I'm organizing my grocery list before heading to the store. We're low on so many things right now. I think it's going to be a long trip. To keep me motivated I thought I would ask how the rest of you ladies get through this somewhat daunting task.
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet? 2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? 3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? 4)Do you have a strict budget? 5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids?
Edit: words ETA: I am a huge procrastinator and don't want to go out to the store.
I'm organizing my grocery list before heading to the store. We're low on so many things right now. I think it's going to be a long trip. To keep me motivated I thought I would ask how the rest of you ladies get through this somewhat daunting task.
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet? 2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? 3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? 4)Do you have a strict budget? 5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids?
Edit: words ETA: I am a huge procrastinator and don't want to go out to the store.
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet? Quinoa, sweet potatoes, Kind Bars, almonds. Everything else is mostly fresh food (fruits and vegetables, etc). I usually keep some fish in the freezer, especially during Lent.
2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? I guess I would say only what we need. I grocery shop every Sunday for the coming week.
3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? Meal plans. I typically look at what days we will be able to eat at home and then plan meals for those days.
4)Do you have a strict budget? Yep. I have a weekly budget and we almost never go over, unless we are hosting dinner or something.
5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids? Always by myself. My fiancé is a crazy person in the grocery store!
Post by bibliothecary on Mar 22, 2015 10:00:41 GMT -5
I'm going shopping right after this.
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet? Noodles, canned tomatoes, stock, dry beans, enchilada sauce, seasonings.
2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? Stock up. I have a pantry and a deep freeze. They're kept full and rotated.
3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? Meal plan. I couldn't do it any other way. I use the Out of Milk app. It saves recipes and I can add the ingredients to my list with a click.
4)Do you have a strict budget? No strict budget, but I rarely go over $100.
5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids? I love MH, but I'll end up spending an extra $50 if he goes with me. I shop alone.
1) we always keep cheese, yoghurt, milk, bread, flour, eggs, sugar, and various spices on hand
2) we generally do a meat order/stock up and freeze meat/bread when it's on sale. Fruit an veggies always change because I buy what is on sale/I have $$back for that week.
3) we don't meal plan but buy food as it goes on sale an figure out meals based on what we have. Sometimes I might make a random trip if we want to make something but are missing 1 or 2 ingredients
4) no budget but like I said, I shop the deals and we both get one "treat" item (DH generally gets pepperettes/I get icecream lol)
6) I usually go with DH when we are picking up his kids Friday (saves us a trip into town - Walmart is like 40 mins away)
Post by awkwardturtle on Mar 22, 2015 10:07:33 GMT -5
I need to go to the store too but I'm planning on having a nice boozy brunch so we'll see if the shopping happens..
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet? Bread, pasta and sauce, eggs which are always an easy meal kept in the refrigerator obviously-- I keep something in the freezer for a quick meal I can literally put in the oven and do nothing (pizza, quiche, fish fingers)
2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? Mainly buy when I need
3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? Meal plans mostly, but some extras do get thrown in (chocolate milk and ice cream)
4)Do you have a strict budget? I keep in my mind the cost, and I look at prices in relation to other things around it but I don't have a set amount
5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids? By myself
Post by notthedroids on Mar 22, 2015 10:07:38 GMT -5
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet? We keep usual baking stuff around. We also always have some shrimp or fish in the freezer because it's a quick thaw. I have to have peanut butter in the house at all times. 2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? We hit Costco once every two months or so and stock up but we hit the grocery once a week for fresh produce. 3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? A little of both. It depends on how motivated I am. Usually we have a few meals planned for the week then fly by the seat of our pants. 4)Do you have a strict budget? No but I do my best to buy sales and download coupons to our Kroger card. 5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids? With H. Always. Even if it means finding Oreos in the checkout line.
Post by mainewifey on Mar 22, 2015 10:09:25 GMT -5
1)H is obsessed with buying cans of beans and tomato soup. We could live for years on just those two items. We always have whole wheat pasta, sweet potatoes, onions, brown and white rice.
2)We usually buy when we need, but we've been trying to get better about stocking up.
3)H shops on the fly if he's cooking, I plan my meals out when I'm cooking.
4)H and I sometimes have grocery shopping competitions where we see who can make a weeks worth of meals for the least amount of money. No ramen noodles, frozen dinners etc. Each meal has to be home made from scratch. It's pretty fun.
5)Usually by myself. Saturdays we go to the grocery store in our old neighborhood together sometimes because they have great meat prices.
