This is the week for our shopping trip. I have started my meal plan. I plan about 9-10 meals before I even see the ads. Sometimes my husband helps, sometimes I can figure out enough by myself.
Spaghetti is a staple in our house, so that's always planned on for at least three meals.
Also on the list is pizza, tacos, fajitas, lasagna, chicken parmesan, lasagna roll-ups and ravioli. Most of these meals we will have more than once. The lasagna, lasagna roll ups and fajitas depends on prices. Those might change to something more budget friendly, those might not. We haven't had lasagna in a few months so it might just stay and I will fit it in.
As I make my meal plan, have my shopping list on a separate sheet right beside it. This step is typically done on notebook paper because it's easier to change as needed. Every time I make write a meal or snack down on my meal plan sheet, I write down every ingredient I need for that. If I need the recipe, I make a note that I need to find the recipe for it-usually off my Pinterest page, but sometimes out of my cookbook or recipe box. If it's not something I make all the time, I check the recipe to make sure I get all the ingredients. The spaghetti we get variety from different flavored sauces, sometimes a sauteed onion is added to it, sometimes not. Honestly, that depends on if I have baby Grace in the moby wrap cooking or not and if I remember or not.
As I'm making my meal plan, I make a note of anything special happening in the month. Such as birthdays, dinners with grandma (that we know of, sometimes grandma surprises us), holidays, husband on vacation.. You get the idea. This month we have Andrew turning 4, possibly a Passover dinner happening (not sure, we haven't decided but I think it will depend on the sales), the kids and I are going to my parents' so we have to have snacks for the trip and Dennis needs food for when we are gone (he can't cook, so needs stocked up on food). Basically, I try to plan on anything and get everything in one trip. It doesn't always happen, but I try.
Before I check the ads, I will check my pantry stock spreadsheet and usually end up eliminating four or five items off my list because I already have them in the pantry.
As of right now, I need to update the pantry list to what I have used lately with my list I keep on the counter and then I will be ready to look at the ads on Wednesday morning when they come out.
Today we get to go for a walk and get food for lunch for the next three days because the kids and I were pigs this month and ate all our lunch food.. Since I REALLY don't want pancakes for breakfast and lunch for three days, we are going to spend over our budget and get probably some supplies for pizza, although homemade lunchables sounds good, too.
I'm trying to figure out how to add a recipe link to the page so I can post recipes and pictures as I make them. I'm not exactly knowledgeable about computers, so it takes me awhile to figure things out. But I'll get it. Even if my husband has to set up the page. I'll get it! LOL I'll post more in a couple days including links to the sale ads I use.
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