Do You Plan Ahead and Buy Accordingly for Meals?

Kimchee · Dec 15, 2009

I admit that I don't. A daily topic of conversation with Dr. Bethie is WHAT'S FOR DINNER???????

Then I dash off to the store for needed ingredients.
Part of this methodology is because I work from home, and visits to
the grocery store provide human interaction, LOLOL! Probably a large part
is also because there are just the two of us.

However, last night at the store, I actually planned 3 dinners, and bought
supplies for them. It was very strange, almost like an alien had inhabited
my body..... :whistling:

Now, to see if they actually get made!

Deelady · Dec 15, 2009

LOL

I do occasionally esp if we have a special occasion coming up. But most often I just buy basic ingredients and and plan meals later around what I bought, Only other time I do otherwise is when I have a craving for something!

joec · Dec 15, 2009

I keep a well stocked pantry that we resupply weekly with ingredients as they are used. Meats we also purchase in quantity as a basic rule. Now for fish, shrimp, scallops, lobster we usually buy the day we plan to prepare it unless it was flash frozen when caught with the only exception being lobster as I want it alive when it goes in the pot. Vegetables we buy what is in season in our area fresh with others frozen if not. We sometimes will plan a day in advance if fish otherwise we make up our mind at breakfast as to what is for dinner that night. With it being just my wife and I it really isn't that big a deal as we have two large freezers for meats and frozen foods. Breads other than white sandwich bread we tend to buy fresh as well on the day we want it from local bakeries.

RobsanX · Dec 15, 2009

I have a decent collection herbs, spices and staples, so for everyday meals I'm able to throw together a meat, starch, and veg without a lot of planning. I normally try to keep things simple.

vyapti · Dec 15, 2009

I plan the next week's meal on Thursday night. I hit the specialty grocers on Friday, during lunch, then do my big shopping trip Friday night. I have a spreadsheet that I use to plan for the coming week, future plans and to archive past meals. It also works as a shopping list that it organizes and prints by aisle at the grocery store.

Sass Muffin · Dec 15, 2009

Usually I do.
It's very hard cooking for one as it is, so the planning takes some thought.
Lots of leftovers frozen and shared with the neighbours has become a normal part of my life.

joec · Dec 15, 2009

I try to avoid left overs as I just rarely eat them. Now if there are some my son comes by every morning on his way to work and my wife makes his lunch for him. He loves our leftovers usually especially if they can be heated for lunch with a micro wave or toaster oven.

GotGarlic · Dec 15, 2009

I check the Sunday sale papers and plan the upcoming week's menu based on the meats on sale, as well as proteins I already have in the freezer. Then I can make sure I have all the ingredients I'll need on my shopping list and do our weekly shopping on Sunday afternoons. I usually have enough stuff in the freezer and pantry that I can put together a meal if we don't get the shopping done for a day or two. There is a seafood shop near my work that I like to get fish and shellfish from; when we want that, I usually go there during lunch and keep whatever I bought in the fridge at work to take home at the end of the day.

I used to try to put together menus while I was shopping. I usually ended up either forgetting one or more ingredients, and having to shop again, or buying stuff I already had because I couldn't remember what I had on hand at home. So making the menu and shopping list first has saved me money as well as pantry and freezer space :smile:

I love leftovers - I usually have them for breakfast and/or lunch at work.

joec · Dec 15, 2009

We also tend to shop on Sunday's. It is usually a morning trip for meats, vegetable etc. We also hit several stores on Sundays from Whole Foods, Kroger's, Good Foods and Meijer's. Saturdays we hit Liquor Barn (closed Sundays) for imported meats, cheese and olives as needed. We also buy olive oil, vinegars here as well as anything with alcohol in it due to blue laws in our area. I also hit the Asian Markets in our area on Saturday afternoons as none of them are open on Sundays either. We tend to hit them about once a month for pantry items. I tend to buy olive oil, peanut oil, canola oil and soy sauce in by the gallon which keeps well in my pantry. My wife shops about 45 minutes before work a couple of days a week for breads and perishables as well as anything we might be out of and need.

Cooksie · Dec 15, 2009

I'm a planner, but things often get changed around. I make a list of about 5 or 6 meals, make a grocery list by categories of what's needed, and try to shop only once a week. Going to the grocery store every day or even every other day would make me very sad.

Mama · Dec 15, 2009

I keep a well stocked pantry as well. Rarely buy anything that is not on sale. I plan my meals around what is in the pantry, freezer and leftovers in the refrigerator. Buy fresh fruits, vegetables and dairy products weekly so if nothing is on sale that I am getting low on, my grocery bill is cheap.