Post by SheilaTheTank on Mar 22, 2015 10:12:52 GMT -5
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet? Beans, pasta, rice, bulgar wheat, canned goods, everything possible for baking. My pantry takes up 4 cabinets. We could easily eat for a month just on my pantry alone. 2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? If it's a 2 for or a BOGO I'll stock up. I also stock up on pantry items when they go on sale. Two weeks before last thanksgiving they had an enormous sale and I stocked up on baking items. I bought several pounds of butter because it was 2 for the price of 1. Butter where I am is crazy expensive so I buy it when its on sale and freeze it. Eggs are also extremely pricey (Lowest price I've EVER seen was $2.50/dozen. Most often they are $3-$4/dozen) compared to what other people tell me where they live. I stock up on those when I find them on sale as well. 3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? I shop what is on sale and what I need to keep my pantry up to date. Lately I have been stocking up on meats one trip, then grains and veggies another, then sundries the next. This rotates every trip. I find it hard given our schedules to stick to meal plans and when I do shop for them we end up wasting a lot of the food. 4)Do you have a strict budget? It used to be $125 every two weeks. This has gotten very lax as our income has grown and because we go big food shopping about once a month. This last trip i spent almost 3x our budget but we stocked up for at least a month or two. I also try to buy things on sale but this last time I did a lot of coupons. I think I'm done with coupons though because I always spend more when I focus on them instead of generic brands and sale items. 5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids? I shop with T. I HATE going by myself. It takes freaking forever. He keeps me on track and manages the list and coupons. He also bags while I scan.
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet? Pasta, Noodles, Canned Tomatoes, Teddie peanut butter, Better than Bouillon (or stock), Cereal and Apple Sauce 2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? I stock up on canned items like tomatoes, as well as sports drinks. If there is a good meat sale I'll buy a bunch to freeze. 3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? We have a basic rotation of meals that we always make sure to keep in stock. We try to make something new a few times a month. 4)Do you have a strict budget? I try to keep my purchases under $65. When my husband lost his job I had it down to $50 a week or less. 5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids? We used to shop together on the weekends. Now that H is working weekends we alternate shopping duties. He is an impulse shopper so I try to give him small, detail lists. This keeps him from wandering around the store.
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet? We always have pasta, oatmeal, granola bars, canned vegs/beans, peanut butter, popcorn, squeeze pouch baby food and baby crackers.
2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? We only buy what we need, unless it is fine wine or other liquor.
3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? Definitely meal plans. I plan my family's meals on Sunday for the whole week.
4)Do you have a strict budget? No, but it usually ends up being between $100-180, depending on what store I go to, or if MH prefers I go somewhere in particular. He manages the budget so I trust what he says.
5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids? I usually go with DD.
Post by juliayadda on Mar 22, 2015 10:17:50 GMT -5
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet?
Cans of beans, cereal, baking ingredients, pasta
2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? We stalk up on meat at coscto, and things like juice boxes, yogurt and cheese strings.
3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? For the last two months we have been meal planning, and it has saved us money both from not buying things we dont need, and planning out leftovers for lunches.
4)Do you have a strict budget? Nope. I buy what we need and sometimes it is 250, sometimes it's 100. At the end of the month it balances out.
5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids?
I used to go with my DS when he was little and could sit in the cart. Now he is huge and still wants to ride on the cart. I love my alone time now. Plus DH always tries to buy junk food.
Post by summerdonna on Mar 22, 2015 10:19:27 GMT -5
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet? Pasta and sauce, mac n cheese, cans of soup, crackers of some sort, peanut butter, snack bars 2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? We stock up if there is a really good sale, otherwise only when we need it. 3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? Usually on the fly. 4)Do you have a strict budget? Not really but I always try to maximize savings with coupons and deals on the store app. 5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids? Usually with H unless its a quick stop on the way home from work to pick up a few things.
Post by virginiaorjohn on Mar 22, 2015 10:20:21 GMT -5
1. Eggs, almond milk, chicken stock, brown rice and quinoa, canned beans, chocolate chips. We also always have a ton of spices on hand.
2/3. Both stock up and buy what we need. I use a meal plan so I buy what we need for the week, but if the almond milk I like is on sale I will buy 5 cartons.
4. We have a strict budget for food overall, but some months our grocery budget is higher compared to restaurants, sometimes it's the opposite.
5. I shop by myself because DH is usually working, but also because I like the quiet time and not having to field questions about "should we try this brand instead?" etc.
bibliothecary, Im going to have to check out that Out of Milk app. SheilaTheTank I used to be a hard core couponer. Now I have a much better understanding of how to price compare.I'm still brand loyal to a fault but I refuse to pay full price. ETA: A month ago I managed to get Eggland's Best eggs for $1.50. It was exciting.
bibliothecary, Im going to have to check out that Out of Milk app. SheilaTheTank I used to be a hard core couponer. Now I have a much better understanding of how to price compare.I'm still brand loyal to a fault but I refuse to pay full price. ETA: A month ago I managed to get Eggland's Best eggs for $1.50. It was exciting.
