How do you plan your meals and food shop?

I roughly plan our meals depending on what is in the diary. Not set in stone though and days get switched around.
Before shopping we check what we have and that’s taken into account. We have very little waste. this way.

I buy enough meat and fish to last about 3 weeks, portion it up and freeze, then plan for the following weeks meals by spacing out the meat/fish over different days. So I know that tomorrow is chicken, Thursday pork, Friday salmon and so on. Then shop for veg, dairy and larder stuff depending on season/price etc. I try not to do too many repeats over the 3 week menu!

On my own, so no planning. No set times, no set meals. Today, just toast and coffee in the morning, yesterday’s stew for lunch, crackers and cheese just now and probably, more stew later 😂

I don't really plan these days and go with the flow. I cook with what I find when I go shopping- around special offers. Depends on weather, activities, appointments, walks.

I am quite good at making a meal out of bits and bobs in the fridge and larder, garden, etc. I hardly waste anything, and what little I do 'waste' will feed animals, pets or wild, or go in one of my many compost bins in corner of garden.

I do plan ahead, and put the meals on the calendar based on what we have in the freezer or what we spot when shopping, mainly because if I don’t, I’ll arrive home and DH will ask what’s for dinner. If the list is there, I arrive home to find preparation already done.

I always have several meals in mind when I do my weekly (approx.), online shop, but turn to whatever is the fridge and freezer for the rest, and that helps ensure that almost nothing goes to waste.

But if I'm honest, I think I would shop very differently if there were shops with walking distance (all at least 3 miles away). I would love to be able to wander down to the shops at teatime and simply choose what I fancy eating that night!

I haven’t the heart to tell him he’s teaching his granny to suck eggs! 😂😂

I plan five or six days ahead, I’m working through the spare freezer as it needs defrosting, so that food has priority. I then update my Friday online delivery to fill in the gaps and update the farm shop veg list.
None of the meals are rigid as we might go out or fancy something else. Nothing is wasted.

I jot down things I’m running out of and take that list with me. I usually have fish, chicken, mince, sausages, pizzas, braising steak etc in the freezer so I go to the supermarket to buy a mixture of veg, salad, fruit, milk and bread there’s not a lot of planning involved I mainly decide on the day and what I fancy.

I don’t ever plan, meals Why would I ? I might not fancy a, b or c on a particular day
I buy in stuff in a weekly or sometimes fortnightly shop that I eat and like, and then chose at the time of hunger what I fancy.

I plan meals for the week and make a shopping list for what ingredients I need for the recipes.

I have to also make note of what we’re eating on which days otherwise I forget which recipes I’ve chosen!

I plan meals with what think I will fancy cooking depending on what's in the diary.

So, a quiet day might see me batch cooking a pasta sauce to eat on a busy day.

I have a freezer with lots of meat and fish in plus lots of pre cooked stuff.

Of course, this is often subject to change and we have a Coop in the village and we pass Waitrose regularly so can top up with fresh stuff if necessary.

I don't waste very much at all.

I plan the week’s meals after considering what I already have in the fridge and freezer and then book an online delivery for what else I need. It’s much quicker than going to the shops and I’m not sidetracked by something that would perhaps mean I ended up wasting something else. No food waste here.

I plan meals for about a week ahead, taking account of what I already have. Then I pop it all in an online shopping list and it is delivered the following morning.

I would prefer not to shop this way; until relatively recently I would go to local shops and the market every few days, but that’s not an option where I live presently.