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Tips for Better Grocery Shopping This Festive Season
Having guests over for an ‘open house’ during the festive season can be a stressful, yet wonderful experience. In the Phillipines, a country made up predominantly of Christians and Muslims, certain requirements have to be taken into consideration, particularly when serving food to your guests. Given the circumstances, hiring a caterer to provide the food for your ‘open house’ should be an option to consider. If you however, decide on preparing the meals yourself, then shopping for groceries should be given priority above everything else. Here are 5 tips for a stress-free shopping experience this festive season. Let’s do it!
Devise a Fool-Proof Grocery Shopping Plan
Getting groceries during the festive season can prove to be much more difficult as compared to grocery shopping on normal days. Hence, it is important that you build a strategic shopping list before you even leave home. In order to avoid forgetting an item, list down the ingredients individually for each meal you intend to prepare. Remember also to look out for any discounts or promotions offered by a store which will help you save some money. As an alternative, you can also consider bulk purchasing the required ingredients, with stores such as Croft Bulk Foods and Happy Earth Store providing you with a cheaper, zero-waste option. Nice!
The Rain Is Not All Doom and Gloom
When it rains, plans to head to a grocery store and get some shopping done usually gets stalled. The common man will usually wait for the rain to stop before jumping into their car, but that does not necessarily have to be the case for you. Instead, you can use this opportunity to stock up on as many items as you can. As cooking ingredients aren’t exclusively sold during the festive season only, consider purchasing extra quantities of the ingredients you require in order to avoid having to run to the store at the eleventh hour. Another option that you should consider would be doing your shopping during non-peak hours, as this will give you the privilege of shopping for your groceries without having to deal with a crowd.
Grocery Shopping At Your Fingertips
If the idea of having to head out to a store and select the items you need off the racks does not appeal to you, fret not. Stores such as WalterMart and The Green Grocer Store offer doorstep delivery, which enable you to save time and money. Identify also, any deals or offerings that you can use to your advantage, particularly during the festive season. For instance, if the intend of a store is to drive traffic to their website, they may offer discounts and promotions for specific online purchases. Pretty cool stuff there!
Fuel Up Before the Get Down
To prepare your body and mind for the arduous task of getting the grocery shopping done, fuel up before your shopping run. Not only will eating before heading out enable you to immerse yourself in your shopping experience energetically, it will also allow you to avoid hunger pangs, which would cost you more time and money. As an alternative, pack healthy snacks that you can quickly chomp down such as sandwiches, nuts or fruits, which will allow you to stay full and not prevent you from getting your tasks done in the quickest time possible.
Hitch A Ride To The Store
An option that you should consider to avoid dealing with the stress of having to drive through traffic and find a parking spot, would be to hitch a ride through an e-hailing app. Doing so will allow you to stay focused on the task at hand, whilst giving you enough time to determine if you’ve missed out on any items that you require to make the ‘open house’ experience a day to remember for your guests. Alternatively, give consideration to the option of car-pooling with friends and family members, as this will help you save time and make your grocery shopping a seamless, yet fun process!
All Shop and No Play Makes Grocery-Hunting a Boring Affair
Managing your time well and executing your shopping plan strategically will enable you to have some extra time to enjoy the shopping experience. If this excursion involves family members or friends, use the free time available to participate in the store’s festivities, such as taking pictures at a photo booth, indulging in live performances or letting your kids take part in activities such as sand art, playing in inflatables or watching a magic show. Not only will this make the shopping experience a fun affair, but it will also allow to boost your mental by bonding with family members or friends. Try it and you’ll know!
Be it a small or large gathering at your ‘open house’, eliminate stress completely by planning each task strategically. And despite the fact that you may face hiccups during the process, which is completely normal, it is important to stay relaxed throughout. Being in a state of relaxation will allow you to find solutions or discover alternative methods of execution when faced with a problem. Most importantly, be sure to have a ball of a time during the shopping experience, since it is, after all a time for celebration!
