How to Successfully Shop for Groceries Once a Month: A Comprehensive Guide

Grocery shopping is a task that most people dread. It’s time-consuming, exhausting, and can be quite overwhelming – especially when you have to do it multiple times a week. But what if we told you that it’s possible to grocery shop only once a month? Yes, you read that right. With some strategic planning, you can shop for groceries only once a month and still get everything you need.

In this article, we will guide you through the process of shopping for groceries once a month. We’ll cover everything from planning produce purchases to creating a cooking calendar and purchasing necessary ingredients. So, let’s get started.

Planning Produce Purchases

When it comes to grocery shopping once a month, planning produce purchases can be a bit tricky since fresh produce is perishable. However, with some careful planning, you can minimize the number of trips you have to make. Here’s what you should include in your grocery list for the large trip:

– Fruit for snacking (amount dependent on how much your family will eat prior to it going bad)
– Frozen green beans (if your family enjoys them, stock up on sale)
– Salad stuff and veggies. The meals toward the end of the month are probably going to come primarily from your frozen vegetable stash.
– Produce required for any of the meal plans for the first half of the month. You are going to make that cheat trip mid-month, so the second half of the month can be planned for separately.

Lists and Local Bloggers

One of the best ways to save money while grocery shopping is to find local ads and deals. There are many bloggers out there who list local ads and deals. Find a blogger that lives near you and take advantage of their expertise. After finding all of these deals, sit down to make your master list. If you shop places that price match, then on your master list include the price that you are price matching for and the information that will help the cashier perform that the easiest. If you have the master list, not only will it help your shopping, but it helps with your meal planning around the sales for that month.

Cooking Calendar Creation

Creating a cooking calendar is one of the most important steps when it comes to grocery shopping once a month. Print out or get a calendar with enough blank area to write in meals. Now depending on how busy your family is, you may want to pull out the calendar of family activities also. This will give you a little bit of insight into how much time you will have for cooking each day. If there are leftovers, you may only need to cook 4 nights a week and have leftovers other days. Try to plan leftover nights for when the kids have sports, for example.

Purchasing Necessary Ingredients

Planning ahead with the calendar allows you to look at the things you will need for the week. You can plan meals that contain like ingredients so you don’t end up being wasteful. In order to avoid running back and forth through the store, take your list and organize it according to the sections in the store.

Extra Edibles and Essentials

Planning for toiletries, snack foods, and milk can be challenging. Here are some tips that can help you:

– Consider freezing milk. If you know you go through a gallon a week, get 4 gallons and freeze three.
– Consider doing the same for cheese. Stock up and save.
– Try purchasing one large snack package for the month. For example, a large pretzel package. Eat it and when it’s gone, it’s gone. Depending on how big your family is and the pickiness level there, you may need to have more than one option.
– Buy several boxes of the cereal that is on sale that week.
– Check toiletries stock before going to see how much you should purchase.

Conclusion

Grocery shopping once a month may seem like a daunting task, but with some careful planning and strategic thinking, it’s definitely doable. Start by planning produce purchases, finding local deals, and creating a cooking calendar. Then, organize your list according to the sections in the store, and plan ahead for necessary ingredients, extra edibles, and essentials.

Once you get the hang of it, grocery shopping once a month will not only save you time and energy but also money. So, the next time you’re getting ready to grocery shop, give this method a try and see how it works for you. Happy shopping!