Grocery Shopping

Yesterday I did something that I dislike doing.  I went to the grocery store without a list.  My usual Sunday routine is hitting the gym at 7am for a good cardio workout.  Coming home and having a quick breakfast of Fage yogurt with low sugar orange marmalade and dried cranberries and some coffee.  While I eat, I check out the online grocery sites and develop 4-5 weekly meal plans from what is on sale.  I started using Evernote for my recipes so I plan from the recipes on there and somewhat from my head.  I made a list, print out any coupons and head to the grocery store. 

I have to admit that I think I over spend at times, but I'm getting better.  It's about $100-$120/week for Pete and I.  That includes dinners and lunches for both of us and snacks.  I don't go out to eat a work, except for a few occasions.  Pete is currently out of work and he's home for lunch also.  I've learned that I don't shop in the center part of the store.  Other than a few things like olives, some spaghetti sauce, canned tomatoes in the winter, Pete's cereal...  I try to stick to fresh produce, meat, dairy and some frozen.

I think that a good shopping trip is one in which I spend 20%-30% in fresh produce.  Thinks like peppers to cut up and snack on, Granny Smith apples for Pete to use his apple peeler thing, fresh brussels sprouts, lettuces, onions,tomatoes, fruit in season...  We snack on that a lot and I am all about making sure we have veggies at every meal, even if it's a pack of frozen veggies steamed in the microwave.

Anyway, I never got to make that list yesterday I did it off the top of my head.  I don't think that I bought too many extras, but I certainly bought things that we already had because I didn't check first.  And i noticed that it took me about 1/3 more time than it usually does because I was going back & forth getting things that I only realized we needed once I decided what to have for dinners in the meat isle.

So how do you all shop?  Lists?  No list?  Coupons? (I can't seem to make them work for us for he most part - it's all boxed meals) Sales?