Shopping with a Purpose: Saving my Sanity as Well as my Budget

Over the last year or so, I have become increasingly resistant to cooking dinner. I am responsible for doing the majority of the cooking in my household, and I am lucky to have a spouse who is very easy to please food wise, but for some reaon, the idea of cooking at the end of the day became totally daunting.

I re-examined the way that I had been shopping and cooking, and was able to discover what was at the root of my cooking issues: not enough forethought or planning. Usually, after work, I would come home, look in our nearly empty cabinets, try (often in vain) to come up with an idea for dinner, drag myself to the store, and then prepare dinner in a totally exhausted state. So, long story short, I am now doing the following:

• Creating a weekly shopping list with at least 5 meal ideas
• I get input from my husband, and create menus that are economical and healthy
• Add extra items like canned beans, dried pastas and rice to keep my pantry stocked

Just through the creation of a weekly shopping list, I have been able to remove the obstacles to my nightly meal preparation. I have a list of meals to choose from, and all of the ingredients are in my fridge or in the pantry (so I don't have to run to the store when I am tired). We have also been able to save a fair amount of money by shopping in this way; I purchase far fewer frozen foods or convenience foods which are often more expensive per serving, and don't allow for leftovers. 

Most important, I enjoy cooking in the evenings again. It is a great stress reliever, and is a way that I can show my family (husband) that I care about him, our home, and our health!