How do I grocery shop and cook?

I've been living on my own for about five years now, but I still cannot for the life of me understand grocery shopping. I've tried buying the staples, easy-to-cook meals, and even specific recipes. But I always end up ordering take out after a week.
posted to Ask Metafilter by pedmands at 7:41 PM on March 3, 2008 (34 comments)