I have so much information in my head about how to make your Once A Month Cooking BIG DAY run smoothly, that I hardly think I have enough time in the next week to get it all out! You are just going to have to wait for some of my great wisdom for next month. “Baby steps,” I say, “baby steps.” One of the things that I do think will be helpful for you to think about is your final days of shopping before your BIG DAY! These are important.
After all, no matter what the sales you HAVE TO purchase whatever is left on your list. My Once A Month Cooking BIG Day is scheduled for this Thursday, February 26th. Don’t worry, I am definitely planning on takings some pictures and having some stories to tell. But here are the ways that I am going to approach shopping this last week.
- Look at the sale ads on Sunday and mark on my Grocery List which on sale items I am going to get at which stores.
- First stop, Dollar Tree – I start my shopping here because I am not buying anything perishable at this store. I go here for my foil baking pans and miscellanious containers. Unless I have found them cheaper during the month, I am usually guaranteed the best price here.
- I start my grocery shopping at Aldi – I start at Aldi because they usually have some of the lowest prices on staples like canned goods, produce, cheeses, etc. I also will have my February Grocery List in hand marked with the stores and prices I am purchasing them for at the big chains so I will know what items I might be getting cheaper by shopping at Aldi. As I go through I mark the items off my list!
- Next shopping stop, Warehouse Club – I have a membership to Sam’s Club. If you don’t have a warehouse club membership you can check with your partner or simply skip this step. I shop at the warehouse club to see if I can get products for cheaper by buying them in bulk. Again, I am equiped with my marked February Grocery List so I will already know what is a good price and what isn’t. As I go through I mark the items off my list!
- Last 2 stops, Meijer and Kroger – It will depend what is on sale at these grocers this last week to determine where I will end my shopping trip. I will purchase the sale items I had indicated. I will also make sure I search the store for any last minute Manager Specials for items on my list. Whichever store I am at last will be the one that I purchase the remaining food items on my grocery list.
You DO NOT have to take all of these steps yourself. I find that it is the best way for me to save money over all. I may actually look at my grocery list before I start this process and find that it is not worth my time to go to one or more of these stores depending on what I have purchased throughout the month. You also DO NOT have to do them all in the same day. Sometimes I do, sometimes I don’t. However, if you do decide to make multiple grocer stops in one day make sure that you carry a cooler with you in the car. You don’t want to have to worry about food going bad or thawing while you are doing your shopping. (Although if you live in Ohio it is so cold you may not have to worry about this anyway!) Good Luck!