Penniless Parenting (cooking, bulk buying, food storage, rock bottom prices)
Broke Foodie (shops once every three months, and uses her pantry the rest of the time)
and
The Everyday Minimalist (who only has just enough in the fridge to last the wee
k)There are aspects of both approaches that I find appealing. Having food on hand so that I don't have to go grocery shopping, and saving money by buying in bulk = goood.
But planning exactly one week's meals and not having to dig through this and that to find what I'm looking for, only to realize that I'm out = also very appealing.
But they are polar opposite ways of doing very similar things.
6 comments:
Whatever works for you :)
We don't keep stock only because we move so much. We hate toting food around.
BUT!
IF we had a place for a year or longer, we WOULD keep stock, but certainly not too much.
The key thing for us to eat during the week with just what we buy, is that it is easier to find what we are supposed to eat, and eat it, rather than ignoring the food and going out to eat because we forgot a lemon or something.
Meal planning ahead of time really helps us.
I agree with FB. I think both principles are based off the same idea: meal planning. You can plan for a week, and buy and use for exactly that week, or you can narrow down to your essentials (you know, pantry staples and stuff you eat the most) and then just buy enough 'toppings' and sides to last you for a month or longer.
So yeah, if you have the space (or the time in one place, as FB mentions), I would stock up on things. That could save you money if you REALLY plan it well, or end up costing you more (going shopping for an onion you forgot, the can of beans you thought you had left, and in the way, get extra stuff you didnt plan for). One week might be easier and better to manage if you're low on space and would require less planning for sure. At home, we would sometimes buy once a month, or as much as three times a month.
What I'm finding is that what "works for me" depends a lot. My meal planning has fallen by the wayside as my work hours have gone up. So it's a bit easier to make sure I have a full pantry and freezer, then there is always "something".
But I want to get out of the habit of shopping every single week for things that we eat, but don't necessarily NEED. I don't need to buy cereal and bread. I have oatmeal and flour.
I'll have to check out those links - thanks!
Not only do I menu plan, but I also have a list on the outside of my refrigerator and freezer, letting everyone know what's in there.
Like, if there's leftover pizza, I have it on the list - if you eat it, you cross it off - that way you aren't looking for something that isn't there.
Happy Monday! Hope you had a great weekend!
I don't think I could do the stock up for months thing. Plus, I like too much fresh produce to shop so sporadically. And I can't think that far in advance on meals. I think the main thing is to simply not let things you buy go to waste.
Well, the thing about shopping every few months and fresh produce...for broke foodie (and me), we both belong to CSA's. So we get fresh produce weekly.
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