Failing to Plan is Planning to Wing It

I grew up in a very small apartment with a very large family. My dad was a deadbeat and my mom was always busy or angry. As such, family meals were a few and far between. When a rare meal was being prepared, it was common knowledge that stepping into the kitchen to try to help mom could quite possibly result in the loss of a limb. This is what I blame for my psychological aversion to cooking.
I can cook, and I have on several occasions. I just don't do it very regularly. I don't like to, and I'm usually the only one around to cook for, so I don't really see the point. I eat out, I use the microwave quite a bit, and I sometimes make it to my mom's house for her now-regular Sunday dinners. Anyway, I eat. However, a side effect of my not cooking is not knowing how to grocery shop. It never seemed like much of a big deal to me. When I realize I've been starving for a couple days, I go to the store and get some easily-prepared, chemically-enhanced "food" to keep me satisfied for a while. This is usually done by meandering up and down random aisles and grabbing whatever looks good at the time.
(I know you're thinking, "Well, no wonder she's divorced!" but my lack of culinary expertise was really irrelevant in my marriage, seeing as how my ex-husband insisted on eating out all the time. Did I mention I've lost 30 pounds since I left him?)
Today was a necessary shopping day. I met up with a friend to donate blood (which I wasn't allowed to do because my iron is STILL too low) and then we still wanted to hang out, so I invited her to go to the grocery store with me before I made an excuse not to go. The whole time, she seemed baffled by the aimless way I shop and kept rambling about her need for a shopping list. This led to a discussion on the way we plan things. She explained that she uses lists and schedules while it came to my realization that, when it comes to planning, I often don't.
I've never been much of a planner, and I've come to find that, when I do try to plan things, there are always unforeseen complications. Playing things by ear and making things up as I go is much more fun (and not so much of a let down if something goes wrong). And, honestly, despite all the challenges that I've had in my life, I think it works for me. Sure, it means that my meals usually have the nutritional value of cardboard, but at least I don't waste much time making it. I have plenty of time to do whatever is not on my schedule.