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Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
settle this dispute w/ DH
We have a bit of a disagreement about food shopping. He seems to think that we should grocery shop every 2-3 days and only buy fresh foods that we will use right away; he thinks if we grocery shop once a week, we end up buying stuff we don't use and will have to throw away - I think the exact opposite and its all the little trips to the grocery store that end up costing more money and you do too much impulse buying. He agrees we should plan meals, but wants to go to the store for pretty much every other meal. What's a happy medium for this or how can I prove I'm right 
of course, its all moot now b/c we are kitchenless for another few weeks - but goign forward
Re: settle this dispute w/ DH
well, we've always kinda done both - so I'd shop once a week w/ a meal plan and then on day three, he'd randomly go to the store to pick up whatever he wanted for that. And, then we'd make that; or I'd realize I'd forgotten to get an item so I couldn't make whatever was on the schedule.
I think we end up throwing away stuff either way, but I don't think it was that much. Like maybe a bag of spinach or some cauliflower or a few apples.
Hmm... can you agree to limit it to 2 shopping trips per week, say one on Saturday and one on Wednesday, and agree that he does one trip, you do the other, and you each have to stick to the shopping list that you work on together? It may help to counter both throwing away produce and impulse buys.
If my meal plan includes a lot of fresh produce, I'll definitely make a mid-week grocery trip solely for produce. If I need green beans for a meal I'm making Friday night, I don't want to buy them Sunday.
Obviously you don't need to shop 2x a week for pantry foods, like cereal, rice, pasta, etc. but if you try to stick to the outside ring of the store then you do need to shop more than once a week. If you want to eat fresh produce, meat, etc. you definitely need to shop at least 2-3 times a week.
I think in terms of $$$ if you do 2+ shopping trips a week you can spend less but only if you make a concerted effort to not go into the middle of the store (where the more processed, shelf stable items are.)
I usually go to 2 stores a week, the 2nd being Whole Foods which can be $$$- I stay strictly on the outside ring of the store, never going up and down the aisles unless I need a special, specific item (like I needed vital gluten to bake whole wheat bread.) I don't spend a ton there, because I am not doing a "full shop."
As far as fresh food going bad- this is the result of not eating it before it goes bad, which could be solved by shopping 2x or more a week and buying less perishable food on each trip. We get a large bag of produce on Fridays @ Whole Foods and I try to plan our meals in order to eat the most perishable stuff first, but it doesn't always work out.
I don't think there's a concrete answer to this one.
If you're wasting money by throwing away produce then obviously you need to shop midweek for your fresh items.
If you're wasting money by buying things you don't need during random unplanned trips - then you need to limit your grocery trips.
You need to find the balance that works for you guys.
I do one weekly trip, but that's what works for me and the way I cook. One tip - if you're having issues with fresh veggies - consider using more frozen. Maybe not so much this time of year, but certainly in the winter when it's all out of season anyway. They're just as good for you, and if you're going to cook them there's not much difference in final results. Cauliflower, brocolli, spinach, peas, carrots, green beans, any kind of berries - If I'm going to use these things in anything but a salad or to eat as a snack raw, I buy them frozen. If you get them on a 10/$10 sale they're cheaper too.
And...if you buy something fresh and realize you aren't going to get to it before it turns, try packing it up and freezing it for later. If you check out lsgarver's blog she's got some tips for freezing fresh veggies.
(side note..apples? cauliflower? those are both pretty sturdy items. I'm assuming they were just the first things that popped to mind since they should keep for at LEAST a week in the fridge.)
My Goodness...another food blog. Featuring: Macarons from a old post with a photo taken by my mom for a break from my crappy food photos!
I agree with LLH that maybe you can do just two times a week and go in with a list both times.
For us, we usually only shop 1x per week. I make a meal plan, make sure I have everything (and put on the list what we don't have), then shop. I use the veggies that will go bad quickest, first. We rarely have to throw out bad produce/fruit.
For the most part, I go every week but last week I tried meal planning and shopping for 2 weeks. I bought the bulk of what I needed except for the produce/perishable items I'd need for week 2, which I bought the Sunday before week 2. 1)It made shopping trip #2 very quick and 2) for whatever reason I spent less combined than I usually do for two weeks. Not sure if it's because I skipped all the snacks and middle aisles like Daisy mentioned but the cost per week was definitely down a bit. It's a great feeling having 2 weeks planned out and ready to make and spending less - bonus!
ETA: Ok, I totally read the original post wrong and thought your DH wanted you to go shopping every 2-3 weeks...not days. Someone get me more coffee....But there's my .02 on my recent shopping experiences
Someone's getting a little brother!
Our Share of the Harvest:How a couple cooks from a CSA share. Pick Up Day Week 15