There are many ways that I have organized my life over the years, as life got busier and busier. My kids started doing more sports which took out after school free time, on top of me working about 50hrs a week between 2 jobs. This combination left little time to get groceries during the weekdays and our weekends also ended up being busier and I tried to focus on family time instead of running errands everywhere. Another factor was I got my big paycheck just once monthly. I liked the idea of getting my must have spending needs for bills, and groceries done right away, then I knew the rest could be for whatever that month. Shopping once a month also saves you some money, as when you are not always going to the store and potentially buy extra stuff that temps you. This being said, there will likely still be a few items such as fresh produce and milk that you will have to get here and there that will not stay fresh the whole month.
Here are 5 tips to help you start doing a monthly grocery haul.
Step 1.
Make a monthly Dinner menu. This can be done however you like and will help you plan what your needs will be that month. I put an example below of what I do.
Step 2.
Make a list. In order to start with a monthly grocery list, you’ll want to have an ongoing grocery list of items your running low on whether it be food items, medicines, or laundry detergent, that you write down throughout the month. I now do this on the notes app of my phone, so I can jot things down right as I remember. A list on the fridge that everyone in your household can use, works too. You will add the things you need for your dinner menu, along with your breakfast, snack or lunch items you plan to eat. It will take a bit to get use to planning ahead so much and realizing what all you will need that month.
Step 3.
Food storage. This tip is a huge help to have enough food for the month. There are many foods I have found that with the proper preparation can be stored easily a month maybe more. This My include but not be limited to: apples, lemons, lettuce, or carrots can last 3-4 weeks if stored properly in the fridge. Food storage can also be done by freezing many items. We have freezers full of our home grown beef and pork, not only can you freeze any meats other items may include for not be limited to: lunch meats, breads, tortias, butter, shredded cheeses, flour. Most dairy products other than milk last several weeks but, can also be frozen. The consistency may change a bit, for cottage cheese, yogurt, blocks of cheese, or sour cream but taste will be normal. A favorite of ours to always have on hand is frozen juices especially orange juice. The juice is a concentrate that is frozen you thaw it and add water and it tastes juice great.
Step 4.
Plan the day. This grocery haul may seem daunting, with a large amount to buy. I plan a day to just get it all done without the pressure to hurry through it and I also tie in other errands with it. This also helps for not just shopping but unpacking it all at home, as well as prepping items in the fridge to store longer. I like to also make sure my fridge is cleaned out and ready for lots of items as well as the pantry is organized/ready for everything to get put away properly. This tends to be a good 5+ hour process to get it all done, ( I live about 15 min from where I shop) by the time I prep the kitchen, shopping, unpack, and prep items for the fridge. This may seem like a lot, but when you think about time you’d spend every week, and the convivence of it, it all evens out.
Step 5.
A Grocery store list chart. This grocery haul is a big one, and one that you don’t want to take any longer than it has to. A favorite thing I like to do is make a shopping list with everything you need that month according to isle/department. I have included an example below. I typically go to 2 stores maybe 3 to get all the things I need and to get the best price on them, so I will make a sheet/list for each store.
I hope this helped you organize your life and make shopping an easy task to accomplish once a month.