Our Monthly Grocery Experiment: How We Shopped for 30 Days in One Day
For months, our weekly grocery trips had become a burden. We were spending more than we wanted and making trips to the grocery store more than once a week. It wasn’t just the money, though. The amount of time spent planning meals, driving to the store, shopping, and then organizing everything at home was beginning to feel excessive.
So we asked ourselves: What if we could do it all in one massive shopping trip to buy everything we needed for 30 days of meals—could we make it work?
That’s how this experiment started. Our goal was to spend less, eat better, and save time.
The First Grocery Haul
Armed with a detailed meal plan and shopping list, we set out on our big grocery shopping day. Our first stop was Costco, where a significant portion of the budget went towards items that would last us beyond the month, like coconut oil, rice, and maple syrup. Next, we headed to Whole Foods, rounding out our list with high-quality ingredients. Finally, we placed a Thrive Market order to cover some specialty items. By the end of the day, we were stocked up, feeling optimistic about how this experiment would pan out, especially since a good portion of the total spent included staples that would last far beyond the month.
A Bump in the Road
We had planned for the majority of our groceries to last us 30 days, but we allowed ourselves one extra trip in the middle of the month to pick up fresh fruits and vegetables. It wasn’t realistic to expect those items to stay fresh for the entire month, so halfway through, we went out and grabbed more produce. That was part of the plan.
However, we didn’t plan and proactively buy some of everyday items that were running low before our grocery haul. Looking back, we realized our focus had been more on meal-specific ingredients and less on the everyday essentials we use constantly. Even though we technically didn’t stick to our plan of “one trip and done,” we weren’t discouraged. The whole point of this experiment was to see what worked and what didn’t, and we were learning as we went. Not to mention we still cut our spending and shopping time tremendously.
How the Month Went
We ended up spending $872.67 total for the month, which wasn’t THAT below our usual grocery bill, but definitely less than usual. But here’s the important part: at least 20% of the total was spent on staples that have lasted us well beyond 30 days. By investing in these items upfront, we knew we’d see the benefit of lower grocery bill in future months.
As the days went on, we found that having all our food pre-bought gave us more time back in our day-to-day lives. No more wasting time wandering the aisles at the store or pondering what we could cook for dinner. It simplified things in a way that was freeing.
Was it perfect? No. But we were learning as we went, and we could already see that this method was working. Stay tuned for the full breakdown of what we learned, how we did it, and what we’d do differently next time.