...almost. With the reduced school hours in our district, shopping 3 stores, unpacking the groceries, and putting the food away feels like it takes the whole "day" when I have a large haul.
I have a monthly budget of $398.45. Wow, that's a weird number. Well... last month I was over by $1.55. So I subtracted that amount from this month's budget.
I spent $244.81 at ShopRite, Aldi, and Costco this week. I know it may seem crazy to spend the bulk of my budget the first week of the month, and it makes me a bit nervous too. However, I am confident that I can stay close to $398.45 because I use SuperGroceryLists. Each list has an estimated total. I create a new shoppping list by copying existing items from previous lists or adding new ones. I adjust the prices, if needed. If the estimated total is over budget, I find items to remove or reduce the quanitities.
My Day Shopping:
8:30 AM
The store hours determine where I shop first. After dropping the youngest 2 at school around 8:30, it was off to Shoprite.
9:10 AM
I checked out at ShopRite, spending $33.31. Those items are pictured below.
9:48 AM
Aldi was the next stop where I spent $81.00. After bagging the items, pictured below, at the car it was off to the third and final store; Costco. The store was open by the time we got there.
10:54 AM
I spent $128.51 at Costco. After loading the car with the purchases, shown below, and driving home, it was shortly after 11:00 AM. Now the fun begins....
11:15 AM
We arrive home to beging the process of putting away the grocery haul. That usually takes a little over an hour depending on what I buy.
How I Unpack:
- Taking the photos: after unpacking, I arrange the items by store to take the photos seen here.
- After the photos are taken: I bring the items that I am storing in the freezer or pantry downstairs. We live in a raised ranch, so our kitchen is on the upper level. Hey, depending on the size of my grocery haul, I can get a mini workout walking up and down the steps!
- Dividing Items: Certain items like almonds, are divided into smaller containers. Those go in the pantry on the lower level. A few of us are notoriously bad at portion control. We would eat more and go through the bag faster if I kept them in the original packaging.
- Filling Up: There are several items in our kitchen that have their own storage container; goldfish, round crackers, saltines, graham crackers, flour, and oatmeal. When I purchase those items, I fill the containers that day if needed.
12:40 PM
Lunchtime. Full disclosure, I am a slow eater. I usually eat rice and beans for lunch while doing a crossword puzzle from the local paper (my chance to unwind away from electronics).
1:25 PM
Time to leave the house to pick up the kids from school on foot.
Below is my shopping list for this grocery haul. For a different view click here.