I am trying to do this more and more. I try to shop for the most part every two weeks. It forces me to scan the pantry and the freezer. I often use on-line menu planning where I can input ingredients I have on hand and come up with something new to cook (works great). The other huge saver for me is vacuum sealing. Whether it is stuff I buy or stuff that is leftover. If something isn't eaten in a day or two. I vacuum seal it and it is a quick meal for someone within minutes. This saves the urge to pickup takeout on those crazy days. Some people complain that the bag prices are too high, but they can be washed (although I don't bother doing that myself) what I save on food that would have spoiled is the reward. I also use mason jars to store, rice, brown sugar, croutons, homemade mixes such as hot chocolate. They stay fresh longer and I always know by a quick glance what's on hand.