Costco is not only about bulk - good prices on DVD sets, housewares, books, electronics. And car tires and contact lenses.

But then I am the sort of person who buys meat in bulk at the supermarket and comes home and rebags it in serving sizes before freezing it. And marks it, and builds a menu plan around the frozen protein I know I already have. If you are not this person, don't buy in bulk.

I envy this. I wish I were this person. I use Costco primarily for toilet paper, paper towels, dish and laundry detergent, random gifty things, and party-type food. Well, and all the stuff I pick up along the way.

Costco is not only about bulk - good prices on DVD sets, housewares, books, electronics. And car tires and contact lenses.

And prescriptions too.

It's an acquired skill.

But seriously, man, there's nothing better than blearily tumbling to the freezer, shaking out a pre-measured bag of ground beef, and firing up a super quick home cooked meal because you've got the stuff all lined up and don't really have to think about it. But still, home cooked!

Exactly! This is why I want to be that person! It's the actual acquiring of the skill that I have trouble with. Planning ahead with food has just never been a strength of mine. Or, OK, I haven't ever stuck to it enough to get very good at it.

I, um, plan and premeasure and label and date and freeze and make up a schedule and then decide to just do something easy instead and find the nicely premeasured and dated frozen stuff when I have to clean out the freezer after the next big power outage.

It's not the planning skills I lack. It's the post-planning skills.

Lori--We can't hang doors tomorrow. The cabinets need another coat of paint. You are very welcome to come over, but there will be no work for you to do--which might be even more fun for you!

OK, Quizno's, I'm all for bacon, and I'm all for alfredo sauce, but you say, "Creamy bacon alfredo sauce," as if it's a known thing. It's not! I mean, I'm not opposed, you understand, but... throw in an "Our delicious, new..." in there, and I'm more comfortable with the whole thing.

I'm with amy--I have been known to buy lots of chicken and put it in the freezer in little baggies, but...then I get home, and i have to think about defrosting the chicken, and I decide I'd rather just have pasta. Or, I think "I'll be smart! I'll defrost teh chicken in the fridge, and eat it tomorrow!!" and then tomorrow I'm running around to a show, and don't ahve time, and suddenly it's a week later, and I'm like "Wait, is that chicken still good? I dont' wanna risk it..."

I'm only good at pre-planning if ti means there are meals in my fridge ready to be microwaved. If I actually (miraculously) make a big batch of something and have a few tupperware containers of it in teh fridge? Golden.

I'll make soups and stews and the like and freeze them in baggies or small ziplock containers. One day of cooking in bulk, and I have enough prepacked frozen meals for a month of lunches.