We do not go to market everyday (unless we run out of something), but instead every couple of weeks. I flip through my recipes/favorites/easy to fix meals and I plan out our menus for about a couple of weeks and make one large shopping list accordingly ... by doing this we can buy some things in bulk which saves money. For instance, if on my menus there are several different recipes that call for ground beef, we buy it in bulk, divide it into the appropriate portions and freeze ... (3 pounds bulk fresh ground beef comes home and is opened then divided into thirds, frozen seperately, and can then be thawed and used later for three different meals) .... Also, by writing out menus, then writing out the shopping list I then go through any coupons I might have for the items we need. I have found that coupons can sometimes be a gimmick that if you have a super discount with a coupon on a product you will not normally buy, you tend to buy it simply because you are getting a good deal ... not a good deal if not a product you would not normally use ... So I make my list, then check my coupons and match them up .... I have been doing this for years ... For so long it was just me and my husband and the steps I listed helped us not waste a lot of food and money ... It is difficult to cook for just two most times because portions and recipes usually makes four or more ... I also cut my recipes and preparations down to "two servings", like when it calls for one cup of something, I use half a cup, etc. ... Now that our baby boy is now eating table foods, this is still working because he only needs a tiny bit .... When he gets older and will need his own portion, then I will have to refigure all of this, but for now, we have very few leftovers (which I usually have for my lunch the next day if that happens to be the case) .... and most everything is eaten and not wasted .... My big Great Dane dog gets the scrapings off the plates after meals .... not much for him, but not wasted either ! With a little planning, some math (like dividing a recipe in two), coupon clipping, using similar ingredients to make entirely different meals .... you can save money and waste on your food bills ....