This article will give you some tips and tricks to successfully grocery shop for 2 weeks to 3 weeks at a time and also not waste all those goods!
Bulk shopping and meal planning can not only be a time saver but can also be your budget’s best friend. For me- especially with multiple little ones that can EAT, and busy schedules, grocery shopping for multiple weeks is a must.
To make bulk shopping truly successful all you need is one word: planning.
And to keep waste down all you need is one word: organizing
Yes- planning. It sounds tedious and maybe even a little annoying.
Grocery shopping is already such a task, isn’t it? But it doesn’t have to be a dreaded one.
I personally get a lot of enjoyment and feeling of accomplishment when I can bring home good, nutritious food and stock my fridge and cabinets FULL without a huge price tag.
This day and age overspending on food is easy…too easy! But it can be avoided.
So, here are some tips and tricks to keep that budget low and those bags filled high…
How to Grocery Shop for 2 to 3 Weeks At A Time
Colorful Weekly Meal Planner Notepad from VLHamlinDesign
Meal Plan
Write a schedule out for how many weeks you are looking to accomplish in your grocery trip. Label your days of the week out and what your meals are for those days. Then bullet out what you will need for that recipe to come to life and quantity of the ingredients.
Very quickly you will have a grocery list constructed for you!
Add in things you are low on like condiments, spices, weekly must have snacks, etc.
Buy Family or Value Size Packages
Buy big packages! Any of these can be broken down into meal size packages ready for a recipe. Use freezer gallon bags to break apart a value size package of chicken breast into two different dinners! Make sure to label what is in the gallon bag and the date before you freeze.
Depending on the type of meat typically it is good for about 4 months frozen- or longer.
This is a huge money saver as packaging increases prices! Single serve options for anything may be convenient but you pay for that convenience!
If you take a little extra time to invest into your shopping routine you can save your pennies!
Store Fresh Produce Properly
It seems impossible to buy a lot of fresh fruit and vegetable for several weeks doesn’t it? I know- it just goes badly SO quickly. Your lettuce blends are wilting, and fruit is bruised and browning in less than a week sometimes.
It can make the task of eating healthy and nutritious foods seem impossible between waste and expense! A lot of this is due to improper storage.
Berries can be kept unwashed in sealed mason jars – leafy greens best kept washed, dried and in a plastic bag with a paper towel to absorb moisture – and things like cucumbers and tomatoes are actually best kept at room temperature!
You can get this guide to store raw food.
Use A Grocery App or List Keeping App
Most major chain grocery stores, if not all, offer an online app to cut coupons or shop via mobile now. Some grocery stores even offer delivery or a pick up and go option.
I use all of these features in certain times. The grocery app is perfect to add to an ongoing cart even if I don’t actually utilize it to do a mobile order. It is a running checklist right on my phone! If we run out of an item or I remember something on the go I can just open my phone and “add to cart” and it stays put until I need to bring up that list when shopping!
I can also cut, clip and save coupons and utilize them during a grocery run. This helps keep costs down because once I am at the store I am not guessing and potentially over buying or under stocking our needs!
Be Smart About Consumption
Make sure to plan your meals according to shelf life. Use up those quicker to go bad items in your fridge in recipes before the longer lasting foods!
Even if you end up with a bit of this and a bit of that leftover you can always turn those things combined into great soups or casseroles!
Lastly- (and not necessary) Having Extra Storage
Extra storage is not necessary if you are very organized however an added perk is having extra storage like an additional pantry fridge or chest freezer.
A deep freeze will make meat last longer and an extra fridge can help with things like over abundance of goods!
If you don’t have extra cold storage keep a good and organized fridge/freezer/pantry/cabinets and make sure to rotate your food items so things aren’t getting lost in the back and going bad!
All of these easy to achieve – with a little extra effort- tips can really ease the costly weekly trips to the grocery store. I mean that in both your wallet and your valuable time. Then you won’t have to worry about grocery shopping for another 2 to 3 weeks.
I hope that by implementing some of these tricks you can not only stock up YOUR fridge and cabinets but do so with wonderful food to fuel your body, mind and soul!
From one foodie to another…happy shopping- and eating!
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Love, light and a little grace…
-Olivia
Olivia Whalen is mama to three young girls who is devoted to creative learning, exploration and free range imagination. Olivia enjoys thinking outside of the box when it comes to preparing homemade baby food or meals for her family. She most enjoys allowing the little minds in her life to flourish and with that you will see her write about creative kid crafts, recipes that fit a family budget and keep everyone asking for more, tips and tricks for a tiny babe, and beginner homesteader fun! Some of her hobbies include gardening, hiking, reading, cooking or just basking in motherhood.