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You are here: Home / Motherhood / Time-Savers / Meal Planning Tips + Grocery Shopping Time Management

Meal Planning Tips + Grocery Shopping Time Management

August 25, 2020 By Kari Leave a Comment

Tips for meal planning, grocery list-making, and grocery shopping time management.
Plus, a few items I bring with me to help keep me organized while I stroll the aisles!

Grocery Shopping Time Management-1

I absolutely LOVE to grocery shop! I know, you’re either rolling your eyes at me or nodding in agreement. 🙂 Whether you love or loathe it, there’s definitely a way to master the art of grocery shopping to make you more efficient and help you save money. The more organized we are before we hit the store, the better we can prevent unnecessary buying.

With back-to-school just around the corner (however that may look for you this year), we’re all getting back to routine in some form. One way to ease the stress is proper grocery shopping time management. Hear me out! I know at least one of these tips will help you along the way. First up, though, a bit about the place we love to do our shopping!

Grocery Shopping Time Management-2 Freson Bros.

We’ve been shopping at Freson Bros. for a couple of years now. I’m all about experience when it comes to my grocery shop. Call me high maintenance, but I love a store that’s beautifully laid out and well-merchandised! Freson Bros. is exactly that. I definitely take a little extra time strolling the aisles for some ‘Me Time’. Any parent of little ones can relate to that!

We’re really looking forward to Freson Bros. opening up it’s first Edmonton location in Rabbit Hill in March 2021. For now, we shop at their newest (and absolutely stunning) store in Fort Saskatchewan and often pop out to their Stony Plain location as well. They also have a dozen other stores in communities across the province.

Grocery Shopping Time Management-3Grocery Shopping Time Management-4Grocery Shopping Time Management-6We love that Freson Bros. is rooted in community and “authentically Albertan”. Started in 1955 by Frank Lovsin and Frank Resek, Freson Bros. is all about family and connection (and you definitely feel that when you’re there)! You can read more on the history of Freson Bros. here.

Shop Local Products

Another reason we love Freson Brothers so much is their huge selection of local products. If you’ve been following me for a while, you likely know my passion for supporting and shopping local. ‘Frank’s Finds’ table at the back of the store always showcases local Alberta products. They carry the largest selection of Alberta-made Kombucha, a bunch of the produce is locally-grown, The Butcher Shop features local Alberta meats, the Mother Dough Bread Co. only uses 100% Alberta Flour, the Deli features Valbella deli meats from Canmore, and the list goes on. Two local products I always snag while I’m there are Soup Du Jar homemade frozen soups made in Lloydminister and So Elderberry Good Syrup made in St. Albert.

Grocery Shopping Time Management

My plan of attack at the grocery store starts with pre-planning at home and continues with a few key tools I bring with me to the store (more on that further down in the post). First, I set aside a couple of hours at home to meal plan and make my lists. That may sound like a lot, but trust me – the more time you spend at home preparing, the less time you’ll spend at the store (and the more money you’ll save)! I try to do most of this on my own, but I do like to involve our little guy Wyatt in the planning and meal making too. It’s a simple way to have teachable moments and make your kids feel like they’re contributing to the overall well-being of the family.

Meal Planning

I suggest you do one big master meal plan for the start of the month, and then smaller ones at the beginning of each week. Start by looking at your schedule. What does your life look like? Are you going to be away at any point? Do you have company coming over? Are there any celebrations like birthdays or holidays? Does your child have an intense extra-curricular schedule? All of these factors go into what the plan will look like. Do this planning ahead of time, so the only additional trips you make to the store that month will be for the fresh stuff.

Next, I break it down into categories:

  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Supper
  • Treats
  • Drinks
  • Stock-Up (things to pre-make and freeze for later like my Best Damn Chicken Stock).

Grocery Shopping Time ManagementAfter that, start planning what you’re going to make. Get out your cookbooks and open up Pinterest! I find it really helpful to designate ‘Secret’ Pinterest boards to each week’s meals. This way, when you’re getting set to start a new week, all your recipes are ready under one board so you’re not left scrambling.

Then, check your cupboards to see what ingredients you’ll need to make these meals happen. Keep all of your Meal Plans and Grocery Lists saved somewhere (I use and love Google Drive). This way, if you’re super busy one week and don’t have time to meal plan, you can snag a previous plan along with the grocery list and all your recipes set to go in your secret Pinterest board. Such a time saver!

Grocery Lists

Create your grocery lists based on the layout of your store. This makes your time there not only more efficient but also more enjoyable! When I shop at Freson Bros., I divide my grocery list this way:

  • Market Garden
  • Root Cellar
  • All-Natural + Healthy Choices
  • The Butcher Shop
  • Grocery
  • Bakers Pantry
  • Dairy
  • Deli Kitchen
  • Flower Market

Preparing a meal immediately after a grocery store haul is way too much work! That’s why I always end my shop at the Butcher’s Cookhouse and Hot Kitchen to grab some take-home meals for the rest of the day.

