Wednesdays are Grocery Planning Days

Wednesday is the day that I go through the grocery sales circulars and look at what is on sale, compare it to The Grocery Game's list and go through my coupons to match up with a sale.  I love to go through the circulars to see what deals I can get to add to whatever I already have on hand.  I also love when there aren't a lot of sales as it isn't a problem as I keep a stocked pantry and a stocked freezer. 

I am continually amazed that in my small town, population around 11,000, that our two grocery stores offer wonderful weekly specials that you think you would only find in a large metropolitan area.  Those stores are Fareway and Hy-Vee.  We also have a Super Wal-mart that sells groceries but I rarely buy groceries there. 

This week I wasn't planning on buying much as my freezer and pantry are full, until I saw the sales circulars.  2 lb. packages of brown sugar are on sale for $1.00.  Tones' spices in the small containers are on sale for 50 cents.  Time to change my grocery plan for the week.

At this time of year we start to see the beginning of sales on baking supplies.  I can always count that from now until Christmas I will be able to stock up on sugar, flour, chocolate chips and other baking items.  If you check the expiration dates on these baking essentials you will find that the majority of them have a date that is one year ahead so I always buy a year's worth of baking supplies from now until Christmas.  By January 1st I will have plenty of flour and sugar, all kinds of chocolate, white chocolate, butterscotch and cinnamon baking chips, and all different kinds of almond bark, nuts and cocoa that will last me until one year from now when the sales begin again.

I love to bake cookies for my family and to give away to friends, so buying these supplies at rock bottom prices is a necessity.  Storing these supplies properly is equally important because if, for example, I get bugs in the flour by not storing my flour properly then it didn't matter how much I saved when I purchased the flour, as it is now wasted.

I store all of my flour and sugar in big Rubbermaid Bins.  Before I put the flour in these bins I freeze the bags of flour for 24 hours.  I read somewhere that this will prevent the flour from getting bugs.  Then when I put the bags of flour and bags of sugar in their own separate Rubbermaid Bins, I also toss in several bay leaves to keep any bugs away.  Since doing this, I have never had any bugs in the flour or sugar.

I buy coffee in the large plastic canisters which are approximately 33 oz.  When the coffee is gone, I wash, rinse and thoroughly dry these canisters and I use them to store all of my chocolate chips and other flavors of baking chips.  I make a lot of chocolate chip cookies and a year's supply for me is about 5 coffee canisters.  So you can see why I buy these items in bulk when on sale.

I love being a homemaker.  Honestly I thought the thrill of it would wear off after a year and I would get bored, but I haven't.   I am very busy and I enjoy keeping a home and taking care of my family.  I also love taking the time to look through the grocery circulars each week for some great deals that help me keep my pantry and freezer well stocked and my grocery expense down.

You know what else I love?  A gift.  I received a $75.00 Hy-Vee gift card this week and I felt like I had won a sweepstakes. Some people get excited over receiving a gift card to a clothing store.  I am above excited at receiving a grocery gift card.