http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/Christina/28317 When grocery shopping, I'm a planner. I will choose 7 meals with sides, make my shopping list and organize it by which aisle it's on or department it's in.&nbsp; So, the idea is that I have everything we need for the week and at the end of 7 days, I will purchase supplies for 7 new meals. However, schedules get overloaded, unplanned activites pop up and we'll end up eating out. By the middle of the week, I either tend to forget what meals I had planned for, or if I do remember, the produce I needed has gone bad.&nbsp; Many times, when I do cook we'll have leftovers and I have the best intentions when saving those leftovers for later in the week.&nbsp; However, again, playdates, Doctor appointments or parties surprise us at the last minute and we don't get to re-heat our leftovers. Last week I decided it had been way too long since I had cleaned out the refrigerator - check out those pictures and look at how much food I threw out! How wasteful is that?!? It really saddens me to see how trivial we are about throwing away a resource that people in other countries (or our own) barely have access to! So for 2 weeks now, I have cooked every night and used every item that has been purchased at Vons...... And in exchange, my produce drawer has stayed clean :) When grocery shopping, I'm a planner. I will choose 7 meals with sides, make my shopping list and organize it by which aisle it's on or department it's in.&nbsp; So, the idea is that I have everything we need for the week and at the end of 7 days, I will purchase supplies for 7 new meals. However, schedules get overloaded, unplanned activites pop up and we'll end up eating out. By the middle of the week, I either tend to forget what meals I had planned for, or if I do remember, the produce I needed has gone bad.&nbsp; Many times, when I do cook we'll have leftovers and I have the best intentions when saving those leftovers for later in the week.&nbsp; However, again, playdates, Doctor appointments or parties surprise us at the last minute and we don't get to re-heat our leftovers. Last week I decided it had been way too long since I had cleaned out the refrigerator - check out those pictures and look at how much food I threw out! How wasteful is that?!? It really saddens me to see how trivial we are about throwing away a resource that people in other countries (or our own) barely have access to! So for 2 weeks now, I have cooked every night and used every item that has been purchased at Vons...... And in exchange, my produce drawer has stayed clean :) en-us <p><span style="color: #0000ff">I wish I was as organized as you are when it comes to shopping!&nbsp; If I have a&nbsp;list or what I need, we go!&nbsp;&nbsp;The habit I have gotten into is making&nbsp;my&nbsp;list of dinner menus out&nbsp;two weeks at a time.&nbsp; They are always up for changing -&nbsp;but this at least gives me a plan of action if I am&nbsp;indecisive or I just don't want to think about it!&nbsp; I have new recipes I like to throw in and some stand-bys that are good to eat anytime.&nbsp; I have done the same thing that you have done....cleaned out the frig. and been really sick at the amount of food that we waste, but not often.&nbsp; I&nbsp;try to only buy staple things that the kids and we will eat - or will freeze well.&nbsp; I do shop at Costco and buy in&nbsp;large quantities the things we go through fast or&nbsp;will stay in the freezer or pantry until they are eaten.&nbsp; (I love to get the flour&nbsp;in 25lb. a bag and split&nbsp;it into gallon ziploc bags...that'll last 6+ months for us....for less than $3.....at least it used to be that cheap....)&nbsp; I always keep my menu on the side of the frig. where I make grocery lists, notes,&nbsp;and can look at it in the morning, or early afternoon.&nbsp; If I relied on my memory....forget it!</span></p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff">I need to get busy and get to cleaning out the frig. next.....I did a major re-organization on the pantry....and it was long over due!&nbsp; Next....the frig!&nbsp; ;)&nbsp; Happy Friday!</span></p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</p> http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/Christina/28317/#c_255849 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/Christina/28317/#c_255849 <p><span style="color: #0000ff">I wish I was as organized as you are when it comes to shopping!&nbsp; If I have a&nbsp;list or what I need, we go!&nbsp;&nbsp;The habit I have gotten into is making&nbsp;my&nbsp;list of dinner menus out&nbsp;two weeks at a time.&nbsp; They are always up for changing -&nbsp;but this at least gives me a plan of action if I am&nbsp;indecisive or I just don't want to think about it!&nbsp; I have new recipes I like to throw in and some stand-bys that are good to eat anytime.&nbsp; I have done the same thing that you have done....cleaned out the frig. and been really sick at the amount of food that we waste, but not often.&nbsp; I&nbsp;try to only buy staple things that the kids and we will eat - or will freeze well.&nbsp; I do shop at Costco and buy in&nbsp;large quantities the things we go through fast or&nbsp;will stay in the freezer or pantry until they are eaten.&nbsp; (I love to get the flour&nbsp;in 25lb. a bag and split&nbsp;it into gallon ziploc bags...that'll last 6+ months for us....for less than $3.....at least it used to be that cheap....)&nbsp; I always keep my menu on the side of the frig. where I make grocery lists, notes,&nbsp;and can look at it in the morning, or early afternoon.&nbsp; If I relied on my memory....forget it!</span></p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff">I need to get busy and get to cleaning out the frig. next.....I did a major re-organization on the pantry....and it was long over due!&nbsp; Next....the frig!&nbsp; ;)&nbsp; Happy Friday!</span></p> <p><span style="color: #0000ff">&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</span>&nbsp;</p> <p>have you ever seen those commercials for the produce bags??&nbsp; i have the same problem with produce dying before i actually get to use them for cooking.&nbsp; the commercial says it'll keep your produce alive weeks longer.&nbsp; hmmm.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/Christina/28317/#c_256476 http://www.raisingbakersfield.com/home/Blog/Christina/28317/#c_256476 <p>have you ever seen those commercials for the produce bags??&nbsp; i have the same problem with produce dying before i actually get to use them for cooking.&nbsp; the commercial says it'll keep your produce alive weeks longer.&nbsp; hmmm.&nbsp;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p>