I would have bought their entire stock for that price. Eggs near me are insanely expensive. Even at Aldi's which is where I found them once for $2.50. I bought 5 dozen for that price.
I bought eggs yesterday and when I was taking them out of the bag to put them in the fridge they caught on something, flipped out of my hand and landed upside down. I lost all but 5. I almost cried.
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet? Pasta, taco seasoning, rice, beans, cereal, baking supplies, snacks for work, Oreos
2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? I guess it depends on the sales- I'll stock up on cereal, coffee, frozen veggies
3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? Mostly based on a meal plan, but with a few additions based on sales
4)Do you have a strict budget? We shop every two weeks and really try to stick to a monthly grocery budget- so it gives us a little wiggle room if we go over one trip.
5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids? I used to shop with DH, but his work schedule recently changed so I go by myself now.
I really love grocery shopping, actually. There's just something about having a full fridge and pantry that makes me feel ready to tackle the week.
bibliothecary, Im going to have to check out that Out of Milk app.
It's really a great app. Plug in your zip code and it gives you a list of everything that's on sale at local stores. You can add sale items to your list with a click. Plus, you can text your list, which I've found very helpful. Copy recipes from the web and save them. I can't say enough good about it.
bibliothecary, Im going to have to check out that Out of Milk app. SheilaTheTank I used to be a hard core couponer. Now I have a much better understanding of how to price compare.I'm still brand loyal to a fault but I refuse to pay full price. ETA: A month ago I managed to get Eggland's Best eggs for $1.50. It was exciting.
I would have bought their entire stock for that price. Eggs near me are insanely expensive. Even at Aldi's which is where I found them once for $2.50. I bought 5 dozen for that price.
I bought eggs yesterday and when I was taking them out of the bag to put them in the fridge they caught on something, flipped out of my hand and landed upside down. I lost all but 5. I almost cried.
I bought two cartons. Lately, H has been insistent on Large Brown eggs so my egg costs have gone up. The only consolation is that he recently switched back from Rice Milk to regular milk. (Really funny back story with the rice milk)
Post by icaughtfire on Mar 22, 2015 10:36:42 GMT -5
The only thing ever fully stocked in this house is wine/beer, milk, peanut butter, coffee & chicken nuggets. (My kid fucking loves chicken nuggets.)
We don't meal plan because our schedules are crazy opposite. We do a lot (too much) take out, sandwiches, soups, salads, frozen pizza, meals for one. DD usually has cereal for breakfast, lunch at school & dinner at the in laws because they watch her after school until I get out of work. I cook on my days off but not nearly enough to have tons of left overs.
We do a major grocery shopping trip probably once a month & then hit the store as needed if we run out of something.
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1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet? We always have flour, white sugar, brown sugar, olive oil, canola oil, nonstick spray, butter, yeast, salt, and garlic. We also have a super large assortment of spices - most of which I haven't a clue how to use.
2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? I don't stock up on things - we have a small house and I hate clutter. We have an extra bag of flour right now and I'm hating it.
3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? I plan 5-6 dinners and buy everything we need to cook them; I make sure we have quick dinners (pastas, soups, etc) for nights when we don't want to cook, and I buy what is necessary for lunches during the week. If we have left over money (we have a budget) then I buy fun things.
4)Do you have a strict budget? Not strict, but I aim for $160 every two weeks. This is only food - shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, etc is all in a different budget.
5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids? We do Peapod. Our groceries are delivered to our front door.
I would have bought their entire stock for that price. Eggs near me are insanely expensive. Even at Aldi's which is where I found them once for $2.50. I bought 5 dozen for that price.
I bought eggs yesterday and when I was taking them out of the bag to put them in the fridge they caught on something, flipped out of my hand and landed upside down. I lost all but 5. I almost cried.
I bought two cartons. Lately, H has been insistent on Large Brown eggs so my egg costs have gone up. The only consolation is that he recently switched back from Rice Milk to regular milk. (Really funny back story with the rice milk)
Do tell.
Also I tend to prefer brown eggs over white. I'm egg racist.
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet?
Cans of beans, cereal, baking ingredients, pasta
2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? We stalk up on meat at coscto, and things like juice boxes, yogurt and cheese strings.
3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? For the last two months we have been meal planning, and it has saved us money both from not buying things we dont need, and planning out leftovers for lunches.
4)Do you have a strict budget? Nope. I buy what we need and sometimes it is 250, sometimes it's 100. At the end of the month it balances out.
5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids?
I used to go with my DS when he was little and could sit in the cart. Now he is huge and still wants to ride on the cart. I love my alone time now. Plus DH always tries to buy junk food.
