Menu Planning

[snafu]

I had a horrid time grocery shopping yesterday. I usually don't note what others buy but carts were blocking aisles while shoppers tried to decide what to buy! I seemed to be the only one shopping with a list. Is this practice obsolete? Does anyone still do menu planning? If I don't have some idea of what meals to make, I don't know what to buy to support the items already in the pantry, fridge, freezer and deep freeze. Worse yet, I buy some of the 'loss leaders' from a couple of grocery chains through the week that are on my regularly travelled route. I even have items on my phone's grocery app. not yet needed but should it be on sale, I'll buy it. Some are starred[*] as I have a coupon.. I'm feeling like a dinosaur!

Our 'Food' category is my favourite 'slush' fund. I can easily adjust or s-t-r-e-t-c-h meals and re-allocate funds eleswhere. What percentage of net income is reasonable to allocate for your Food category which includes take-out/restaurant/eat out etc? Our government studies noted 17% as median for a family of four.

[LizfromtheBronx]

I do the majority of my food shopping at a fancy supermarket in Manhattan, so I definitely feel like a minority because I actually use a list (just keep one in a note on my phone). Lots of people just pushing carts around aimlessly, picking up the really expensive gourmet foodstuffs.

I do supplemental shopping at a market near my mom's house when I go visit her once a week. Certain things are always cheaper there, so I buy those there....they also have better sales, and I can check the circular online to plan my list in advance.

I'll make notes on my list to check the price at the "fancy" market - if it's comparable, and I need it sooner, I'll just grab it. ie, I couldn't remember what the price of lemons was at the "cheaper market", but I know it's usually better. So I put a note that they're .65 each at the fancy market. I'm pretty sure cheaper market will beat that, but if not, it's no big deal to go back and get them at fancy market instead.

So basically, I keep 2 shopping lists, one for each place, and am constantly cross-checking them while I shop. Might seem like too much for some, but I enjoy it.

[figuringmoneyout]

I do it but I know a lot of people that don't. In fact I'm one of the few that I know that plans meals, makes a list, and then shops. Most of my friends and my roommate just go buy whatever they feel like getting at the time. It's not efficient and doesn't save them money but they still do it. I prefer my way.... I know it takes more effort upfront but my shopping bill is sooo much lower if I know what to buy before I go!

[marvholly]

I check my grocery ads & shop from a list ALL the time. However, I DO check the mark down/clearance racks for stuff I would use and/or have coupons for.

I DO meal plan every week but in pencil because sometimes (frequently?) I just do not feel like eating/cooking what I had planned.

Probably my only NEVER changed entry is Sat lunch which is always junk, meaning hot dogs, italian sausage, pizza.........

I also keep home made, previously prepared foods in my freezer for hwen I get lazy (many dinners). As a single person household this also allows me to cook once and eat many times w/o waste. That whole 4.5 lb chicken is 7-8 meals for me. Same for a pot of soup or chili or pan of lasagne. If I buy a steak (Ievery couple months, maybe) it is usually at least 1 lb which is WAAAY too much to eat (both calorie and $ wise) in one sitting. So I eat a portion and freeze 1-2 portions.

[humandraydel]

Every Saturday my wife spends ~2 hours coming up with a menu and a list. A lot of the time she hates it, but she likes to try new recipes so the 2 hours is looking through recipes (usually on pinterest).

Recently, I thought of the idea to just save those menus/lists and re-use them! If she has 20 or so menus she can just look through and decide what menu sounds good for the week. I wish I would've thought of that idea a long time ago - she's been making menus every week for 4-5 years!

[disneysteve]

We do not plan meals. Our schedules are too hectic and our tastes are too different.

I do, however, always shop with a list. We keep a list on the refrigerator and all of us add to it throughout the week when we notice we're running low or out of something or just think of something we'd like to have.

There are some standard items that I buy every week that don't need to go on the list: milk, bread, produce, cereal, pizza crusts (we make pizza every Thursday night).

I still browse a bit while shopping because something may catch my eye that we hadn't thought of or there may be a good sale on something.

No matter what, however, I NEVER block the aisle with my cart. The way people "drive" in the supermarket makes me nuts. They are totally oblivious to the fact that they are not the only person in the store. I just love when they stop their cart crosswise at the end of the aisle so it isn't possible to get past them at all. They couldn't block the route better if they tried.

[kork13]

I have a "standard" stock of various items that I always keep on hand & are ingredients in a significant amount of my cooking, so 70% of my grocery shopping is often just those things. I do keep a running list of things I recognize that I need, and just keep it in my phone. The list is general, though, and typically I just say "pasta" or "cereal" or "vegetables" without much detail, and I'm flexible with the specifics until I'm actually in the store (I base most of it on unit prices & what "sounds good"). But I most assuredly need a list -- if something is not on my list, there's a 90% chance that I'm not coming home with it.

Sometimes if I know I'm specifically planning to make curry or stew or whatever, I'll say "curry stuff" and get everything I need/want for that specific meal. I've tried meal planning, but at least as a single guy, that's just difficult for me. What I have done with moderate success is to simplify it by day of the week -- Crock Pot Sunday, Pasta Monday, Leftover Tuesday, Chicken Wednesday, "Manager's Special" Thursday, Beef Friday, and Leftover Saturday... Not necessarily this specifically, but that's the gist of its, which gives me enough structure to provide a general idea of "what's for dinner?" when nothing else comes to mind.

[HappySaver]

I always know what I'm planning to get before I go. If it's only a few items I may just keep it in my head. Usually I have a list. I tend to go several times per week and I shop a combination of farmers markets, farmstands, and grocery stores, so I not usually buying a huge amount of stuff at once.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

Yes and No. I look at what's one sale and try to base a menu on that. Then I also have times where we cook with what we have. We really don't buy much except basic staples like milk, cheese, bread, fruit, veggies. Then from there we build. We are pretty good with knowing how to manage our cooking. I never just go shopping and buy stuff. I hate shopping.