Have you ever been to the grocery store and spent close to $100? And once you get home you realize you don’t have all the ingredients or groceries to cook a well balanced meal or anything worth bragging about? You have a Refrigerator, freezer, and pantry full of food, but still find yourself saying “I don’t have anything to cook”. This behavior is what you call “UNNECESSARY STOCKPILING”. Though this method of aimlessly wandering the aisles of your local supermarket is practiced by 75% of America, there are a few ways to cut your cost, loses, cabinet space and time. Here are a few pointers to keep in mind the next time you head to Publix, Kroger or your local supermarket to fill your baskets full of disjointed items.
Decide how many times in a week you plan to cook
Once you come to the reality that you aren’t really going to cook Mon-Friday or even Sunday-Thursday, you can narrow down your selections. We typically cook 3 (three) days within a work week.
2. Make Lists of the dishes and recipes you plan to spend your evenings cooking
This will allow you to create a tangle list that actually works that doesn’t consist of Marie Callender and Stouffer microwavables, better yet JUNK FOOD
3. Now that you have an idea wrapped around what you’d like to throw in the pot. Make a list of the ingredients. This requires some process of elimination. If you know that you already have some of the needed spices, herbs or vegetables, there is no need to purchase these items again. I have found myself buying cinnamon every time i want to make a dessert. Now i have 3 jars of cinnamon.
4. Head to the store on a full/semi stomach to avoid picking everything that looks good that you don’t need
These 4 points can ease the strain on your pocket when it comes to planning your meals for the week. Though this may not work for everyone some of us cook sporadically and head to the store when we get the urge to cook or for special occasions. What are your thoughts and comments? What works best for you?