Let’s face it, the cost of food is always higher than we want. We could eat out, but for the same cost of dining out twice at a restaurant for a family of 3, we could buy a week’s worth of food and cook it at home. It makes more sense financially to cook at home. The catch is finding a way to get the impulse buying under control. The two rules that I try to follow when shopping include; 1) Don’t shop when hungry; and 2) Have a plan.

Weekly Menus

Starting with a menu helps with the shopping. I try to include a balanced set of meals that include fruits and veggies, proteins, and grains. I like to rotate the proteins, so my family doesn’t get bored with the same one all the time. Unfortunately, beef prices have increased beyond reason, so steak doesn’t make as much of an appearance on our menus as we would like.

Shopping Lists

Shopping lists are integral to watching the budget. Since my family helps make the menu, we have fewer arguments over items to buy when shopping. The nice thing about the list is the efficiency of it. By organizing the list by sections of the store I can usually get in and out of most stores in about 30 minutes (which is fantastic at places like Costco). Having and sticking to the list also helps reduce the “extra” items that magically appear in the cart, and for which I generally end up with buyer’s remorse when I get home. Below is a template for my shopping lists.

Well Stocked Pantry

A well stocked and organized pantry is key to creativity with foods, but also in maintaining a reasonable shopping list. I prefer to buy my spices and seasonings in bulk so I always have them on hand. A lot of these items are bought once and last for quite a while. Below are pantry items I generally stock: