I'm not a planner but i do shop by the flyer so I buy what is on sale and put it in the freezer and then plan meals based on what is there. I do keep things like hamburg on hand so we can have some quick cheaper meals. I buy the largest packages of meat such as chicken breasts and cook them all when I do them. We have a nice fresh meal the first night and leftovers to do stuff with for the next couple or I refreeze the cooked meat in the right amount for a casserole.

It may be the fresh fruit and veggies that is putting the costs up in the sense of you can buy the more expensive more perishable things when you go more often as compared to buying the cheaper stuff like bananas, apples, and using only a small amount of the more expensive and relying on the cheaper stuff to do half the servings too.