The basic

So to start the month, before you ever set foot in the grocery there are a few steps that are a must.
1) Make a meal plan (I personally hate this part, due to the fact that it takes planning.) But it is a must. step on e in the meal planning, go throw the pantry and freezer and wright down all the meals you have or have most of the ingredients to.
This month I have all the ingredients for 14 meals. I was a little shocked, this is all food in my cabinets, not my food storage. (o.k. I have not kept up with this step) The side benefit is that food in the freezer is rotated on a regular biases. No eating frozen gazpacho from June 07'.
This also helps with meal planing for the month
Here is the list of what I have.
- Spaghetti with salad
-Cheese Ravioli with salad
-Veggy Burgers x2, one meal with sweet potaot fires and one with parsnip fries
-Chilly and cornbread
-Been burritos with salad
-Black been soup with rice (dinner to night, but we made broatos for lunch out of it also)
-Black eye pees with rice and steamed kale
-Butter nut squash soup
-Mac' N' Cheese with veggies x3 ( I always add frozen veggies and a hand full of whole wheat macaroni noodles to each box of Annie's Mac' N' Cheese.) Each box has left overs for the kids lunch the next day if served with salad.
-Spaghetti Alfredo with broccoli and fake meat

Step 2)
Plan out your meal plane for the month. I rotate a set number of breakfast and lunches, keeping in mind what leftovers anticipated having. Than I work from this point planing the meals. I only plan 4-5 meals a week. I know we eat at my in-laws on Sunday night and will probably have a leftover night as well.
From here I make my list, with the ability to change it if say spinach is on sale, instead of a different green.
I do have a list of set things I buy every month, cheese, pea nut butter and so on.
I am going to try to brake down the budget by food group on what I spend each week.
I will post my meal plan and shopping list tomorrow, and than off to the store. We will see how well i do. Wish me luck.