rules of dinner making

i've always loved to cook, but i know that most of my girlfriends hate doing it, or don't know how to go about it. there are a few things that help me make dinner a big part of my week without it taking over.

my number one rule:
1PLAN AHEAD
pick a day- saturday, or monday afternoon, for you to go to the store with a list that you've planned out. write down what you plan on eating for dinner each night (realistically) and search your pantry and fridge for what you have. write down what you need to get at the store.

if you make a list and pick a day to shop, you wont be running to get pizza or a missed ingredient right in the middle of making the meal. just doing this has saved me hours of time at the grocery store and hundreds of dollars in the past 3 years.

2buy every day items and keep them on hand. i normally buy these items at costco in bulk so they are always available. some items i regularly buy at costco are:

cheese (it's an amazing deal)
olive oil
frozen chicken, pork tenderloins, salmon
chicken bullion cubes

3start slow.
don't try to do all new recipes every night of the week. stick to what you know most nights and if you know you're going to have a little free time to try something new, fit it in.

4make it easy. think of cooking as a time to relax and enjoy. cooking is fun. you're creating something for your family to enjoy. make a main thing and one side. you only have two things to assemble and worry about cooking times for.

what days do you like to grocery shop, and why?