Is once a month shopping and planning for you?

I often have friends that ask how I can possibly plan and shop for all my meals only once a month. The only thing I can say is it is not for everyone. It takes work to plan, organize, and strategize meals for an entire month. Here are some things to think about when deciding if this is right for you.

• You have to cook almost every night - Yes I cook every night, or every other night if we are having leftovers (which is often). I do try to plan for at least one night of take out a month, and there are always "go-to" items in the pantry in the event that I do not feel like cooking what is planned, but cooking or prepping is involved in some way, shape or fashion.
• You need to eat leftovers - For some people this is not a big deal, but I know some people who do not enjoy eating leftovers. I will say that not all leftovers are created equal and some foods just don't taste the same the next day. There are also things you can do to your leftovers that will help make them taste better as if they have"just cooked" - but I will save that for another entry!
• You cannot have brand loyalty or be "picky" when it comes to certain foods or meals - I say this because in order to stick to a budget (currently our monthly budget is 200 dollars) you need to shop what is on sale, use your prepared pantry and make meals that are simple, yet filling. Almost all the brands taste the same in my opinion, so when you can - save! Which brings me to the next item...
• You will NOT be eating steak every night - Many of the staple meals I make each month include chicken, ground beef, turkey, fish, and pork. Steak is not purchased often and is considered a special occasion food. Even fish can get pricey at times and we often buy frozen.
• Size of family and eaters in the household will change your monthly plan - Currently it is only me and my husband who eat the meals, since Evelyn is only 3 months old. Almost all of the meals I make are for 4 people, which means leftovers for the next night. If you have a larger family you can always stretch meals by making salads or other sides to make your main meals go further.
• You need to shop sales - When I find staple items for my pantry on sale, I stock up. No this does not mean you need to create an "extreme couponer" stash - but having stock of items you use often is always helpful, especially if you know they will be used. We also coupon, but not to the extreme. We compare prices of store brand items with the coupon items, and buy the cheapest one (this goes back to the picky thing).
• You need to use what you have on hand before thinking of what you can buy and make - This takes time and effort. There are many times I begin planning great things I want to eat that month, only to realize that making those items would require me to buy several items I don't normally have on hand. As an example, If a recipe calls for something like "seasame seed oil" that I normally don't keep around, buying that would increase the cost of that meal and in turn my budget. It may not seem like a big deal, but go to the grocery store and buy every item for 2 or 3 different meals and it adds up quickly! If you look at your pantry and use most of the items available to create different meals, you will always save. This goes back to the importance of having a prepared pantry.

If this seems like a good fit for you, stick around for some great recipes and tips! If not, stick around anyways, you may find something that is helpful for you and your family. :)