Here’s some advice for homemaking success. Tips for saving yourself time doing weekly grocery shopping for your family!!
Have you ever been the person who decides what you’re having for dinner tonight sometime during the day? Maybe you still are that person. What happens on those days? You think a lot about what you want to cook and then you have to run to the store to buy everything you need. The grocery trip alone, once you factor in drive time, is going to take at least 30 minutes from your day. It may not seem like a lot, but if you do this every day of the week (not counting for the 1 day minimum you go out to eat), you waste approximately 3 hours every week (assuming you’re cooking at home 6 out of 7 days).
If you’ve been following along this month, I taught you how to meal plan for your family. Next, in the series of organizing your life, I want to briefly discuss shopping habits and give you some tips for weekly grocery shopping. Now that you have the tools you need to get started on meal planning, your grocery shopping will be simpler!
I want you to begin grocery shopping no more than once a week. If you can plan two weeks in advance, you’re really rocking it. Everything you do to plan ahead will save you time in the long run. You’re buying time for the future.
Think about this. On average, if I shop once a week for my groceries, I spend 45 minutes to an hour out of the house. Compared to the 3 hours you spend doing daily grocery shopping, you’d save approximately 2 hours a week.
What can you do with an extra 2 hours per week by doing weekly grocery shopping? Spend some extra time with the family and get caught up on another load of laundry!
If you’re also buying some things on sale and bulking up, the stash you’re building saves you some time on the next grocery run. So, the more you buy now, the less time you’ll have to spend later in the store. Now, when I do two or three week runs, I find that I have to do a short weekly fill-in on the perishable items like fruits, veggies, and sometimes dairy. But, it’s usually a quick thirty minute trip instead of an hour.
Weekly Grocery Shopping Tips to Save Time
Okay, so I’ve helped you buy a little more time. My next suggestions are to:
1. Shop online
Anything you can purchase online (assuming it saves you money) should totally be done. I use Amazon Subscribe & Save for items I want delivered as often as monthly, so I can set it and forget it! Plus, I use Jet.com on larger bulk items (including diapers) because it saves me money over buying from the grocery store. And, since I no longer have my wholesale club membership, this sort of fills that gap for me.
P.S. – Amazon has this awesome service called the Dash Button. I’m amazed at these tiny buttons that you stick around the house. Like, when you notice you’re down to one roll of toilet paper or you’re using the next to last garbage bag, you press the dash button and an order is placed. A confirmation is sent to your phone so you can cancel if you need. And, they have tons of them for everything from laundry, bath, trash bags, sodas, and coffee. You’re charged $4.99 for the button, but then you receive a $4.99 credit when you place your first order with the button.
2. Use a grocery delivery service
This may not be affordable for everyone, but if you can swing it, it saves you even more time! Like I suggested in my meal planning tips, instead of making a grocery list, you put your grocery needs in a cart like that of Shipt. When you’re done making your list and ready to schedule a delivery, you’re done. I love not having to step into a grocery store. And, it gives me an extra 45 minutes to an hour in my day, which I usually spend doing laundry or some other house chore that would otherwise have to wait (if it gets done at all).
Another good service is Instacart!
3. Get only what you are sure you’ll eat
Grocery shopping for a whole week (or two) increases the likelihood of food spoilage. Be sure to only purchase items you have planned to eat for the week. That is, unless it can be frozen or is a canned item that’s not likely to spoil in the next few days or weeks. If you’re not sure you’ll eat the bananas you’re eyeing, get only one or two.
4. Eat before grocery shopping
On any trip, especially larger grocery trips, always go on a full stomach. If you’re hungry, you’ll increase the chances of more impulse purchases that you may or may not get around to eating.
Did you catch my first two posts in this series? This is the 3rd post in a 4 week series to help you nail down your schedule and manage your time. It was originally mean to be a 5 week series, but I decided to do something special! Instead, I’ve created an ebook to complete the series!
I saved my favorite content for the book! Plus, I include a few free resources that you can’t get here from my posts to supplement some of the stuff I discuss.
If you’re a parent (especially stay at home moms) struggling with time management, you’re going to want this book. Go ahead and sign up to receive my newsletter and I’ll notify you when the book is available for free or on discount!
Tell me: Do you do weekly grocery shopping? Or more or less often?
