WFMW--The Grocery Game

Last week I outlined some cooking/eating/shopping goals I have set for myself out of one of my favorite cookbooks. One of the ways that I help myself in pursuing those goals is to play what I call the Grocery Game. It als helps me to appreciate how much a lot of people accomplish with far fewer resources than I have.

My cooking centers on cooking from scratch. Where I live, fresh fruits and vegetables are almost always far less expensive than frozen or canned. As a result, I rarely spend more than $20/week on food for the two of us (and now a teeny bit goes to my baby). I shop the produce that's on sale (even if it's not my favorite) and flesh out the basket with either salad materials or winter vegetables, both of which are almost always inexpensive. Only after I deal with the produce do I look at the rest of the store and buy whatever else I need that fits in the budget. I also keep a spreadsheet file with the items I put in my pantry and fridge, keep check marks next to the ones I have on hand, and the lowest price I've paid for everything. This file helps me plan grocery lists and menus.

Now we get to the game. I do not have a set shopping day in the week. I only go shopping when I have made as many complete meals as I possibly can. The first few days after a trip to the store, we live pretty high on the hog, and I don't have to do any real thinking to come up with dinner, but then things start to get a little thin. Then I have to comb my recipe books and favorite websites to find recipes that I can use to stretch what remains.

Currently, I have 1/2 a cabbage, 1 onion, half a bag of lentils, and two cans of tomato paste (along with my normal pantry items), that will be feeding us for about four days--and feeding us richly and well.

For more great tips, check out Works for Me Wednesday at We Are THAT Family.