Lol I was thinking of you Friday as I drove by ikea and Costco lol
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet? We always have flour, white sugar, brown sugar, olive oil, canola oil, nonstick spray, butter, yeast, salt, and garlic. We also have a super large assortment of spices - most of which I haven't a clue how to use.
2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? I don't stock up on things - we have a small house and I hate clutter. We have an extra bag of flour right now and I'm hating it.
3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? I plan 5-6 dinners and buy everything we need to cook them; I make sure we have quick dinners (pastas, soups, etc) for nights when we don't want to cook, and I buy what is necessary for lunches during the week. If we have left over money (we have a budget) then I buy fun things.
4)Do you have a strict budget? Not strict, but I aim for $160 every two weeks. This is only food - shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, etc is all in a different budget.
5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids? We do Peapod. Our groceries are delivered to our front door.
When I lived with my sister we did Fresh Direct. None of the store where I live now do delivery. I miss it so much.
I bought two cartons. Lately, H has been insistent on Large Brown eggs so my egg costs have gone up. The only consolation is that he recently switched back from Rice Milk to regular milk. (Really funny back story with the rice milk)
Do tell.
Also I tend to prefer brown eggs over white. I'm egg racist.
Maybe 15 years ago, H dated a vegan girl and tried to change his diet for her. He went hardcore for maybe a month before he cracked. He ended up binging for two days on fast food, which surprisingly, did not kill him. After the binge, he said screw it and tried to go back to drinking regular milk. He took one sip and started dry heaving from the smell and taste. He assumed it was spoiled and dumped it down the drain. He dumped out three more gallons before he figured out that it was him and not the milk.
So until about a month ago, my beer loving, fast food addicted husband refused to drink anything but Rice Dream. He finally switched back because he really hated that rice milk doesn't mix well with Cap'n crunch. He hurts my head some days.
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Jan 2015 - Cancelled cycle due to immature follicles
Feb 2015 - IUI #1 (Letrozole) - BFN
March 2015 - Cancelled cycle due to early ovulation
April 2015 - Letrozole, Trigger Shot, IUI - BFN
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Post by swivelchair5 on Mar 22, 2015 11:27:38 GMT -5
I just got back from the grocery store. I did pretty good - I got more fresh produce items than cheese or booze items.
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet? pasta & sauce, crackers, cereal 2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? only buy what we need. DH and I have what we call a 1-person kitchen and have basically no room for storage. 3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? I don't have a meal plan. I rarely have any sort of list at all. 4)Do you have a strict budget? Nope, and never pay much attention to how much I spend. 5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids? Usually by myself. DH does not enjoy crowds or waiting in line.
Ughh I hate going grocery shopping! I wish my refrigerator and pantry would just refill itself.
1. Pantry staples: marinara sauce, pasta, coffee, soup, oatmeal, bread, pancake mix, and macaroni and cheese. In our refrigerator we always have iced tea, lemonade, cheese, orange juice, frozen pizza, ice cream, and veggie "chicken" nuggets.
2. I usually only buy what we need. We don't eat at home a lot.
3. I do both - shop by meal plans and on the fly. I usually plan out 1-2 meals for the week and then wing the rest.
4. It depends on what time of the year it is. DH makes more money in the spring and summer so our budget is definitely a lot tighter during the winter months.
5. I prefer to shop with MH because I like having extra help but he rushes me sometimes so I usually end up forgetting something.
Last Edit: Mar 22, 2015 11:29:55 GMT -5 by lilsneezy
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Post by TheEleventhHour on Mar 22, 2015 11:28:59 GMT -5
1)What types of staples do you keep in your pantry/cabinet? Our pantry has two pull out drawers. I keep one full of spices and oils and one full of baking type essentials (flour, sugar, vanilla, etc). I also always have beans, pasta, rice, quinoa, canned tomatoes, and chicken/veggie broth. Oh and Annie's mac and cheese for nights when I really, really don't feel like cooking lol.
2)Do you stock up or only buy when you need? I usually just buy when we need but we sometimes go to BJs and buy things in bulk.
3)Do you shop based on meal plans or on the fly? Meal plans but I always keep things in the house that are simple (pasta and red sauce / rice and beans) in case I don't feel like making what I actually have on my meal plan.
4)Do you have a strict budget? Not really. We aim for $100 a week. Some weeks it is less, some weeks it is more. We cut down in other parts of the budget before we cut down on our food budget mostly because I am picky and like to eat as local as possible which inevitably costs more.
5)Do you shop by yourself or with SO and/or kids? My mom lives with us so she watches DS every Saturday morning so DH and I can go shopping together. It is definitely less stressful child free!
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