Moving out. Please help!

[PennyPincher]

I found this ziploc vacuum bag system on clearance for 2.50 at Tom Thumb grocery. It came with 3 bags and the vacuum. I think that'll come in handy when I find meat on sale.

I was also given a really pretty copper canister set. I was also given one of those basket type situations that you hang and it has 3 tiers to put veggies or fruit in. I love it!

The bf's sister bought us silverware as a house warming gift. She also gave me numerous Kitchenaid mixing bowls and a large bowl w/lid. Let's see...oh yes I got a lot of picture frames from her. And a pretty afghan from his mother.

This is way off subject but I'm so excited. It seems we're starting off nicely. Thank you all for your posts!

[brchbell]

Glad you are getting off to a great start! Great that you have some support as you get started! I got one of those vacuum seal systems last month too but haven't tried it yet! got to figure out where the kids put it all!

[starsinnight]

Moving out on your own is so exciting! i just moved out with my bf about a year and a half ago, and we are still learning new things everyday. You'll soon see that it is very much a learning process. And it'll take some time to get used to grocery shopping. We still don't have a set plan or way of doing it. I get paid once a month and I love to cook so it'll vary depending on your pay period and whether you like fresh home-cooked meals or you don't mind having frozen ones. Here are some options:

!. You can go once a month, in a huge bulk-style shopping. You might want to go to BJs or Sams club or Costco for large wholesale items. We usually go and get a few freezer items that'll last longer than our normal shopping, so we have backup when we run out of food.

2. You can go every few weeks, like a 2 week shopping and restock your fridge and get items for meals. You can do this by pre-planning the meals or you can do like I do, and plan the meals after I get home for each week. My bf HATES following a list, I've begged and tried to go on my own, but he really, really, really likes getting new foods that he hasn't tried yet. So we try our best. What also happens with this 2 week style is that the "Fresh" foods like fruit and veggies and fridge-items like milk, eggs, etc. start going bad. So what we do is eat those first, then start in on the canned items and frozen items.

3. You can go weekly, or even daily. But I've never really tried this. We just do one big shopping for about $150 and that'll last us 2-4 weeks and we might have a few $20 shopping trips throughout for things we need or have run out of. This is probably the most ideal because you'll buy just the food you need and everything can be fresh and healthier. But it seems like too much hard work and you'll need a flexible schedule.

About all the condiments and such, our fridge kind of started out empty and slowly built its way up. I don't think you need to really worry about stocking your fridge with those items until a recipe actually calls for it.

I usually always make sure we have: frozen veggies and canned veggies (which you can get on sale for 50 cents or $1 each), and then fresh veggies whenever you shop. You should then try and have some pasta and rice for meals too, if you want. We buy bread and buns and freeze them since the two of us don't eat them fast enough.

And about you not liking meat but your bf does, has he tried any of the Boca or Gardenburgers? They taste so much like the real thing nowadays, especially with BBQ sauce. I actually like them better. We buy the veggie hot dogs too because I like knowing what's actually in them, unlike real hot dogs (no offense lol).

You'll also notice the first 6 months you feel like your always buying things for your new home but eventually it slows down and you wont need to go shopping so often for household items. Good luck and PM me if you have any questions.

[JennyCup]

Lots of great advice here!

Becca is right about just buying what you need to start you off. Only get things you know you will use/need. It helps to have a plan of action aka a menu in place before you start shopping. Use the ads to plan your meals around what is on sale for the most bang for your buck. Before we moved in together I made a menu complete with 3 meals, snacks, and desserts for a month and that helped me plan and shop. Sign up for the Kraft magazine for lots of great cooking ideas - it's free!

Since it has not been that long since I started with a bare pantry I will list what I can remember we bought in that first food trip. I was slowly learning to cook myself. We spent quite a bit to get the kitchen started, but we had planned for that.

Produce section:
lettuce, radishes, green onions, tomatoes, fruit (whatever is on sale), cilantro, carrots, bell pepper, lemon juice, limes, lemons, mushrooms, bag potatoes, bag onions, celery, lime juice. - salads, baked potatoes, kabob veggies, veggies for pan roasting, salsa, drink garnishes, etc.

1 or two roma tomatoes, a few squeezes of lime or lemon juice, some minced garlic, some cilantro leaves - no stems, a very little green pepper, and a green onion put in a small food chopper (I got mine at walmart for under $20.00) makes a great fresh salsa for chips or tacos. Sorry I don't measure! I just add stuff and blend till it tastes good.

Bakery section:
Bread, sliced french bread, & flour tortillas - quesadillas, tacos, sandwiches, garlic bread, brushetta, etc.

Condiments & spices:
mayo, mustard, PB, jelly, pepper, salt, parsley, Italian seasoning, onion powder, garlic powder, a good steak/burger spice, mrs. dash (yellow one), cinnamon, olive oil, non stick pan spray, 2 ranch and 2 Italian salad dressing bottles, ketchup, pancake syrup, nutella, tea bags, lemonade mix, kool-aid,

Baking:
Jiffy or Bisquick baking mix (very versatile), brown, powdered, & white sugar, all purpose flour, cake mix, pudding, jello, jiffy small box mixes (muffins, pizza crust, etc. great for two) - pancakes, pot pies, muffins, pizza, cookies, biscuits, etc.

Meats & cheeses:
Lunchmeat, chicken, ground beef, 2 small steaks to celebrate moving in together, beef chopped for stir fry and cubed for kabobs, pork chops, bacon, sausage, hot dogs, - chicken cordon bleu, burgers, stir fry, SOS (white gravy with chunks of ham lunch meat served over toast), biscuits and gravy, etc.

Canned & boxed items:
can chicken, can tuna, cream of mushroom & chicken soups, ramen (great noodles for stir fry), mac & cheese, tomato sauce, dry gravy mix, pasta noodles, pasta sauce, rice, can fruit, mashed potato flakes, can beans, sauerkraut, pickles, olives, can veggies, minced garlic, oreos, dry onion soup mix, bagged cereal, - chicken salad, tuna salad, chili, ham & beans, casseroles, spaghetti, meatloaf, kraut dogs, Spanish rice, etc.

Dairy:
Milk carton (expiration date is really long on organic milk which is great for two), mozzarella and cheddar cheeses, yogurt, cottage cheese, sour cream, cream, eggs, Pillsbury canned items, butter, - dips, quiche, croissants, cinnamon rolls, etc.

Frozen:
peas & carrots, fajita veggie mix, mixed veggies, blueberries, vanilla ice cream, pizza, bag of shrimp, tater tots, chopped onion, chopped bell pepper, - fajitas, shakes, tater tots used for hash browns, etc.

This lasted us almost a full month with 1 more small trip for perishables and gave us a nice variety each night from meatloaf to shrimp kabobs. I made my own bbq sauce by pairing ketchup with lemon juice, onions, and brown sugar poured on pork chops and baked in the oven. Yummy! I will say that not every dish was gourmet, but it was filling and what we could afford.

Try to find a really old paperback cook book called cooking for two from Betty Crocker (it is part of an older small white boxed set with red writing at the top and each book has a circle picture on it) and it was my cooking bible since the menus/recipes in the book were scaled for two people. I would have been lost without this. I got it at a library sale for 50 cents, but I later purchased the entire set on ebay and gave the extra book to my friend who had just got married and needed it.

Good Luck!