After sitting down and going over our budget, I realized I was wasting a ton of money at the supermarket. Daily (well not really but pretty close to daily) trips to the supermarket was no longer going to work. Not that it was the best option before, but the supermarket was a lot closer and it was easier to make multiple stops before. The problem with daily trips to the supermarket was that I ALWAYS ended up buying stuff I didn't really need. I would have a basic list but then I would see something and think that I could use that. Not a big deal if you're doing it once a week but, those items add up when you do it on a regular (or in my case daily) basis.
So something had to change. I sought the advice of some really cool moms I know and came up with a new plan. I was going to (a) make a list and stick to it, (b) stop making daily trips to the supermarket, and (c) start meal planning! I am on the third week of meal planning and it has been a HUGE success. It's nice to have a basic idea on a weekly basis what we're going to have for dinner. I have set up a google calendar that syncs with our other google calendars and each week I sit down and plan our meals. There is no more deciding what to make for dinner the morning before. It just doesn't work and most of the time it resulted in ordering take out. Now it's not something that is set in stone. Sometimes life does get in the way and making what is planned for Tuesday on Monday works better timing wise. In fact over the last week we have shifted some meals and we did end up ordering pizza the other night because we spent too long doing some yard work and the dinner I had planned would have taken longer to make than it would have to order out. So I saved the dinner for the following night and shifted the rest of the meals over.
It is just nice to have a basic idea and have all the ingredients on hand for the meals that are planned in any given week. I have designated Tuesday (with Wednesday as the backup) as my shopping day since the two older boys are in school and I can hit the supermarket with JUST one kid in tow! It's been so nice. Evan enjoys riding in the car all by himself and I am not as easily distracted as I was with ALL THREE in tow!
Another way to save time is to make double batches of meals and freeze them. I have made a bunch of pulled pork and vacuumed sealed it and it is now in the freezer for the next time I feel like making pulled pork sandwiches or pulled pork burritos. Right now I have a small handheld foodsaver product called the Freshsaver. It's designed for things like lunch meats and cheese that you use on a regular basis, but I have used it for more long term storing. Now that I know I like using it, and it will be a useful kitchen gaget, not just a dust collector, I think I will ask Santa to get me the Foodsaver for Christmas!
Tomorrow on the meal plan is Cuban Pork, which is currently marinating in my refrigerator waiting to be placed in the crock pot first thing in the morning!
