trying to get the shopping budget under control

[nephthys43]

does anyone know of any websites where i can plug in weekly recipes and get an itemized shopping list? i'm tired of spending a fortune on groceries to come home missing things i need or forgetting to buy certain meals. i'm tired of throwing things out cause i bought them on a whim and forgot about it til it expired. help!

 

[brymolmom]

Not sure that a web site would be the only thing to cure these issues that we all have. I would say sitting down and planning out the meals for a week (or two or a month) -and ALL meals - breakfast, lunch dinner then making a detailed list yourself would be better. A web site doesn't know what you have in your own pantry already.

Then, only buy what's on your list - do not stray at all to any impulse buys. Difficult, yes, but as long as you add one or two 'splurges' to your detailed list above - it should be doable.

I think a web site won't take the place of just devoting a lot of time to making your own list. It might help with some aspects, but it will come down to putting the time in.

 

[edk35]

does anyone know of any websites where i can plug in weekly recipes and get an itemized shopping list? i'm tired of spending a fortune on groceries to come home missing things i need or forgetting to buy certain meals. i'm tired of throwing things out cause i bought them on a whim and forgot about it til it expired. help!

You sound like me. I have always been a horrible grocery shopper and meal planner.

 

[almburr]

I have a list of meals and what it takes to prepare them. I then decide what meals we will be making for the next 2 weeks. This includes meals and all snacks. I know that I will have to return to the store for milk since I dont have enough room in the fridge for 5 gallons of milk at a time.

I make my list according to the lay out of the store and shop by section. I buy plenty extra of fresh fruits an vegies for snacks. I follow this very closely and I save money and have plenty of food when we need to make meals.

 

[worm761]

Do you have a smart phone? We use Cozi.com. I make a list of what we are going to eat on a list. Then I go over each one making a detailed grocery list of things to buy. I also update the list throughout the week with things that may not be on the list for a meal but are needed just the same like sugar, toothpaste, shampoo what have you. Then, we access the list from the phone at the store and just cross off items as they are thrown in the buggy.

I do go a little farther though. I compare the sales and coupons I might have with my list and make a notation on whether I have a coupon and what store I want to buy the item at. We shop at multiple stores though.
I will say thought that doing this, making a menu and a shopping list, is just a habit that you are going to have to get into. There are still impulse purchases but not nearly as many. It was really hard at first but I quit working to stay home so I had to do something to bring down the grocery bill. We were spending close to 700 a month for groceries and now we are spending around 400 feeding more mouths and eating much healthier. Good luck!

 

[Patience]

Take a look at e-mealz.com. I have not used the site but have friends who swear by it. You can get grocery lists and menus for the whole week based upon items and brands in your usual grocery store (walmart, publix, kroger, etc.). There is a small fee if you decide to join (I think around 5 bucks per month?) but you can see sample weekly grocery lists and menus for free.

 

[edk35]

Do you have a smart phone? We use Cozi.com. I make a list of what we are going to eat on a list. Then I go over each one making a detailed grocery list of things to buy. I also update the list throughout the week with things that may not be on the list for a meal but are needed just the same like sugar, toothpaste, shampoo what have you. Then, we access the list from the phone at the store and just cross off items as they are thrown in the buggy.

I do go a little farther though. I compare the sales and coupons I might have with my list and make a notation on whether I have a coupon and what store I want to buy the item at. We shop at multiple stores though.
I will say thought that doing this, making a menu and a shopping list, is just a habit that you are going to have to get into. There are still impulse purchases but not nearly as many. It was really hard at first but I quit working to stay home so I had to do something to bring down the grocery bill. We were spending close to 700 a month for groceries and now we are spending around 400 feeding more mouths and eating much healthier. Good luck!

Thanks for the cozi.com idea. I just set that up. I think this is a great way to stay organized too.

