People tend to really over-spend for the week of Passover. There are so many things we "need" for the holiday; Passover mayonnaise and ketchup, Passover cookies and cakes, Passover mixes for pancakes or soups, Passover frozen blintzes and ice creams. My grocery bill used to quadruple in the weeks leading up to Passover, because there is such a wide variety of Passover-certified foods and they all had to be mail-ordered.
No more. Now that I've finally got all the cooking vessels and utensils and all the tableware I need, my Passover shopping list is only a tiny bit more expensive than my regular grocery bill.
Here's how it works:
I always by Empire meats and Ha'Olam or Oneg or Miller cheeses, which are available year-round and always certified for Passover use. That way I don't wind up changing my brands of meats or cheeses just for the holiday.
I focus highly on the fresh fruits and vegetables that are available in the springtime. It's healthier than the heavy, fatty, sugary, and starchy foods.
Other than matzah for the Sedarim, I don't really buy a lot of matzah -- which is good, because normal matzah is $2 to $5 a box, but Passover matzah is anywhere from $8 to $40 a box (yes, seriously -- gluten-free matzah for my Celiac relative is incredibly expensive!).
I bought an ice-cream maker, which I only use for Passover. I make my ice creams myself with cream, eggs, and other raw/fresh ingredients that don't need special Passover certification. Takes the cost down from about $8 a tub to about $4 a tub.
One exception: I will buy all the gluten-free pasta, chow mein noodles, cake and cookie mixes, and Shabtai gluten-free cakes (for my freezer) that I can, but not until AFTER the holiday is over and all the items go on sale. I've got relatives living with Celiac disease, so being able to make them sweets when they come over for holidays throughout the year is a real treat for them and makes me feel like a better host, being able to provide something they can actually eat and enjoy without getting sick.
That is so nice of you, to take such good care of your relatives with celiac disease! It takes a lot of planning, but I bet they bless you every time they visit.
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