My articles over the last few weeks have been about healthy, economical and convenient eating.  This requires three things – planning, know how, and….. food.   Oh, yes, food.  So this week presents more ideas on planning, sharing some knowledge, and converting the food in your kitchen converted into meals!

     If you have started using some of the menu planning suggestions from last week, good for you!  Now, on to the next steps!  When my menu plan starts to come together, I head to the fridge, freezer and cabinets to see what resources I have to work with.  Using what is on hand is the most cost-effective use of stuff.  If I can build an entire meal – carb, protein and veggie or 2 – with the contents of my kitchen, great!  Saved time and money already!  Sometimes I have parts of a meal and just require a few more items.  For example, I have frozen turkey burgers but no buns, so if I add “turkey burgers” to my Menu Plan, I have to add burger buns to my grocery list.

     My hubby and I call grocery planning and shopping “Hunting and Gathering”, which sounds more exciting.  I asked my spouse, the other cook in my house, “what are his favorite benefits of Menu Planning and Planned Grocery Shopping?”  His answers were:  “Fixed yet flexible”, “no surprises”, “everyone on the same page”, and “shopping and menu planning go hand in hand”.

So here are some tips to reap benefits from your Hunting and Gathering, too:

1.  Make your Menu Plan, then make your grocery list:

• When planning your meals, start with what you have on hand.
• Using what you have in stock is the best use of your money and your stuff.

2. Embrace your list, and make it work for you. 

• Standardize your grocery list.  I created a list in MS Excel, based on what we buy all the time.  I typed it once, and now print copies when needed.  If you’d like to see it, I’ll send it to you as an attachment. 
• You don’t have to go as high-tech as a spreadsheet, but you could write (by hand or in the computer) a regular list and post copies on the refrigerator.
• Because my spreadsheet reflects my usual shopping (and planning) habits, I can also use it as an inventory, a suggested list, for what I might need.  For example, under “canned goods” I have 3 types of canned fruits I regularly purchase.  I can see what is in the cabinet before my shopping trip, and add items to my list if they are needed. 

3.  Always use a grocery list, but…. Go off list sometimes, to take advantage of store specials and sales.  Never buy something just because it is on sale, though, unless it is something you normally use.

4.  Balance Time and Money

• Plan your stops:  Save money by shopping many stores for the best deal; or
• Save time by shopping just a few stores that carry everything you need.

5.  To make Hunting and Gathering go smoother, remember, too:  Don’t shop hungry, shop alone and at off-hours when the store is not crowded, stick to your list!, remember your coupons (another blog some day) and re-usable bags (some stores offer $$ back if  you bring your own).  

6.  Strike a balance between reactionary shopping and perfectionist thinking.

• Reactionary shopping leads you to the grocery store several days a week at 5 pm with hungry, crabby self or kids, no list and no clue what to buy for dinner.  Or worse, at fast food joints eating stuff that is really bad for you and your family.
• Perfectionist thinking is different but still a challenge.  We find ourselves pondering elaborate and wonderful recipes for hours, making very complicated lists and plans but not actually acting on them.  Leaving us, again, at the store at 5 pm with hungry, crabby self or kids, now with a ridiculously long list and plan, but still no dinner.
• So plan, but don’t over plan.  The benefits of these ideas include flexibility and less stress!

7.  I personally need to improve upon #6 and perfectionist thinking.  I hate to go to the store more than necessary.  I pressure myself into trying to have a perfect plan, so that I stress / get anxious when it comes down to actually doing my shopping.

8.  Plus, rising grocery costs and growing teenage boys are making me wince every time I step up to the cash register!  So, to decrease personal stress and stretch those grocery dollars, my goals for the next few weeks are to:

• Switch from a 2 week menu plan to a one week Menu Plan, running Sunday to Saturday;
• Use up what we have on hand in a more timely manner, better utilizing leftovers and fresh items like produce and fruit to avoid spoilage and waste.

     I’ll let you know how I progress on my own goals, and I would love to hear what you have to say, too, so please, share!  Talk to you soon, and Bon Appétit!