Organize Your Week

Saturday - Fill Your Fridge

Saturday is my grocery day so this is the day that I get all my grocery shopping done. I do all my shopping at the grocery store of my choice (depending on who is offering the best deals) and then I do all my wholesale shopping.

Some people ask why I would pick Saturday since all the new sales come out the next day. Well, the reasoning behind this is that Sunday is the absolute busiest grocery shopping day of the week. There are tons of people and the lines are extremely long so by shopping on Saturday (and usually at odd late hours) I avoid the dreaded crowds. The other reason is that in our state you can't purchase alcohol on Sunday and this is very inconvenient for me since many of the recipes I use call for some type of alcohol in them. I also have a whole week to prepare for my shopping trip if I need to and because of the research and the amount of time I spend on coupons and going through my recipe books, I really need all the time I can get.

Here are a few tips for making your shopping day a little easier:

Tip #1 : If you do wholesale shopping you really should purchase a storage crate that you can store in your car. You can either use a simple plastic container or you can use the kind that are made just for your cars that are collapsible so that they do not take up space in your car when they are not in use. These especially make unloading your car so much easier at the end of your trip.

Tip #2 : Please read our grocery article on menu-planning, coupon cutting, and advertisement research. This article will really provide you with some very valuable information which will help save you money when doing your weekly shopping trip.

Tip #3 : Do not forget your price comparison sheet while you are out shopping. You never know what you will run across that you think is a good deal when in actuality it is not. Being armed with this information makes you a more informed consumer.

Tip #4 : Don't throw away all of your junk mail. You can use those return envelopes that they send you to store all of your coupons and your list in.

Tip #5 : Make sure you check all of the online coupon places such as Cool Savings and Smart Source before you leave for more printable coupons. While you are online, you might as well check the store's website that you are planning to shop to make sure there are not any special online deals or coupons.

Tasks to Accomplish:

1. Gather everything you need in order to get your grocery shopping done- your crate for your car, your envelope of coupons and grocery list, the flier for the store you are going to, your price comparison sheet, and a pen to cross things off as you go.
2. Get all of your groceries at both your wholesale store and your regular grocery store.
3. Bring them home and wash all produce that you can before putting it away. It will save you a lot of time when preparing your meals during the week. Remember never wash your berries until just before using them. The berries have a tendency to mold. Do wash all your herbs and greens and cut any vegetables that you will be using for snacks or for stews and soups.
4. Update your pantry list with everything you now have in it so that you can keep track of what you will need for your next grocery trip.

I hope that you are able to get your life on an organized track with these helpful solutions for accomplishing the everyday life. Although keeping your home organized seems like one of the most important tasks, please keep in mind that it is not. A child will probably not remember that the house was always spotless and the meals were always perfect, but I guarantee that your child will remember each and every special moment you devoted towards them. Things come up, children get sick, you get sick, and suddenly the house is back in turmoil. I know how that is, I have been there many times and will be there many times again. The key is how you pick everything all back up and put it all back in order. Good luck and cheers to an organized week!