Grocery Shopping Time Management-8My Grocery Shopping Kit

This stays in my vehicle or my purse at all times. This pouch certainly looks different in pandemic times, but here’s what’s inside:

  • my mask in its own separate pouch or bag
  • hand sanitizer
  • phone holder for cart
  • hook for bags
  • disinfectant to wipe down my phone and cards afterwards

Grocery Shopping Time Management-9

Arrival at the Store

When I get to the store, I pop on my mask and grab my reusable bags and hook them to the cart. I use The Mommy Hook to hold the bags so they’re not taking up space in the cart or falling out everywhere. I attach this phone holder to the cart (this looks like a great one too) so I can easily read my list and keep my phone from touching too many things or falling on the ground.

Grocery Shopping Time Management-10After that, it’s shopping time! Two of my favourite parts of Freson Bros. are The Root Cellar next to The Market Garden and The Baker’s Pantry. The Root Cellar showcases vegetables stored at lower temperatures, in low light, with steady humidity. Just one more way they guarantee fresh produce. The Baker’s Pantry is an absolute dream, featuring pretty much every baking ingredient you can imagine. For example, I love the huge selection of different types of flour!

Tip: be sure to also pop by The Sweet Shop candy section if you need an incentive or reward when shopping with your little ones!

Finally, when it’s time to check out, make sure to unload your items grouped together by each section of your home so they can be bagged accordingly. This is a great way to save time while unloading at home.

That’s it! I would love to hear your tips for efficient grocery shopping and meal planning. Please share in the comment section below.

photos: Dallas Curow

I was happy to team up with Freson Bros. for this sponsored post. As always, thoughts and opinions are mine.

 

Don’t forget to Pin this to your Time Management and Grocery Shopping Tips boards. Follow me on Pinterest here!

 

Other Posts You’ll Love:

Healthy Family Time Management During Isolation

Save Time + Money At The Gas Pump

Time Saver: Mompreneur Tips

xx

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kariskelton

Lifestylist + Blogger: KariSkelton.com
Mom to Wyatt, Moses🐾 + Monroe🐾
Babe on the way! (06/22)
❤ @ryanjespersen
motherhood | style | recipes 👇

Kari Skelton | Motherhood
when you feel like you've hit your max bump but th when you feel like you've hit your max bump but there's still nine weeks to go. 😳

It's truly amazing what our bodies can do. 💛

#31weeks #sunsoutbumpsout #beachball
Life update. ❤ I’ll be keeping this piece of Life update. ❤

I’ll be keeping this piece of art forever. Wyatt painted this for me back in January, when I was isolated with Covid. I taped it up on the wall beside the bed during my stay in our guest room. If you zoom in, you’ll see me in the front with the big baby belly. (Wyatt calls me ‘big belly’ these days!)

Rainbows represent promise, hope, and new beginnings. 

It's been a rough past few weeks for our family, hence my absence online. Thank you so much for your messages of love, concern, and support. They mean so much to us. I know I share a lot with you on here, but I’m not going to get into details this time. Just know we're doing alright. Junebug is great (and kicking and rolling around non-stop!), Wyatt is awesome per usual, and Ryan and I are rock solid.

I had to take a break from work. My main focus has always been (and will
always be) protecting the peace, health, and well-being of our family unit. 

Social media can be a beautiful place where connection and inspiration happens. Unfortunately, it can also foster hurtful and harmful attacks. I’ve learned so much over these past few weeks, and have deeply reflected on my presence and future plans online. I’ll share more soon, but for now, I just wanted to check in, say a sincere thanks, and let you know we’re all good. ❤️
The moment I found out. September 22, 2021. I’ll The moment I found out. September 22, 2021. I’ll be honest - the first trimester wasn’t great. There were moments of joy (like this one) but it was filled with anxiety, scary moments, and a few hurdles. 

🤰I’m playing catchup on some pregnancy blog posts but I wanted to make sure this was up, especially for those who have been following our journey. 

👉 Head on over to KariSkelton.com for ‘Pregnancy Q&A: The First Trimester’ where I get into all of it. Link is in my bio.

❔️Please ask any questions. That’s the whole reason why I share about this. I believe sharing our experiences and personal stories helps all of us feel less alone and often validates what we’re going through. 

(If you can believe it, I took a video of the exact moment I found out but it disappeared from my files. Poof! Gone.💨 Of all the videos to lose…. 🙈 But very happy to have this photo).

#pregnancystories #motherhoodrising #motherhoodunites #Canadianblogger #Canadianmom
Contest Closed. Congrats to our winner @michelle_q Contest Closed. Congrats to our winner @michelle_quay! Thanks to all of you for entering! ❤

➡️ Giveaway! To celebrate @fresonbros first birthday tomorrow (Saturday, March 5), we’re giving away a $250 Freson Bros. GC! 🥳

You’re invited to pop down to the party between 11-5 to celebrate with us! 🎉There’s birthday torte, a whole bunch of perks, specialty tastings, and additional in-store giveaways, including a beautiful Camp Chef XT Wood Pellet Grill! 🙆‍♀️

To enter our $250 GC Giveaway:

👉 Make sure you follow me @kariskelton and @fresonbros.

