[quote=CDMA ENG][quote=Allan from Fallbrook][quote=UCGal]We’re old school… pad on the fridge, as family members notice stuff is running low, we add it to the list. Then before the grocery run hubster and I talk about mealplans and adjust the list accordingly.[/quote]

UCGal: Great system, and the one we use, too. We map out meals two weeks in advance (and we have certain items that never change, i.e. spaghetti on Wednesdays without fail), and then break out the “where” (Costco, Walmart, Stater Bros, etc).

I get the “heavy” staples at Costco, including dog food, meat and veggies at Stater Bros and certain bulk items at Walmart (like charcoal for grilling). If you are ruthless about menus and pricing, you can manage your budget very effectively while still delivering high quality meals.[/quote]

MREs do not count as meal plans Allen… Actually I am impressed that you guys can do that but doesn’t that a get boring? To know what you are eating two weeks in advance?

CE[/quote]

CE: MREs? Screw that, dude, its C-rats all the way! You know what MRE stands for, right? “Meals Rejected by Ethiopians”!

There is definitely some variety in there, Wednesday happens to be the one night that we’re all home as a family and everybody can participate in the meal. Weather permitting, we try to grill at least 2x per weekend and there is a big variety there, too. I hunt for the cheapest cuts of meat and then use dry rub and slow cooking to break the meat down. Stater Bros usually has tri-tip on sale a couple of times per month and that stuff is awesome with some Texas dry rub and cooked off the heat.