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I start grocery boxes at the end of February for the next Christmas holidays. I keep a list of things I buy regularly, then wait until they are on a super sale and stock up on them. I start with non-food articles like cleaning supplies, then start stocking up on things we use everyday, like our childrens' aspirins, razors, toilet tissue, etc. Later in the summer I start purchasing canned goods, salad dressings, etc.
In November, I start picking up party crackers, peanuts, even dog food. When it comes time to buy the Christmas goodies, the grocery money is freed up for treats and all the extras. The surplus groceries usually last until the end of January at least, giving me a break in the budget.
I started doing this several years ago, and couldn't believe how much it eased the Christmas spending. Just make sure to check the "best by" dates.
By Mother of 5 from Nova Scotia
By
07/14/2009
It's so funny you should post this now. Just last week I went through my house and made a list of all non-perishables and how much I thought I used in a year. I'm starting to stock up now. Since I have enough of everything for the present, by buying when I don't truly need things I can wait and take advantage of combining coupons with specials. I'm going to try to just keep these things on hand and replace as I use them, rotating my stock.
By
07/13/2009
Also, buy gift cards from your local grocery store so that way, if you ever need ingredients for last minute baking and cooking for Christmas, you have them on hand without having to use the credit cards :).
By
07/13/2009
Brilliant idea! I started doing something similar a few years back, stocking up on non-perishables late in the summer and making sure I had plenty of pantry basics on hand well before the holidays. So much nicer to not be worrying about running out of toilet paper the week before Christmas!
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