I never liked the idea of planned menu grocery shopping. Of course, I recognize that this might be a positive shopping approach for some. I found that once I had learned the basics of cooking and had enough cash-on-hand to stock basics that I could prepare most meals and meals/dishes without issues. There are, of course, special fresh items that one needs to purchase for specific recipes that require a shopping trip other than basic shopping.
I approach shopping (in these, my senior years) by shopping for what I enjoy, sales (for stashing away in pantry or freezer), products for which I have a really good coupon, and what will agree with my health. So some limitations. Some splurges. Some sensibilities.
But when raising my large family I found I had to clip every coupon (in those days they were 8-cents, 10-cents, 25-cents, and those exciting $1 coupons. But pennies counted! I shopped sales. We ate what the store's cost-leader sale of the week was. YES, I shopped 2 or 3 different stores. They were fairly close to my home, so it was fairly economical to store-hop for sales. These days, I basically shop Food Lion as it is convenient, has digital and register coupons, the wonderful shop/earn program, and the products are good quality. So I still shop the sales to plan my menus for the week and for stashing food for the future.
I start my GROCERY WALK-THROUGH with a list of items I need to replace, items I want for something specific, and items I've seen really good DEALS on as told by super-shoppers on Facebook, etc. I enter the store and begin a circular route of the outside of the store. Produce first - I buy a lot of produce to cook or eat raw. Next is the meat counter and I like to find a delectable piece of salmon to bake. I don't eat large portions so a nice piece provides a meal (baked) and then the left over is delicious flaked over my green salad or made into salmon salad. Still on the outer rim, the dairy is next for eggs, dairy, juices, and refrigerated tea.
Finished with the rim of the store, I walk the aisles looking for items I need (paper, canned, breakfast, & of course coffee/tea). I do buy frozen veggies but try to avoid frozen prepared meals and entrees.
I have lots of time on my hands so when I run to town for errands, I might also put in a grocery run. I still prefer once-a-week shopping, but these extra trips are a plus in that (in these my senior years), long shopping trips are tiring and there is more to unload from the car when I get home. Multiple trips, give me senior-lady-outings, less tiring, less to unload, and the super bonus of interaction with real live people.
NOTE: Health conscious folks contend that outer-rim-of-store-shopping is best for healthy foods as foods are less processed when acquired from the outer rim.
