I found this picture circulating on Facebook and people are amazed at how cheap the food were in those times and how their peso would go a long way. Sobrang mura talaga ng mga bilihin noon. Can you relate to this?
In today’s hard times, we practically move heaven and earth just to make ends meet. Since starving our kids is farthest from our minds, we do everything we can to provide for their needs. Shopping for groceries is definitely an essential chore. The good news is, we can cut through its corners just so we could meet our budget for food.
When doing the groceries, make a list and stick to it. It’s always tempting to grab whatever we see on the supermarket aisles, but most of these, we don’t really need. It’s also cheaper to buy things in bulk. A six-pack of toothpastes would cost less than buying them per piece.
If you can help it, don’t bring the kids along. You’re more likely to give in to their whims if they’re with you.
I used to have two separate shopping schedules every week. Saturday or Sunday is market day for me. I replenish raw stock including chicken, pork or beef meat, sea food, vegetables and other ingredients that would last for three to four days in the fridge. If no time to cook I would open up canned goods or just run to a nearby store that sells affordable cooked meals everyday. They always save the day.
On the other hand, I do grocery shopping for hotdogs, bread, milk, on separate day usually on Sunday afternoon. Hubby takes care of the kids’ vitamins, his maintenance medicine, testoripped and vitamins. I stick to my weekly budget unless the kids went shopping with me.