Kimchee · Dec 15, 2009

I've decided I need to break the daily grocery store habit, if I can.
Problem is, the local Kroger's puts their close-dated meats, cheeses, fish, veggies on 1/2 price sale daily around the time I go, and I get some amazing bargains. Haven't paid more than $2.49 a pound for 85/15 organic hamburger in years, for example!

But to enter is to buy, and I KNOW I am spending more on groceries that way in the long run.... Guess I need to analyze my checkbook records.
Sighhhhh

Fisher's Mom · Dec 15, 2009

Nope - I never do. I know I should, but dinner is more of a "what do I feel like eating/making/cleaning up after" type thing for me.

suziquzie · Dec 15, 2009

I try to, but mostly I just get whats on sale and go around that. I buy more than I need if I go for a thing or 3.

luvs · Dec 15, 2009

we usually plan the day of for ingredients like meats & seafood, while keeping a well-stocked pantry.

Maverick2272 · Dec 15, 2009

We do half n half. We plan out about 4 meals for the week, then when we get to the store we see what is on sale and what is available as special buys and do another 3 meals around that.
Sometimes its kinda fun to improvise a bit.

buzzard767 · Dec 15, 2009

It depends. If we're having guests we plan the meal. Otherwise, we merely keep a few fresh fruits and veggies on hand and pull meat or fish out of the freezer.

Keltin · Dec 15, 2009

I used to keep a menu on the side of the fridge showing what each day's meal was. I'd make out the menu the week before, buy the stuff over the weekend, then look at the menu and cook what was there each day. It really got rid of that "What's for dinner" question…..just look at the menu.

Man, that worked really well, and was pretty cool. It took a little time the week before to sit down and write it out…..and it could get thrown off if you suddenly wanted take-out or steak that is suddenly on sale.

Which is why I eventually stopped doing it. But thinking back, it really did make life simpler (and cheaper). I might go back to doing that.

These days, we just stock the pantry, by 4 each of the various kinds of meat, and then just pull stuff from the freezer each night. Now, we never know what we're having, just look into the freezer and grab something. And we end up making quick runs to the store 2-3 times a week now to get stuff we're suddenly in the mood for.

ChowderMan · Dec 15, 2009

I cook, my dear wife does the dishes. (she's not fond of the cxxk thing... after all, it is a four letter word....)

so I made up a print out sheet - Mon thru Sun - what's to eat, what we need to make it. understand, I surf my recipes, she read thru the cookbooks....

since I work out of a home office, going to the grocery store every day is a highlight for me. some folk (my wife included) dread shopping - for me it's a nice diversion / brain break.

sometimes I do alter the menu plan ala minute. especially for seafood / seasonal items. if I find wild steelhead trout available, you can bet something is going to get postponed.

works for us, not likely to work for everyone.

Maverick2272 · Dec 15, 2009

Keltin said:
I used to keep a menu on the side of the fridge showing what each day's meal was. I'd make out the menu the week before, buy the stuff over the weekend, then look at the menu and cook what was there each day. It really got rid of that "What's for dinner" question…..just look at the menu.

Man, that worked really well, and was pretty cool. It took a little time the week before to sit down and write it out…..and it could get thrown off if you suddenly wanted take-out or steak that is suddenly on sale.

Which is why I eventually stopped doing it. But thinking back, it really did make life simpler (and cheaper). I might go back to doing that.

These days, we just stock the pantry, by 4 each of the various kinds of meat, and then just pull stuff from the freezer each night. Now, we never know what we're having, just look into the freezer and grab something. And we end up making quick runs to the store 2-3 times a week now to get stuff we're suddenly in the mood for.

LOL we have one of those on the fridge as well. It is divided in half. On one side are the meals planned out, on the other side is the list of ingredients we will need to make them.
Does work pretty well!

Miniman · Dec 15, 2009

I try to shop just once a week and then use the freezer and sort meals as I go.

I do usually buy bulk meat, so I have a choice on hand.

Do You Plan Ahead and Buy Accordingly for Meals?

Kimchee

Guest

New member

New member

Potato peeler

New member

Coffee Queen ☕🌎🦋

New member

New member

New member

Well-known member

Queen of Cornbread

Kimchee

Guest

Mother Superior

New member

'lil Chef

Stewed Monkey

golfaknifeaholic

New member

Pizza Chef

Stewed Monkey

Mini man - maxi food