The habit of planning ahead

All this past week I've been cooking up all the stuff I've had in my cabinets, fridge, and freezer that I've had laying around unused. This served both to clear out my cupboards as well as stretch my budget to the end of my break period before I go back to my regular day job next week. That plus my various other obligations right now mean my time and mental resources are going to be tight. And how does Phoebe always deal with problems of this nature? WHY, MORE SCHEDULING!

Bernie and I took this opportunity to actually sit down together and make a meal plan for the coming week. I've been talking for YEARS about getting in the habit of making weekly plans like that, going to the grocery store ONCE at the beginning of the week instead of my typical, oh, four or five times for the one or two meals I'm thinking about right that second. I've even prepared for the couple days of week I'll need to use the slow cooker. It will save time, it will save hassle, and I'm hoping it will save money. I'm not sure I have a great frame of reference for what's an efficient amount for two adult to spend on food for a week-- I am good at keeping to a tight budget, but food is my real indulgence --but looking at the receipt, I think I managed to keep things pretty economical for two big eaters like me and Bernie.

I will be so happy if I manage to turn this into a regular thing. I'll save a lot of money and time, two things in short supply for me at this time in my life. I've wanted to do this for years but never actually managed to make it happen before now. I've hoping that by making it a blocked-off part of my calendar it'll be easy to keep up. I'm sure you can tell by now that I'm a very structured person; routine, scheduling, and habit are extremely helpful to my productivity. It's really hard for me to be really productive without it. So here's hoping it serves me in this effort as well.