Everyday shopping takes a lot of time. As a result, food deposits may accumulate in the refrigerator, and there may not be enough ingredients to prepare the desired meals. To avoid unnecessary financial and time expenditures, try to buy groceries once for the whole week.
Menu for the week
Before purchasing food, make a menu for the week. Firstly, this method will help you avoid unnecessary expenses, since all purchased products will be used for their intended purpose. Secondly, you will have the opportunity to make the menu more varied and not to think every day what to cook.
Try to plan your menu so that the products are used rationally and the different ingredients overlap with each other. For example, if you're making chicken soup, put a few slices of meat in the refrigerator for a salad the next day. Consider these little tweaks when designing your menu.
Organize your kitchen cabinets and refrigerator by examining their contents. It is quite possible that you have forgotten that you have certain products. Include them on the menu for a week so as not to buy too much.
To the store with a list
List the products to purchase. Summarize everything you plan to cook from for the next week. Don't forget about drinks, sweets and other additional purchases that you can simply indulge in.
Go shopping during your least busy times, such as weekday morning or late weekend evening. This way you can make all your purchases quickly and without fuss.
Try to buy groceries for a week in a maximum of two places, for example, a hypermarket and a market. Be sure to check the expiration dates of the goods. Keep an eye out for POS promotions that can save you huge amounts of money, while beware of impulse and unnecessary purchases.
Add 1-2 semi-finished products (dumplings, pizza) to the list in case you suddenly do not have time to cook.
Little tricks
If you can only buy food once a week, what about perishable foods? There are a number of convenient ways to save yourself from the daily commute.
Buy dairy products with a long shelf life. Buy a lot of bread, slice it beforehand and freeze it. Reheat a few slices before eating: the bread will be fragrant and tender.
Do not wash fresh herbs in advance, but place them in a large glass jar and close the lid tightly: in this state, it will not deteriorate even for more than a week. Buy dry mixes for making bread and pastries that you can use at any time without leaving your home.
