I shop for groceries every two weeks (twice a month) so planning a menu definitely helps me with making a grocery list. I find that it also helps with not wasting as much food...but I'm not perfect and I just don't get around to doing it every time! If my DH goes with me it's a deal-breaker too...it's like shopping with a kid that wants everything in the store!
I love to cook and my MIL and I have a great arrangement. She lives alone and likes to have us eat with her, so we alternate...one night I cook and she eats with us, the next night she cooks and we eat with her. Very convenient since she lives next to us!

I do a monthly menu plan and grocery shop once a month. There are some days left blank becasue hubby likes to bbq. It is just us but he is shift work and I work till 5. 45 min drive home not always in the mood to cook so a plan helps and I do some meals on the weekends and freeze to have ready to just take out for the really bad days.

Hubby has been grocery shopping with me for several years now. At first he did cause more expense but has jumped on the coupon band wagon and also makes sure the reusable grocery bags are in the car.

I love having a loose plan for meals, because it frees me up the rest of the time from thinking "What will we have for dinner" and it lets me focus on other stuff I'd rather do.(like you know what---) We shop for what looks good, what we "feel like" then make a list of possible meals from what we bring home, post it on the fridge and cross off stuff as we have it. I also like to cook for "planned leftovers" so we get home-cooked food every day, but we don't have to cook everyday (thank the microwave for that)For instance, I'll make a big pot of soup or casserole that we can use for a couple days, and then freeze part of it for later. I'm also pretty lucky that my husband likes to cook too- so it's not always up to me- what a luxury for which I am truly thankful.

Once upon a time, I would cook up a stew or two on weekends, get a pan of lasagna made, bake potatoes for the week - all that to make my work week easier. Then I discovered that unless I specifically told the kids to heat something up, it didn't get done until I got home. It was still easier and cheaper than going out to eat, but I lost my weekends to cooking.

I did continue to plan, but my recipes became very basic, food you could cook in 30 minutes or less. Now the kids are grown and not too much food planning or cooking goes on.

another thing we have in common!!LOL

Cooking Light has a cookbook: Five Ingredients Fifteen Minutes. I use that a LOT. Weight Watchers has some like that too, but seems like it's ingredients are less basic - harder to find.

I teach all day then go another 2 - 3 hours teaching piano lessons after school. Have church and a meeting that take up two evenings. Even though it's just the two of us (with a son who occasionally drops by)I want quick, available, but somewhat healthy meals.

Also use the crock pot at least once a week. Had a stew yesterday- leftovers for lunch and leftovers tonight. Choices are stew, ravioli, and grilled chicken - things that are currently in the frig from earlier in the week.

I'm with the husband-does-not-shop crew. He's too expensive! He also does not cook. (You bet I made sure our son does!) When his schedule allows it he gets assigned a day to provide supper. Always fun to see where he stopped on the way home for that!

I decide on 5 or 6 meals for the week and then we have leftovers for the others. I don't decide which day os for what... mainly just on what is going on that day and what I feel like eating. With 4 kids, its usually a toss up on what to cook, but atleast I end up with an idea LOL

If my husband want to eat,he cooks it

I did when I had a growing family! I made a weekly menu plan and I stuck with it. It helped when I went to get groceries too. I wasn't as likely to do any impulse buying. I would check the ads and plan around the specials. :D :D

I'd like to find one of those!