As we continue in lockdown, if you can afford grocery delivery–because, let’s face it, the fees and tips can get pricey– I know you’ve seen the wait times. The first delivery date at a store near me had a delivery date 5 days in the future when I really needed milk for my kids. The Walmart Grocery pick up slots were taken. Finally, Instacart slots were “anytime Tuesday to Saturday”.

At first, I panicked! But I then realized I could raid my pantry for a few days. Here are my…

Quarantine Commandments:

1. Raid thy Pantry: I will raid my pantry. I have beans, rice, tomatoes, pasta, cheese, flour and yeast!
2. DO NOT give up: I realized that Instacart shoppers “clock in” when it’s convenient for them. So, while there were no 4 hr windows available when my kids woke me at at 7am, there were slots when I checked a gain a few hours later during nap time. Walmart Grocery  pickup tends to have reservable slots open (and all quickly taken) VERY EARLY in the morning.
3. Know thy Grocer: My local grocery doesn’t work with Instacart, but slots open 7 days in advance. So, I ordered our entire menu for 7-14 days from now.
4. Track thy Inventory: To keep organized, while basically thinking about 2 weeks worth of meals, I made sure that I wrote down how many servings of chicken I had to make sure I didn’t use it all during the current week and not have any for the 7-14 d from now plan
5. Replenish thy Inventory: Consider your freezer stock as something that should be actively replenished. I am unsure when my delivery person will give me ground beef so I go ahead and order it since I know I can freeze it.
6. Know thy Staples: Know YOUR FAMILY’S staples. I have them written down. Sometimes when I order for my “meal plan” I forget to ensure we have goldfish, yogurts, and other snacks. This keeps you from needed to go out to the store for “forgotten items” and saves money by consolidating everything to one delivery fee.

This is what meal planning is about. Under normal circumstances, we use it to streamline our busy life. Under quarantine circumstances, it helps keep your family safe (limiting outings), for healthcare workers like my family it keeps me from exposing others at the grocery store, and it saves money (by ensuring ONE grocery delivery fee because we’re organized, Baby!