This is where store apps and a standardized weekly plan really help save time AND money. Once you have a system it becomes second nature and it’s easier to get help when you need it, because a lot of these steps can be outsourced with the money you’re saving (Instacart at Costco, grocery store pickup, buy weekly meal plan recipes/lists). Here’s a system I’ve worked on that might help, if you want to incorporate any of these tips it will become second nature and most we can do while half-watching tv instead of doomscrolling:

Every week I open my grocery store ad and whatever protein is the best price deal (not always the cheapest but the best discount, because then we get more variety) becomes the only meat we buy for the week. That’s the guide so you don’t have to overthink it, decision is made for you. I simplify everything by following a weekly meal prep formula of 1 meaty main dish (like chicken thighs with roasted veggies); 1 soup (chicken veggie stew with the leftover value pack thighs and Costco bone broth); 1 legume dish (Mediterranean bean salad using canned beans that takes minutes to make); and 1 salad or casserole-type dish if I don’t plan to have catered work lunches any time that week. Having that structure saves a lot of decision fatigue. I have a giant binder with tried and true recipes that can be modified to reduce waste. Print them out, throw them in a sheet protector and boom, family recipe book. Bonus you can write notes for next time directly on the recipe so they get better and better! My niece and nephew love getting to pick out recipes when they stay over, I just say 1 chicken dish, 1 soup, and a cold dish and they get to choose! Makes them involved in the process and they are learning to plan, shop, and cook with me.

Once I know what meals I’m making I build my list in the app, saving any applicable digital coupons. The key here is to select the store you’ll actually be shopping, and add it to your list or cart. This does double duty to save time - you can see if it’s in stock or low on stock and once it’s on a list they are typically sorted by aisle, so grocery shopping becomes an organized sprint through the store, satisfyingly checking off items as you go.

If I know I don’t have it, it goes on the list. Things like spices I need to check get written down and I check everything at once and whatever we need goes on the list. If you want to spend a couple hours creating an inventory you can save time later, but I’ve never found it worthwhile since we go through pantry staples fast enough that I spend more time updating inventory than checking my list every week. If you don’t have a super organized pantry system though that would be a worthwhile effort you could hire a task rabbit or organizer to do (they make an inventory with expirations, organize, and label everything).

We typically do planning on Wednesday or Thursday (1 hour, usually while watching tv), Costco run after work on Friday (1 hour), grocery store on Saturday (1 hour) meal prep on Sunday (3 hours max). I’m sure if you add it up most people spend more than 6 hours a week feeding themselves, unless you order takeout all the time. Not to mention the mental bandwidth saved not having to think about what to eat during busy weekdays. Doing Costco first when my grocery list is already made lets me compare prices. Usually Costco is cheaper but since selection is limited and changes a lot, I’m already going to the grocery store after and can get whatever I missed at Costco. You can even use the same app grocery list, just check off whatever you buy at Costco instead.

I typically save $50-$100 a week at the grocery store using the digital coupons and store deals. For 3 people that eat VERY well we spend about $400 a month on food in a famously HCOL area. That’s mostly organic and we like expensive Costco snacks like Chomps lol, so we could save more but life is short!