Wait until you go to the grocery store this week,. I thought I'd faint.

[riderinthestorm]

21. +1 on Aldi. I shop a midwest chain called Woodman's which is often cheaper than Aldi

So between the two I'm okay.

Like you, I shop for what's on sale, not what I'd like to eat. I don't go into the store with a list of menu items that I'm going to prepare for the next couple of weeks (other than staples like rice, beans, pasta), what I find on sale is what's on the menu. Cans of pureed tomatoes are in the scratch and dent sale bins? Lots of spaghetti sauce that week for example. Woodman's has a dairy section of items that are about to go out of date: its typically about a quarter of the regular price in that clearance bin: cheese, 1/2 and 1/2, heavy cream, cottage cheese, yogurts etc. I stock up and freeze whatever I can - those items become cream sauces, quiche, mac and cheese, lasagna etc.

I'd love to actually go shopping with a list that's built around a weekly menu (Monday - boca burgers, baked potatos, green beans!, Tuesday - stir fry, egg rolls and fresh fruit salad! etc. etc.) But that's a dream I gave up on LONG ago. I only cook from scratch. We never go out. And what's on the menu depends on what I find on deep discounted sales that week....