Quarterly Shopping, Q&A part 1

Sassy asked:

Why not more shopping at Sam's? There are three parts to this answer. 1st is that I do a bit more shopping there than what was listed on this month's shopping list. That was just all I needed this month. So it isn't quite as bare as it looks. 2nd is that, like I mentioned in an earlier comment to Maria, I really don't like that we shop there. I have quite a few issues with walmart/sam's club, but those issues aren't (yet) sufficient enough to completely wean me off of Sam's. I do strive to break my dependence on them as much as possible though. But for most of the things we purchase there, we have such a massive price difference from anywhere else I can buy them. I can't really justify the cost to my family just to appease my conscience. 3rd, and probably most important to this discussion, we're brand snobs, pure and simple. LOL We buy very specific brands of almost everything. There are very few items that we don't care what brand we buy. And most of the things we buy, Sam's either doesn't carry our specific brand or the specific product within that brand. Examples: we only buy glad force flex odor shield trash bags - they carry many glad products, but not that one, they also carry hefty ultra flex... but there is only one we buy. They only sometimes carry our toothbrush heads. There are several more examples, but that really lowers the number of products we shop for there. I also try to buy very few food products there.

Coupon Sites? I don't often use coupon sites, though I occasionally will stumble across one I really want to use. I mostly use coupons sent to us for products we use (I let companies we are loyal to know it - companies really appreciate knowing those things.), coupons sent to us by the stores we shop at (we get coupons from all the stores on my shopping list, except sam's), coupons I get online at the stores websites or pick up in store, and coupons I print off from the companies websites.

Meal planning? Well, as mentioned, I plan our meals a year at a time. We buy our beef in bulk, from a local farm, a year at a time. I buy our chickens a quarter at a time, at our health food store, locally delivered from a farm here. The meat goes in the deep freeze. When I sit down to plan our meals for the year, I, pretty much unfailingly, follow a plan - it makes it easier for me to figure out meals. So, for us:

Sunday - used to be for Amanda to plan and cook, but she is really slacking on the job, and it is definitely not my hill to die on, so starting this quarter, I'm taking it over. I don't have a firm plan for this night, except EASY. I'll figure out a more precise plan for it as I start working on next year's menu.

Monday - Beef

Tuesday - Seafood, Pork, or Vegetarian. We do not eat a lot of any of these, so once or twice a month works out just fine. Also, if I need to cancel a meal later in the plan b/c I know now that we will be traveling, I have often moved a cancelled favorite into this spot. Not counting that though, it averages out to once a month each for pork and seafood, and twice a month for vegetarian.

Wednesday - Kim and Amanda's night out. When I have my act together and am not exhausted, I will cook something super easy for myself or heat up leftovers. Most of the time, I use my allowance and get delivery.

Thursday - Chicken

Friday - Soup 90% of the time. For a little variety I sometimes throw salad or sandwich in there, but that happens maybe once a quarter. It is pretty much soup night.

Saturday - Fun night... pizza, egg rolls, snack night, date night (Amanda fends for herself), occasionally delivery or take out. But usually home cooked, just a fun meal.

So within those parameters, I then start filling in meals. I try to add in a few new yummy sounding things each year, but we mostly eat favorites. I plan on cooking a whole chicken once a month (roast chicken dinner) usually, and then after that meal, I divide up the leftovers (I usually get three more meals worth of meat, plus broth) and freeze them for the chicken dinners the rest of the month. I figure out how much beef of each type I have (ground, steak, roast, chunks [for stew/stir fry/kebabs]), and then figure out what meals I want to have of each, and then divide them up in the menu. Once a month (usually first Saturday of the month), Kim and I have date night, where we go out for a meal (we date weekly, but usually work it around meal times). Once a month, usually the last Saturday of the month, but shuffled around for holidays and parties, we have snack night - everyone picks one snack to contribute and then we all share them for dinner. From there, I just plan meals, trying to get every one's favorites in.

I think I am saving money, especially on the things that I buy in bulk. But groceries are just so outrageously expensive these days, it can make it hard to appreciate it. Hope this helps - let me know if you have any other questions! (In some ways it is easier for me to answer questions, rather than just try to think of how to explain everything. :) )