezer (which I sometimes am good at updating 
) At the beginning of each month I look at that list, and my pantry, and make a list of what I could serve for dinner in that month. I also include a shopping list if there are ingredients (or fresh produce) that I need to get to make those meals. When the store flyers come out, I make a weekly plan from that list.
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