More on menu planning and grocery shopping

[Update: So....this did not work out as I had hoped. I had used up most of our grocery allowance the first week and that made it difficult to buy extra "snacky" stuff that I now have to have to eat in between meals. It was the longest month ever just waiting to be able to go grocery shopping again. I guess week to week shopping in the most flexible for us right now.]


If you didn't already know, I'm a perfectionist. I'm not easily satisfied with the status quo because for some reason I always think there is a better way. Whether it's a better way of doing or being. Case in point: my meal planning routine. I'm constantly changing the way I do it in search of a more cost effective, efficient, economical way of planning meals, buying, storing and cooking food. Now, before some of you right me off as one of those planning, organizational, control freaks, please know that I LOVE this aspect of my personality and I also LOVE finding the balance in life. So, it's not so much about control as it is about finding joy in what I do. Also, it very rarely causes frustration in my life.

My shopping cart today. I've never had so much in my cart before!

This month I'm trying something new. Planning and shopping for the whole month in one shopping trip. If I was smart, I would have tried two weeks first, but apparently I'm not, so I jumped right in. I have already invested a considerable amount of time in preparing for this months menu. I made a list of "themes" for each dinner and then chose four meals for each theme. Ex: pasta. Then I made a master list of all the ingredients in each recipe along with items needed for breakfast and lunch for the month. Today, I chose one recipe from each "theme" and used my master shopping list to compile all I would need for the whole month minus some produce/dairy that would go bad. Each week following I will choose other recipes from the "themes" and double check to make sure I have all the necessary ingredients. If I do need to pick a few things up, I'll be able to do this when I'm already out instead of making a trip just for groceries. I also plan to buy most of my produce from the farmers' market now that I'll know exactly what I need. I will use the monthly meals that I chose for several months in a row, so that the time I've invested will be a one time thing. I'm not quite sure if the pros outweigh the cons yet. Here's what they are so far:

Pros:
- uses less gas with only one trip to the grocery store per month
- frees more time - three Monday's per month to be exact
- costs the same per month, maybe less
- produce prep was about the same

Cons:
- I don't have enough canvas grocery bags, so I used WAY more plastic bags. Usually I don't use any. However, I could buy a few more canvas bags for .99 each
- in the grocery store for a longer amount of time
- might be more difficult as my belly grows :) It took a lot more energy than my once a week trips. However, a once a month trip will be much more convenient with an infant.

I guess we'll have to see how this month goes. I'll let you know how it turns out.

In case you didn't catch it. We're expecting our first son or daughter in April!!!!