I learned something new recently.

I learned that I spend far less on groceries if I shop monthly. OK, no big shock there. But I suspect this has less to do with menu planning than one might think. I think it’s because I feel I can justify spending a certain amount on spontaneous purchases each time I go to the store (“it’s only $__”). If I go once/month I will only “blow” that amount once rather than every 3 or 4 days.

Of course, we also save on gas and wear-and-tear/depreciation on the vehicle, which seems to run almost as much as gas.

I save time; once a month shopping may take twice as long as a regular weekly shopping trip, but – well, obviously, it’s only once/month.

Hubby saves time when I shop monthly, because I don’t have to ask him to stop on his way home to pick up items for me.

I actually run out of important items *less often* because monthly shopping forces me to plan farther ahead. If I plan poorly, I may find myself with only 3 weeks’ worth of diapers, but that’s much easier to work around than waking up and finding that the diapers ran out last night.

I have a master list, so I can tell at a glance what I need to buy. Before I go shopping, I print out my master and add individual items as necessary. I cross out anything that is holding up well enough to last another month. My list is still evolving, as there are some items that last more than a month, but it was surprisingly easy to get started.

Our menu has a fair amount of variety, but I find that my shopping list is much more stable. I can buy the same amount of ground beef, chicken, etc. each month and use them for very different meals. I can purchase extra items on special, and either work them into the menu right away or freeze for next month.

A few tips I learned along the way:

• Make sure the back of your 15 passenger van is empty before you get started. What? You don’t have one? Well, clean out the trunk of your car. You’ll need plenty of room for a month’s worth of groceries.
• I keep an ice chest in the back of my van at all times. That way I don’t have find storage space for it in my house, and I don’t have to remember to take it shopping. It’s ready and waiting.
• Learn to steer two shopping carts. It makes life so much easier. Just put all the lightweight items in the front cart, and drag the heavy one behind you.
• Eat before you leave, and don’t be shy about snacking while you’re out. This may be a long shopping trip and a lot of work. You don’t want to run out of steam or shop hungry, so invest $1 in a McDonald’s double cheeseburger if you feel the need. It will save you far more than a dollar by the time you’re done.
• Break down your list by store first, then try to arrange it in the order you’ll find each item in the store. You don’t want to drag 2 cartloads of groceries all the way to the back corner of the store because you forgot to get the eggs.
• Buy plenty of milk and freeze it.
• Shredded cheese freezes nicely, and can be used directly from the freezer.

Of course, you’ll still need to acquire produce throughout the month. Apples, carrots, cabbage, frozen veggies, and even eggs keep nicely for a good portion of the month, but you will want more variety. Somebody will have to go to the store sometime, but hubby and I find it’s much less of a hassle to run for produce than to have a shopping day every week. It won’t be an urgent trip, and somebody will be in town sooner or later.

So there you have it. Take it for what it’s worth, and use what works for you.

Would anyone like to add some tips of their own?