Sanity In My Kitchen

Republished post plus some extras added:

My mom always told me that the best way to save money, save time, stay organized, and keep your sanity in regards the kitchen is:

#1 - have a menu and follow it
#2 - never go to bed with a messy kitchen
#3 - buy staple foods in bulk and/or on sale (preferably both)

Going to bed with a clean kitchen is pretty much the norm in our house. I suppose growing up with that made it a fairly easy practice to adopt. To me, going to bed with a messy kitchen is like going to bed with an angry spouse. You know what you're going to wake up to and it isn't gonna be pretty. I don't know anyone who PREFERS to start the day like that.
Buying food in bulk is easy (most of the time). However, without a plan to ration the bulk one tends to use it up quickly. For example, when a meat is on sale for $1.29/lb I'll get super excited and buy at least 20lbs of it. But then it turns into the next 10 meals and it is gone. I tend to use the bulk IN bulk and get sick of eating it. Not a good practice to keep. But the thought of meal planning seemed kind of daunting to me. I did not want to commit to an entire 4 week cycle of menus especially since I didn't know what was going to be on sale and when. What about craving certain meals? How does spontaneity fall in there? What if I come across a new recipe I want to try? etc. So I settled for going week to week instead. And through trial and error, I figured out a general outline that has suited us well for over several years now. It offers flexibility, variety, and balance. I hope it helps you (if you are interested).....

BREAKFAST
     Sunday: omelets and toast
     Monday: cold cereal, fruit
     Tuesday: hot cereal
     Wednesday: eggs, bacon, toast
     Thursday: cold cereal, fruit
     Friday: pancakes, sausage, (eggs)
     Saturday: cold cereal, fruit

LUNCH
     *leftovers
     *Mac N Cheese
     *PB and J
     *grilled cheese or quesadilla

DINNER (meat + carb + veggie)                                               
     Sunday: homemade pizza night
     Monday: beef
     Tuesday: chicken
     Wednesday: vegetarian meal and/or soup
     Thursday: pork
     Friday: fish
     Saturday: venison or leftovers

carb options (whole grains): pasta, potatoe, rice, beans, bread

This general outline has been the basis of my menu planning and shopping for quite some time. We have saved SO MUCH MONEY planning our meals ahead of time. By doing that, I know what to shop for and how much I need. I don't waste nearly as much food. When it comes time to making dinner, I KNOW I have the ingredients for what I've planned to make (saves so much time and thought). We aren't eating the same things over and over again. Did I mention that it saves a ton of money this way? I have my list of "staple foods" that I stalk up on each week like crackers, cheese, milk, butter, eggs, baking goods, etc. Then all I have to pick up is whatever the recipes call for.

Another money saver is  bulk shopping. For our family of 6, this is absolutely necessary now. Amazon has turned into an invaluable shopping companion. Although you really need to be aware of store prices, prices per ounce, etc in order to get deals on Amazon. Sometimes, though it may sound like a deal on Amazon, it isn't. Items I usually purchase from Amazon include (but aren't limited to) noodles, vanilla, coconut oil, organic fruit leathers, chocolate chips, olive oil, etc. Items that I've found that are NOT a good deal on Amazon are items like crackers, coffee, etc. Again, you need be aware. Another great thing with Amazon is their free shipping on orders over $25 or the Amazon Prime membership. I don't think I need to point out the obvious in regards free shipping, saving on gas, and the convenience of having enough in your pantry.

A friend of mine introduced me to Azure Standard. Azure is a shipping company that supplies stores like Whole Foods, Trader Joes, and independent co-ops. All those natural and organic brands are available through Azure Standard. Even herbs by the ounce are available. A customer can purchase directly from Azure Standard and they have "drop off" sites where you can go pick up your order. This is another huge huge saver.

Because I buy in bulk most of the time, I rarely coupon shop. I mostly just watch meat, veggie, and cheese sales and stock up then.

Our menu this week looks like this:

Sunday
      Breakfast: egg bake
      Lunch: Peanut butter and jelly with fruit
      Supper: tacos

Monday
      Breakfast: granola and fruit
     Lunch: grilled cheese and veggies
     Supper: meatloaf, mashed potatoes, salad

Tuesday
     Breakfast: cold cereal
     Lunch: sausage patties, cheese, fruit
     Supper: chicken, spinach, and tomato pasta, salad greens

Wednesday
     Breakfast: breakfast cookies with milk
     Lunch: quesadillas
     Supper: pork tenderloin, sweet corn, homemade buns

Thursday
     Breakfast: pancakes, bacon, fruit
     Lunch: leftovers
     Supper: chicken soup with crusty bread

Friday
     Breakfast: oatmeal, toast, fruit
     Lunch: mac n cheese
     Supper: baked fish, cauliflower and cheese sauce, pesto noodles

Saturday, Sunday out of town

*the only thing I needed to purchase for this weeks meals are a little bit of fruit, the fish, and cauliflower. Grocery bill for this week's meals was about $38. There was a big cheese sale so I bought about $35 worth of cheeses and butter....shredded (for the freezer), block cheese, and butter.

I hope this helps for all those interested......