Making Your Grocery List

Discussion in Food & Drink started by kana_marie • Mar 21, 2015.

  1. kana_marie

    kana_marieActive Member

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    How often do you go grocery shopping? Do you do an entire week or Month's worth at a time? Do you plan your entire menu ahead of time? How do you deal with the unexpected when you HAVE planned your menu I advance? I try to plan a month at a time so I can buy more of my groceries in bulk. Almost every month something happens to make me Veer way off the planned dinner. I'm just horrible at accounting for the unexpected.
     
  2. missbishi

    missbishiWell-Known Member

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    I go on a weekly basis. I don't have a car and there's only so much I can carry. I do plan for the week ahead though and when something unexpected happens, I just freeze things or have them the next day instead. Things can be shuffled about easily enough.
     
  3. kana_marie

    kana_marieActive Member

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    I have GOT to learn to make my menu more flexible. Either that or learn HOW to better shuffle things around. My oldest son stays with his dad half the time so try to cater the meals accordingly. I also have a finicky husband who doesn't always want what's on the menu. I do okay until the last week and then I spend 4 or 5 days having to just kind of piecing things together.
     
  4. steph84

    steph84Active Member

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    I like to keep a pad by the kitchen and when I am out of something I jot it down. I let this list grow all week and then take it with me when I go shopping. There are a few *Must haves* on the list and then the rest I can just get as needed or if there is a sale.
     
  5. kana_marie

    kana_marieActive Member

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    I need to start using some of y'all's tips. Shopping once a month is great on the wallet, because I can buy exactly what I need in bulk. I am just not used to it enough to do it effectively or efficiently. I really don't leave any room for improvising. I think that may be the root of my problem.
     
  6. clairebeautiful

    clairebeautifulActive Member

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    I actually couldn't disagree more. Buying in bulk isn't necessarily the best way to save. In my experience, Sam's Club and Costco, for example, are the same price per unit or HIGHER as buying things regular price in the store. Mainly, they are just more at a time.

    I grocery shop a few times a week, but at the very minimum, once a week, and I only shop the sales. Almost everything in a store goes on sale on a 6 week cycle. If you can get yourself into a 6 week shopping pattern, you can essentially NEVER pay regular price for anything. Add coupons to the mix and you can cut your grocery budget a ton.

    This article (

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    ) outlines exactly how I cut my grocery budget by 30% over the last 7 years. I've actually added 3 kids to my family (I'm now feeding 6 people) and spending the same or less than I spent when it was just 2 of us. My current spending for all food, alcohol, toiletries, paper products, and OTC meds is right at $100 a week.
     
  7. pwarbi

    pwarbiActive Member

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    I always try and go on a weekly basis. What happens most weeks though is I always having to end up going back a couple of times because I forget something.
    People always say well you should make a list. When I do, I just forget to put things on the list instead and so still end up going back!
     
  8. JoanMcWench

    JoanMcWenchActive Member

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    I keep my kitchen staples always available & shop according to a weekly schedule. I prefer weekly because I've deluded myself into thinking what I shop for is more fresh this way but the truth is the grocery stores I shop surely aren't rotating produce in week time spans so dramatically.