Shopping Once A Year?
For some time now, I have been mulling over in my mind a question. Would it make sense for me to consider changing my shopping habits? I presently shop once a month at the warehouse stores and then fill in each week with any specials I can find and fresh produce and milk. However, some time back, I read an article about a couple who did their shopping once a year. They even went so far as to purchase a few gift cards for eating out and then stashed enough cash in a teapot for future milk and fresh produce. By doing this plan, the couple found they saved half of what they normally spent on food. Their reasoning was that they were tempted each time they went into a store to buy more than they needed.
I do not think I have the same problem. I pretty much stick to my budget. My reason to shop in such a manner would be to consider traveling to a city about 3 hours away where supermarket competition is better and prices and deals might make the trip worthwhile. I know for those of you who coupon and shop sales and deals, this would most likely be a negative. However, for shoppers like me who live close to a large city, but where there is only one supermarket chain and Super Walmart in this city, a three hour drive might pay for itself with a savings of time and money.
Realistically, I do not think I could actually shop for a whole year. I do not have the finances, a large enough vehicle or that much storage space. The couple I read about chose to use credit cards and paid them off in several months. This would not be an option for me and they were only shopping for two. The thought does intrigue me, however, and I am wondering if anyone else has tried shopping once a year, or traveling long distances to score better deals?
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14 Responses to “Shopping Once A Year?”
July 21st, 2009 at 12:21 pm
Like you I live very close to a big city and only have Super Walmart or HEB to shop. There is a Randall’s but their prices are just scary. Even their specials are not very special. I have read that an Aldi is being built about 2 hours from me in Waco. I am giving some great thought into making a special trip just to check it out. I have read so much about Aldi stores but have never seen one. Also my brother lives in Waco so I could ‘visit’ my brother and check the Aldi on the way out of town…
July 21st, 2009 at 12:38 pm
I think I read that very same article. Its very tempting to just buy for a whole year. I even wrote out a list of the things that I usually buy and things that I would need for the year. At the time, I had a Sams Club right in my town, so I priced things there to find out how much it would cost us. I think in total it was just over $1000 for our small family. That’s not including the perishables. Like you, we didnt have the credit cards to buy the stuff with. It would have taken a few months just to get the cash to do that kind of shopping. I think that it would be beneficial to buy certain items in bulk to last a few months but not necessarily a whole year.
July 21st, 2009 at 1:14 pm
Here’s that article you were talking about:
http://www.christianitytoday.com/mp/2006/summer/7.44.html
July 21st, 2009 at 1:18 pm
I’d never be able to do that. Not only would it be a huge space issue, but sometimes dietary needs change. In my family, food allergies are common, and when we have a new baby (about every 2 years), that baby always ends up having some allergies, many of which they outgrow later. Sometimes I’m able to change the food that just that one child eats, but usually the entire family’s diet is modified to some extent. For example, I didn’t make much spaghetti or lasagna when one of my children couldn’t eat tomatoes. Canned tomato products would be a huge portion of an annual shopping trip, so that would be a big deal.
Also, can you imagine if you did some research in nutrition and then decided to change some of your eating habbits? I’d have to make myself eat the stuff I’d bought, but I’d feel horrible about it.
July 21st, 2009 at 6:40 pm
I’m very curious, what and where was the article about this family and the once a year shopping. I’d love to know how they figured out how much of an item to buy. Thanks!
July 21st, 2009 at 6:53 pm
I don’t have the money to do this either and honestly, with the finance charges they are paying on the credit card, are they really saving money? Do they consider the card fees in with their overall food bill total for the year? I would love to know that. To me, being frugal is not using credit cards…..
July 21st, 2009 at 8:18 pm
Granny Miller shopped once year (check out her sidebar)
And I very much enjoy the Prudent Homemaker
July 21st, 2009 at 10:29 pm
I very seriously doubt I could shop for an entire year. I have 4 kids and like you my husband and I don’t have a large enough vehicle or storage space. I think we would have to rent a U-haul or something.
It is an interesting concept though.
July 21st, 2009 at 10:35 pm
An Aldi being built in Waco? That’s 3.5 hours from us, and I have a brother who lives there too!
I had wonderful memories of the deals at Aldi’s 6 years ago in Ohio, but after shopping at the Aldi’s in Oklahoma City recently, I have to admit I was disappointed.
I think many of the very best deals were on items I rarely buy these days: crackers, chips, cereal, snack foods. Now I have Costco, and my local produce source is cheaper than the great deals I used to find at Aldi’s. That just didn’t leave me the huge savings that I remembered.
July 22nd, 2009 at 6:36 am
When we lived in Great Falls, Montana, years and years ago, I worked at the Sam’s Club there. Many people would come from hours away from their ranches and the American Indian reservations to shop there and they would buy stuff by the truckloads. Sometimes it only makes sense to shop only once or twice a year.
July 22nd, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Shopping once a year is almost hilarious to me just thinking about it. I think about the Costco down the street and the fact that I work in Downtown Portland – and having small children, you can’t possibly do it unless you have an enormous amount of storage – Children grow wayyy too fast – need too many things – to only shop once a year is amusing, but how is it possible?
Really? Teach me! Teach me!
July 22nd, 2009 at 8:28 pm
I have never considered this and I don’t even know how I would manage it. Like you I don’t have that kind of storage space and with four children (one still in training pants) it doesn’t even seem possible. Interesting concept though. Seems like for some it would save time and money. Thanks for this post… very interesting.
July 26th, 2009 at 9:17 am
Just because of the economy I’ve switched my shopping habit, outside of consumables I buy in bulk and stock up on dry goods. I typically shop big once per quarter.
January 29th, 2010 at 9:25 am
I’m doing once a year shopping this year for the first time and I love it. I took money from my tax return and have brought everything I can think of household wise that I will need for the next year. AC filters to Zote soap. It’s really not that hard. The reason I’m doing it is 1. to keep me out of the stores to save money 2. I hate having to run to the store all the time because I ran out of something. I have completed the household and personnel items and now I’m on to food. I will still have to shop once a month for items that can’t be stored for a year.
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