I have had a ton of questions from readers this week and I will try to do my best to get as many questions answered as possible!
Hi there! I love your blog and appreciate ALL you tips, tricks and information. I’ve learned so much. I’m wondering if you go grocery shopping on a weekly or bi-weekly basis? I’m just wondering if you can save more money by going once a week versus every other.
Thanks again!
Chante’
Great question! The decision on how often to shop is based on many things like your schedule, experience, and stockpile. Here is an outline of the advantages and disadvantages to help in your decision making.
Shop once a week:
*Recommended for beginners, those building a stockpile, families with little storage space or on a very tight budget.
Advantage:
*You can take advantage of weekly sales
*Helps you learn the ropes because you are in the stores every week
Disadvantage:
*Need time to plan and shop every week
Shop every ten days:
*Recommended for families whose schedules are busy
Advantage:
*Easy to catch both the tail end of one sale and the beginning of the next
*Less planning and shopping-1 less planning and shopping trip a month
Disadvantage:
*Hard to stretch perishables for ten days. You may need to add in some canned or frozen fruits and vegetables.
One big shopping trip a month (with small trip for perishables):
*Recommend only once you have a basic stockpile and you are comfortable with meal planning.
Advantage:
*Only planning once a month
Disadvantage:
*Don’t get to take advantage of all the sale prices
I think I save the most money when I shop every week but I am a busy mom and don’t always have the time (or energy) to go to the store every week. My favorite method is the 10 day plan because I can still get almost all the sale prices but only have to plan and shop 3 times a month. When my husband is in season (he is a high school coach) and has to work long hours I do one big shopping trip a month.
How often do you shop and why?
