How do you make your food shopping list?

Do you pre-plan your meals for the week or do you just buy the same stuff every week and figure out what your going to make as it comes?


ETA: I am wondering if I pre-plan my meals if DH and I will starting eating healthier.

Message edited 9/28/2007 5:01:43 PM.

Re: How do you make your food shopping list?

I just buy whatever we need. I don't pre-plan our meals. I just buy things that are healthier. I buy whole wheat pasta and bread. It all depends on what you guys like but there are healthy ways to make almost anything.

Re: How do you make your food shopping list?

for the most part I pre-plan our meals for the week and then see what we need for these meals that we don't have. As we finish or get low on things I also have a list that we write things down on (ketchup, shampoo, etc.) so we don't ever run short. This works well for us

Re: How do you make your food shopping list?

I have my little notebook (it used to be a whole sheet in excel but after watching top chef, I like their notebook idea ) I write down what we need as we run out and I also think about what I'd like to make and buy accordingly.

But I also have a new plan. I am starting to do outer aisle shopping every week (produce, meat, dairy) and then whole store shopping once a month. Trying to keep to buying healthier things and save money on the unnecessary things. This way, once the soda is gone, it's gone until next month. By doing this, I am forced to use fresher foods, too.

Re: How do you make your food shopping list?

I recently started preplanning and so far so good. Otherwise, I was coming home with odds and ends and then winding up going back to the store to pick something up for a meal and spending so much more then intended.

I try and plan a pork meal, 2 chicken meals, and 2 ground turkey meals.

day 1-turkey tacos
day 2-chicken soup
day 3-pork filets grilled
day 4-turkey burgers
day 5-chicken pot pie.
day 6-lentil soup
day 7-order pizza

that was this week's schedule. I stay away from red meat since DH works in a steakhouse, I am sure he eats tons. I am allergic to fish, so DH just eats fish at work sometimes.

We eat a lot of salad, so the lettuce and tom was used for the tacos...the carrots and celery in the soup and pot pie. Lettuce and tom also used on burgers.

Produce down here is a lot, so I try and make it stretch. If I buy celery, I make sure I use it atleast twice, same as carrots.

I always make sure I buy broth. We are big soup eaters. Once veggies start turning, that's when I know its time to make a pot of soup. They don't get wasted, then I freeze leftovers.

Re: How do you make your food shopping list?

we go shopping every sunday afternoon... so in the morning we sit down and talk about what we want to make that week. then, i write down the things we need to buy to make those things. i think it definitely helps us to eat healthier, and it cuts down on the " i don't know what to make, lets just order out" stuff.

Re: How do you make your food shopping list?

I decide what we are going to eat for the week ahead and I check what we have, don't have. I find I spend alot less money when I shop with a list.

Re: How do you make your food shopping list?

I buy what I need at the supermarket, we go on Sundays. I stock most food in bulk, like chicken, steak, pasta, so I don't need to buy it at the supermarket, I get it at BJs. Mainly we are shopping for any sale items that week and every once in a while if we plan a special meal, I will need to pick up a few ingredients. Rarely will I stop at the store during the week to pick up 1 or 2 ingredients.