Regrets

I need some help here people!! I must say that these last few weeks have not been very interesting in the cooking department. I have kind of come to a rut when it comes to meal planning and making sure that I actually get everything I need at the grocery store and following through with my menu. It seems as though time goes faster on nights when I have a big menu planned thinking an hour and a half is a enough time to get a meal on the table and then head back out to rehearsal and then it never fails I have used one of the ingrediants for another meal forgetting that I need it for this one and here I am running to the grocery store to try and pick up the ingrediant. Getting home, I then realize I don't have time now to make it anyway and thus PB&J or Mac and Cheese.Or I have bought the ingrediants for a particular meal weeks ago and due to scheduling did not get it made so now the fresh ingrediants that I have bought have not kept so here again running to the grocery store. So although not intentionally, we have nevertheless been in a rut. Trying to avoid this tonight, I bought one of the Wanchai Ferry Kung Pao chicken Box dinners, you know those kind where you just have to cook it all the ingrediants are right there and boy did I regret it! The sauce was wangy and the rice, although cooked to the specifications on the box was mushy. SOOOO hopeing to avoid this in the future, I am calling on all my friends and family to help me out here and give me some good ideas for meal planning by answering the following questions. Please try and comment on the post or if it won't let you, e-mail me and I will post it for you. Thanks so much!!!

What are some of your ideas that work for successful Meal Planning?
What are some kitchen staples that you keep on hand for dinner in a hurry?
Do you buy groceries per meal everyday or do you buy and stock up at one time?