Cook for a Month Trial Pre-shop Prep

If your weekly shop takes major effort, then a monthly shop and cook is a military operation.  Here is what I did to prepare:

• Choose a shop:  I chose Costco.  This is 40 minutes away from my home and I haven't been in a while, so this is a bit risky because I don't know their stock well.  They might not have exactly what I want and I may then need to go to a grocery store as well.  But there is no better way to find out than trying it.
• Choose days to shop and cook.  I need a day when my Other Half can drive, and he needs to be home the next day as well to do lots of cooking.
• Make sure there is room in the freezer and on the shelves for the goods.
• Choose recipes:  I chose a number of dishes we like, ones I know to be inexpensive, a few which are new (but easy), and a few standby.  Since I don't know what they will have I need to be flexible.  For instance, I have no idea of they sell free range chicken.  Here is my preliminary list:  chicken goujons, cottage pie, meatballs and bolognese sauce, broccoli soup, fruity muffins, banana peanut butter muffins, mac & cheese, chicken & lentils with spices, Dump Honey chicken, and One Pot Feast.  I also plan to purchase croissants to freeze, ketchup, spices, a few canned goods, pasta and fish....if the prices are right.  Fortunately I have quite a few things, especially for the baking, already.
• Make shopping list from recipes:  This is the scary part!  It is a huge list.  I divided it into two, so we will split up in the shop.
• Check out my containers:  Do I have enough glass baking dishes, plastic storage boxes, and freezer bags for all of these things??  If not then do they have any at Costco?  My plan is to budget for more containers this time, and if they don't have them try to buy freezer bags until I can get some.