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I have been couponing for years and am a big believer in it. However, I was buying a lot of things just because they were a good deal and not because I needed or wanted them for a meal. I thought about developing a monthly or weekly meal plan and using that to dictate my choices, but my life doesn't run predictably enough to do that effectively. So, I developed a Plan C.
I eliminated all my cookbooks except two: my bread machine cookbook and my Better Homes and Garden cookbook. These are the cookbooks I use most frequently and that work best for my tastes and cooking skills.
Then, I went through the books and developed a list of ingredients I should have on hand to make the recipes that work best for my family with minimal advance planning (i.e., just need to take meat out of the freezer, etc.). This list is now my tentative master grocery list. From this, I can determine what items to include in my price book and what coupons I should focus on obtaining.
Although it's still a work in progress, here's my list:
Dairy: Milk, butter/margarine, American cheese, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and yogurt.
Produce: carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, apples, oranges, bananas, in-season fruits and vegetables
Meat: ground beef, chicken leg quarters, whole chicken, chicken breasts, on-sale meat
Frozen foods: peas, mixed veggies, broccoli, corn
Dry goods: split peas, saltine crackers, spaghetti noodles, egg noodles, rice, oatmeal, cereal
Canned goods: chicken broth, tomato soup, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, refried beans, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, jelly
Seasonings/condiments: salsa, green chilis, worstershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, mayo, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning blend, pumpkin pie spice, Mexican seasoning mix, poultry seasoning, Parmesan cheese, beef bouillon, chicken bouillon, minced garlic, barbecue sauce, olive oil, vinegar, seasoned bread crumbs, onion soup mix
Baking supplies: molasses, nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds), raisins, cooking oil, brown sugar, white sugar, honey, flour, baking power, baking soda, vanilla, nonfat milk powder
I eliminated all my cookbooks except two: my bread machine cookbook and my Better Homes and Garden cookbook. These are the cookbooks I use most frequently and that work best for my tastes and cooking skills.
Then, I went through the books and developed a list of ingredients I should have on hand to make the recipes that work best for my family with minimal advance planning (i.e., just need to take meat out of the freezer, etc.). This list is now my tentative master grocery list. From this, I can determine what items to include in my price book and what coupons I should focus on obtaining.
Although it's still a work in progress, here's my list:
Dairy: Milk, butter/margarine, American cheese, cheddar cheese, mozzarella cheese, and yogurt.
Produce: carrots, celery, onions, potatoes, apples, oranges, bananas, in-season fruits and vegetables
Meat: ground beef, chicken leg quarters, whole chicken, chicken breasts, on-sale meat
Frozen foods: peas, mixed veggies, broccoli, corn
Dry goods: split peas, saltine crackers, spaghetti noodles, egg noodles, rice, oatmeal, cereal
Canned goods: chicken broth, tomato soup, cream of chicken soup, cream of mushroom soup, canned tomatoes, tomato sauce, tomato paste, refried beans, spaghetti sauce, peanut butter, jelly
Seasonings/condiments: salsa, green chilis, worstershire sauce, ketchup, mustard, mayo, salt, pepper, Italian seasoning blend, pumpkin pie spice, Mexican seasoning mix, poultry seasoning, Parmesan cheese, beef bouillon, chicken bouillon, minced garlic, barbecue sauce, olive oil, vinegar, seasoned bread crumbs, onion soup mix
Baking supplies: molasses, nuts (walnuts, pecans, almonds), raisins, cooking oil, brown sugar, white sugar, honey, flour, baking power, baking soda, vanilla, nonfat milk powder
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