Weekly Menu and Shopping Lists — by Guest Mom Lindsey Johnson

Maybe you have system for grocery shopping that you love. Maybe you hate what you've been doing and are ready for a change. Maybe you don't have a system at all.

Until a few months ago, that was me. No plan. Not ever. I wandered aimlessly down the aisles buying whatever I felt like at the moment. Inevitably, we wasted a lot of food and had very odd food combinations that I tried to pass off as "experimental dinners."

Then I discovered the glorious features of the Cooking Light website that allow me to search for recipes and the magic fairies that live within the website create a shopping list for me. (Yay, magic fairies!) This has not only been saving my husband from the doom of experimental dinners, but it has been good for my budget as well.

Cooking Light is not the only one with magic fairies. Real Simple and Cooking Light are connected somehow, so if you create an account with one, then you have an account automatically with the other, too. This allows you to use both sites and have one shopping list.

And there are myriad other websites (click here or here) dedicated to helping you — yes, you — get organized and save time planning out your weekly meals. This also means spending less time at the store or having to go back for something you forgot.

Here's what I do:

First I look at what I have that may need to be used — say a Pork Tenderloin. I do a quick recipe search. When I find a tasty recipe, I add it to my "shopping list." Then, like magic, all the ingredients get put into a handy list just for me. (Yay, magic fairies!)

I repeat this until I have all the recipes I need for a week. I go in and delete the ingredients I already have in my pantry/fridge/cupboard. I can also go in and add ingredients for other things I want to make — like dessert, or snacks.

Once I'm finished, I print my shopping list and head over to the store.

Try it today — you're welcome in advance.