How I only go to the Grocery Store once a MONTH!
Yes! I only go to the grocery store once a month! Even with a big-ish family (5 people) plus hosting our extended family for dinner pretty much every Sunday, I still manage to only step foot in the grocery store every 4 weeks. It’s mostly because I hate grocery shopping. It’s a pain in the butt, then add in 3 small kids, plus a pandemic and its torture so I’ve learned how to make a monthly shopping trip work. Here’s my tips!
Get a second fridge/freezer for your basement, garage, pantry, anywhere it will fit. Check facebook marketplace, yard sale sites, etc. People are always getting rid of older models for cheap or evem FREE.
LOL- @JackieMcGrath18 definitely gets it.
2. Take stock of what your regular needs are. We go through a ton of coffee in this house so I make sure I always have at least 5 cans of it in our pantry, with enough creamer to last that amount as well. My kids have peanut butter jelly sandwiches for lunch at least 3 days a week so I know I need to have a TON of bread in the fridge and freezer.
3. Buy MORE of SMALLER sizes of things that go bad if opened. Like Milk. Instead of buying 3 gallons of milk that might go bad if not finished within 5 days of opening it, I buy 6 of the half gallon milks with expiration dates in the next month so I know we will make it until our next big shop.
4. Strategically buy produce items. I plan out our meals ahead of time and if I’m buying something that I know goes bad quickly (like bananas) I make sure we use those first. Vice-versa, I also buy produce that lasts longer so we still have them at the end, like apples. They last so long. I also make sure to stock up on frozen veggies. They still hold their nutritional value but won’t go bad in 2 days.
5. Stock up at the cheapest stores. The cheapest in my area is Market Basket, so I know when I go there I need to double (or triple down) on all the big items. My kids snack allllllll the time, so I make sure I have enough of the cheap, snack food on hands and get store brand as much as I can.
6. Plan for the nights you are just not going to want to cook. They are inevitable. Sometimes kids have activities late into the dinner hour and you don’t have time, or sometimes you plain just don’t feel like it. If you don’t plan ahead you will end up eating takeout, which for a family of 5 adds up fast! Items I keep on hand for these types of nights are frozen pizzas, topped with frozen veggies (I always keep 5 on hand, assuming at least once a week I can slack off of cooking), chicken fingers, french fries, etc. Can just pop them in the oven without having to think about.
7. Save your leftovers. Not in your fridge though because 90% of the time people don’t end up eating it. No one wants to eat something for dinner they just had 2 nights ago. If there is a lot leftover I like to wrap it and freeze it. Then in a couple weeks when I don’t feel like cooking I can pull out a full meal that everyone will eat because its new(ish).
8. Keep stocked up on eggs. Eggs usually have a longgg expiration date and can be used for breakfast lunch and dinner. We have fritattas for dinner a lot. The kids love them, its healthy, and cheap!
9. Pasta and rice. We have SOOOO much of both in this house and I mean SOO much. Right now we have 8 boxes of rice pilaf mix, 2 boxes of spanish rice mix, 2 big boxes of white rice, and 10 boxes of different pastas. Adding 2 items (like chicken and spinach) to a boxed rice mix makes a super easy and complete dinner.
10. Whole foods delivery or farmers markets- for the items that I just can’t wait a whole month for, like certain cheeses, deli meat, salad stuff I either stop by our farmers market or get a whole foods delivery. Spending $35 for a free delivery 2x a monthn so we can have fresh items on hand really is worth it. and it keeps me from the dreaded grocery store whereI will inevitably spend way more then $35.
Easy meals that I know my whole family likes:
Fritattas
Strawberry/blueberry pancakes
Mexican night: fajitas, tacos, enchiladas
Soups
Paninis (basically just jazzed up grilled cheeses, lol)
Scampi
Flatbreads
Caprese rice
Anything in the crockpot
Easy meals the whole family likes:
Fritattas
Strawberry/blueberry pancakes
Mexican night: fajitas, tacos, enchiladas
Soups
Paninis (basically just jazzed up grilled cheeses, lol)
Scampi
Flatbreads
Caprese rice
Anything in the crockpot
Pantry staples I always have on hand:
Frozen chicken, steak, beef, pork
Chicken and beef broth
Snacks
Frozen veggies, fruits
Rice
Pasta
potatoes
eggs
Crackers
Frozen waffles
Cereal
Pancake mix
Baking supplies