Sunday Prep - Grocery Shopping

A lot of working women, mothers and multitaskers seek easy weekday meals. In these Sunday prep series, I will give you tips and ideas to make your week easy. A little elbow grease on Sunday will open up your week. 

In the first installment of the series, I will share tips for grocery shopping. 

Pick a non-rush day

Shopping on Sundays is a lot of time spent on standing in check out queues. 

Shop on Tuesday or Wednesday and beat the rush. Many localities have a farmers market on weekday (my locality has one on Wednesday). Shop then for cheaper and local produce.

Make a list

Plan all your meals for the week and create your shopping list. This list in addition to your pantry staples, will help you shop faster and cheaper. A smart list will reduce your shopping trips also. Have a weekly, monthly and quarterly item list. That way your lists are always specific and list is non-cluttered. 

Use technology

I use a fantastic list app called 'FastShop'. The beauty of this app is that lists can be made once and then used repeatedly. For e.g. you make a list of 10 items, then as you shop, tap the item and its grayed out but not deleted. Then as the week progresses and you use up the item, tap the item again and its black again. I have created lists according to shop from where it can be bought - groceries, bazaar etc.; occasion - Diwali, birthday and so on... You can even email the list. 

Use any such app to create lists so your shopping is fast and easy. Also since it is on my phone which I always carry, there is less chance of losing or misplacing the list. 

Delegate / Share tasks

So your work place is closer to the farmers market and your spouses is closer to Walmart... Send him the Walmart list to shop so you save on the driving time. In my household, while I shop for produce and other groceries weekly my husband always picks up fruit during the week. 

It also works with neighbours, you buy vegetables for her and she gets fruit. But this needs understanding and friendship. 

Use an online service 

There are many online grocers who deliver to your home. In India these services are especially useful for buying 'exotic' vegetables in smaller cities where availability in stores is not guaranteed. 

Buy in bulk

Things like toilet paper, kitchen tissues, soaps, detergents and similar non-perishable items can be purchased in bulk if storage permits. 

Make life easier

Buy frozen bags of peas and carrots, mix bags for stir fry, frozen fruit for smoothies. If you eat Spinach salad buy fresh but if its for palak paneer or soup, the precooked frozen one is better. If you don't have help in the kitchen, these items will save you valuable prep time. In India you can ask your regular vegetable vendor if he will shell peas for you, or pick fenugreek leaves, shell corn. They usually do for a small fee.