Meal Planning In My Sleep

I have a friend who says that ideas just "pop" into her head all day long.  Personally, I cannot imagine what that is like.  However, being somewhat of a planner, the organizational gene kicks in at random times and I find myself organizing, planning, and MEAL planning at all different times of the day.

Meal planning wasn't a necessity for me until about two-and-a-half years ago.  As a single woman, I rarely planned meals or grocery shopped.  However, when I married and moved to a small town, I knew I had to make the most of my trips to the "big city" and cheaper groceries.  For me, a good week was about $75.  That would last Titus & I, and even the weekends we had the kids, until my next trip.

With our move to a bigger city that has a Super Center, and three - no four - grocery stores, I have honed my meal planning skills even more.  Simplicity has to be key, so I follow only three simple rules.  Now, I can usually get all the groceries we need, with maybe even a treat or two thrown in, for about $40 a week.

Disclaimers:

• We are extremely blessed to have beef in our freezer as our family raises their own.
• As a rule, we don't allow soda or junk food in our house, so that never makes it on the grocery bill.
• Lunch is covered for my husband at his school, and I usually eat leftovers or a frozen meal.

The Rules:

1. Shop my freezer and pantry first: I always look through my freezer and my pantry first to see what I already have on hand.  Since I buy things when they are on a good deal (see #2), often times I already have everything I need to make two or three meals for the week.

2. Shop the Deals: I look through the ads for the local stores, as well as the HyVee (50miles away) as Walmart will price match with any store within a 50 mile radius.  I have noticed that one store in town rotates between beef, pork, and chicken deals.  I usually snag the pork and chicken when on sale and stock up enough to last me until it cycles through again three weeks later. I also keep an eye out for "Reduced to Sell" and "Manager's Specials" in the meat department.  Many times I get things a couple days before their "sell by" date is up and put it in the freezer to use within a week or two.

3. Shop with a list: I use #1 & #2 in tandem with each other to create my shopping list.  And then I stick to it.  Like I said, usually I have everything I need already in my home for a couple of meals, so usually I am only shopping for a handful of items.  I don't stray from the list unless it is a really good deal, like a manager's special or reduced to sell deal that wasn't advertised and, by the very nature of the deal, will be no good in a few days. 

The Next Step:

I have not ventured too far into the world of coupons.  When I have looked at them, they typically are for foods that I don't normally buy.  We pretty much eat fresh, whole foods, with the exception of some staples such as soups, dressing, diced tomatoes, etc.  So, I guess that is one area I will have to check into and see if I can work it into my routine.