 

[funnygarcia]

Take a look at e-mealz.com. I have not used the site but have friends who swear by it. You can get grocery lists and menus for the whole week based upon items and brands in your usual grocery store (walmart, publix, kroger, etc.). There is a small fee if you decide to join (I think around 5 bucks per month?) but you can see sample weekly grocery lists and menus for free.

I've used E-mealz, it has a couple different types of weekly menus. Store specific, good at any store, diet specific, etc.
The portion control one is based on weight watchers, I found it to be closest to my style of cooking. Focus on vegetables, whole grains, less meat.

The other meal lists depend on using prepared foods like cream of soups, rice mixes, refrigerated biscuits, heavier foods with lots of meat, sour cream, cheese - makes for quick n easy cooking, but not something that is ideal for my family needs.

If there isn't a store to match your area, you still would be saving money on groceries. Meal planning and grocery list is already done for you. Print it off, cross off the items you have at hand, go to the store with your list. Done. No more staring into the fridge at 5 o'clock, grumbling "what should we have tonight?" and it will cut down on impulse buys, going out to eat because you forgot to thaw out X , etc..

 

[lisalis]

I don't know of a website, but I do most meal planning in advance. I get my grocery ads on Tuesday. I sit down and look at the ads to see what items, especially meat and produce, is on sale. I stock up on shredded cheese and chicken when it is on sale and store it in my freezer, because these are two items I use the most. I also consider what meat I already have in my freezer and items in my pantry. Also, think about what kind of meals you make. What are the basic items you use? I plan out the meals for the next week and make a list of items I need to buy. I have used allrecipes.com to type in ingredients I have to browse recipes. I also like to stick with about 5 basic types of meals each week - pasta night, Mexican night, sandwich night, soup night/grilled meat with salad in summer, Pork/Beef roast with veggies in crockpot night. This helps me focus a bit and I generally have several go to recipes in each category that I don't have to think about the recipes much. We also order pizza one night on the weekend and I usually make a breakfast casserole type dish for Sunday brunch. It helps me to have structure, otherwise I get too out of focus at the store and end up with a bunch of stuff that doesn't go together and we eat take out - expensive and unhealthy! Good luck to you

 

[Jill in Chicago]

Sorry no web site ideas, but what works for me is a once a week plan. First thing, go through the fridge. Check out ALL the shelves and bins. Pitch as needed. Do NOT feel guilty. This is a brand new start.

- What is still good? Can you use it within days? If not the freezer is your best friend. Small amount of vegetables? Zip lock. Small amount of cooked meat? Ziplock.

- As you are putting stuff in the freezer keep your eyes open. What do you see that has been there awhile? Maybe some chicken breasts? Write that down. Burger? Write that down. What about an assortment of vegetables....

- Look at what you have from the freezer. How can you use it? Vegetables, chicken broth, leftover chicken and you have soup. Cooked meat? Turn it into stir fry, a casserole, tortillas... No time to simmer soup? Put it in the crockpot.

- Get a huge 3 ring binder and the cheapest page protectors you can find. Start a section in the front for recipes to try. In the back put ONLY recipes you love. Put in some dividers: dinner, dessert.... just the quick basics. NOW when you need dinner ideas you have them all in one place. When you see a recipe to try you have a place to PUT it.

- Cook. Tell yourself a minimum amount of nights a week and cook. Leftovers right into the freezer UNLESS you will really eat them.

- Extra fruit each week that goes bad? Buy less fruit. Remember if you run out you can go back to the store.

- Vegetables that go bad? STOP buying fresh and buy frozen.

- Meat that goes bad? FREEZE it when you come home from the store. It truly only takes 5 hours to thaw, or put it in the fridge before you go to bed.

- Tons of food that always goes bad before you cook it/bake it/turn it into a meal? Question whether or not you ever will really cook. Be HONEST! My SIL does not cook. She does buy roasted chicken, things from the deli.... nothing goes bad at her house because she is honest that she hates to cook.