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The daily tasks we must accomplish can soon become daunting. Some things, like emptying the dishwasher, doing the laundry, and bringing out the trash, can be done on autopilot.
However, feeding yourself and your family is a very different beast. It involves a great deal of thought, planning, preparation, and execution. Is it any surprise that we all order takeout so frequently? Not the healthiest or most cost-effective solution.
However, just like every other aspect of your home, if you have a system in place that works for you, even this huge task can become second nature.
I’ve included 5 simple tips below to help you save time and money, and make the task more organized and efficient while grocery shopping and feeding yourself and the rest of your family.
Keep a Running Grocery List
Maintain a running list of all your go-to items, whether it’s a digital list on your phone or a paper list on your fridge. Bread, butters, grains, and other pantry essentials need to be repurchased on a regular basis, and if you have a prominent list, you’ll remember to check before adding something to your online cart or heading to the store. Do the same with your refrigerator: milk, eggs, your child’s favorite yogurt…anything that is consumed on a regular basis.
This list will serve as the foundation for your new, more organized grocery shopping system. It must be easily available and current. Remove peanut butter and jelly from your list if your child ate them for a full year but suddenly won’t touch them with a ten-foot pole, and replace them with cheese slices if he’s in a grilled cheese phase.
Even if you prefer paper, I recommend keeping a simple list on your phone, so you can refer to it if you need to make a last-minute trip to the store.
Declutter Your Fridge Before Adding New Groceries
Cleaning out your fridge before bringing in anything new is one of the best methods to ensure that your grocery situation runs smoothly.
Remove any strange items that have been pushed to the back of the fridge, and edit anything that will never be eaten (be honest with yourself here – yes, you spent a lot of money on that matcha ice latte concentrate, but it’s pretty disgusting, and you’ll never drink it – let it go because it won’t be delicious in 2 weeks either).
Empty the vegetable bins of sad, rotten greens and wash off shelves and drawers. Toss expired condiments, too.
Check to see if everything in your fridge is edible, fresh, and up to date. This may appear to be a lot of work, but if you’re consistent, it should only take you about 10 minutes every time once you are used to the process.
Shop Your Fridge, Freezer and Pantry
Go through your fridge, freezer, and pantry before making a new list and plan meals around what you already have. This is the most effective technique to ensure that neither food nor money is wasted.
Don’t let that wonderful cut of steak turn into a frozen mystery meat lump. It happens to the best of us, and we all make mistakes, but the more effective your system is, the less waste you will create.
Use up any leftover spaghetti from the open three boxes (everyone loves a pasta mashup), roast any vegetables that won’t last another week, and grate the last of the cheese blocks to add to salads or casseroles.
Make a supper out of leftovers once a week. Place everything on the counter that has to be eaten and let your family members choose what they want to eat. It’ll offer you a break from cooking while also getting all of that extra food out of the fridge and eaten before it spoils.
Organize Eat First Sections
An organized section of your fridge/freezer/pantry that says “eat first” is a terrific approach to get everyone in your house involved in your new organized grocery shopping system. You can’t expect your partner or children to know what to eat first if they haven’t been cooking and putting away food, even though they really should have been.
This container, compartment, or shelf should contain all of the foods that must be consumed first. It could be leftovers from yesterday night’s meal, a single apple that got lost in the crisper, or the last of a bag of chips. Whatever it is, make sure everyone in your house understands that they must consume these items before opening new packages.
Get Into Basic Meal Planning
Have you ever said to yourself, “I’m too tired to make a list right now; I’ll just wing it at the store”? Hmmm, I would strongly advise against it. You’ll end up with four different varieties of Oreos, a box of dog biscuits (you remembered something you needed!) and nothing for dinner if you play this game.
Without any guesswork or “let’s just order in” nights, a solid plan with recipes and the necessary ingredients will ensure that you have something to feed your family.
To be absolutely honest, the entire food/meal/cooking situation is a chore. That’s it; I said it. However, having a functional system will reduce your workload, and while all of the planning may seem tedious at first, I assure it will make your life easier in the long run. I wrote a larger piece about meal planning here, which will explain how basic meal planning works.
If you need help with more than just grocery shopping organization, working with Just Organized by Taya can be the answer. From the kitchen to your bedroom, from the bathroom to your basement and nay space in between, our decluttering and organizing expertise is available to anyone who needs it in the Greater Houston area. Book an appointment here and let’s get started!
Working with Taya and her team is easy. You can book an appointment easily on her website, or contact her directly at 832-271-7608
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