👉 Like this post.

👉 tag some friends who would love this!

✨️ Bonus entry: Head to KariSkelton.com and leave a comment on my ‘Freson Bros. Turns One’ blog post (make sure to add your IG handle in that comment so we know who you are). 

*This giveaway is open to Canadian residents only and is in no way endorsed or supported by Instagram. The winner must be able to pick up the $250 gift card prize at Freson Bros. Edmonton 5139 Mullen Rd. Contest closes Friday, March 4 at 11:59 pm MST. The winner will be announced on this post before 9 a.m MST Saturday, March 5. 

🚨*PLEASE watch out for impersonation accounts that unfortunately sometimes pop up during giveaways. I will only reach out to you via DM from my account (@kariskelton) to confirm your win and then we’ll coordinate details via email only.
Load More… Follow on Instagram

kariskelton

Lifestylist + Blogger: KariSkelton.com
Mom to Wyatt, Moses🐾 + Monroe🐾
Babe on the way! (06/22)
❤ @ryanjespersen
motherhood | style | recipes 👇

Kari Skelton | Motherhood
when you feel like you've hit your max bump but th when you feel like you've hit your max bump but there's still nine weeks to go. 😳

It's truly amazing what our bodies can do. 💛

#31weeks #sunsoutbumpsout #beachball
Life update. ❤ I’ll be keeping this piece of Life update. ❤

I’ll be keeping this piece of art forever. Wyatt painted this for me back in January, when I was isolated with Covid. I taped it up on the wall beside the bed during my stay in our guest room. If you zoom in, you’ll see me in the front with the big baby belly. (Wyatt calls me ‘big belly’ these days!)

Rainbows represent promise, hope, and new beginnings. 

It's been a rough past few weeks for our family, hence my absence online. Thank you so much for your messages of love, concern, and support. They mean so much to us. I know I share a lot with you on here, but I’m not going to get into details this time. Just know we're doing alright. Junebug is great (and kicking and rolling around non-stop!), Wyatt is awesome per usual, and Ryan and I are rock solid.

I had to take a break from work. My main focus has always been (and will
always be) protecting the peace, health, and well-being of our family unit. 

Social media can be a beautiful place where connection and inspiration happens. Unfortunately, it can also foster hurtful and harmful attacks. I’ve learned so much over these past few weeks, and have deeply reflected on my presence and future plans online. I’ll share more soon, but for now, I just wanted to check in, say a sincere thanks, and let you know we’re all good. ❤️
The moment I found out. September 22, 2021. I’ll The moment I found out. September 22, 2021. I’ll be honest - the first trimester wasn’t great. There were moments of joy (like this one) but it was filled with anxiety, scary moments, and a few hurdles. 

🤰I’m playing catchup on some pregnancy blog posts but I wanted to make sure this was up, especially for those who have been following our journey. 

👉 Head on over to KariSkelton.com for ‘Pregnancy Q&A: The First Trimester’ where I get into all of it. Link is in my bio.

❔️Please ask any questions. That’s the whole reason why I share about this. I believe sharing our experiences and personal stories helps all of us feel less alone and often validates what we’re going through. 

(If you can believe it, I took a video of the exact moment I found out but it disappeared from my files. Poof! Gone.💨 Of all the videos to lose…. 🙈 But very happy to have this photo).

#pregnancystories #motherhoodrising #motherhoodunites #Canadianblogger #Canadianmom
Contest Closed. Congrats to our winner @michelle_q Contest Closed. Congrats to our winner @michelle_quay! Thanks to all of you for entering! ❤

➡️ Giveaway! To celebrate @fresonbros first birthday tomorrow (Saturday, March 5), we’re giving away a $250 Freson Bros. GC! 🥳

You’re invited to pop down to the party between 11-5 to celebrate with us! 🎉There’s birthday torte, a whole bunch of perks, specialty tastings, and additional in-store giveaways, including a beautiful Camp Chef XT Wood Pellet Grill! 🙆‍♀️

To enter our $250 GC Giveaway:

👉 Make sure you follow me @kariskelton and @fresonbros.

👉 Like this post.

👉 tag some friends who would love this!

✨️ Bonus entry: Head to KariSkelton.com and leave a comment on my ‘Freson Bros. Turns One’ blog post (make sure to add your IG handle in that comment so we know who you are). 

*This giveaway is open to Canadian residents only and is in no way endorsed or supported by Instagram. The winner must be able to pick up the $250 gift card prize at Freson Bros. Edmonton 5139 Mullen Rd. Contest closes Friday, March 4 at 11:59 pm MST. The winner will be announced on this post before 9 a.m MST Saturday, March 5. 

🚨*PLEASE watch out for impersonation accounts that unfortunately sometimes pop up during giveaways. I will only reach out to you via DM from my account (@kariskelton) to confirm your win and then we’ll coordinate details via email only.
Load More… Follow on Instagram

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