4 Things I learned while shopping!

I learned these 4 things when I didn’t do online shopping. Due to technical issues, I have had to post this blog unedited. Please forgive the grammatical errors.

On a Facebook group I belong to, the topic of budgets came up and we started talking about the cost of groceries.  I have already worked out my budget, which we stick to pretty closely, but I wanted to try a different store. We average R1500 per month per person, this includes meat, veg, milk, bread, toiletries and groceries. I originally estimated R1000 per person, but I didn’t take into account toiletries and fruit and veg. If you entertain a lot then your groceries will definitely be more.

I also think that if you have a baby you spend more because of the formula and nappies. So for a baby I would say R2000 and for everyone else R1500 is possible.

I have been doing my shopping online, buying fruit and veg from Food Lover Market and toiletries from Clicks Norwood mall as my husband is the Pharmacist there so I can use his staff card.

Today I did my monthly shop by actually going into a physical store. I spent double my normal budget! What did I learn from this?

1. NEVER shop on an empty stomach! This is an old rule that I already knew, but I broke it today. Not only was it an empty stomach, but it is also the fast of Tisha B’Av. I don’t fast well. Ever. In fact I usually go to bed and stay there! So how I thought I could actually do the shopping I have no idea.
2. NEVER take your husband with! My husband is not the most disciplined when it comes to budget. Husbands in general tend to impulse buy. I also seem to loose my ability to make decisions for myself and defer to him, normally if I can’t decide on something I leave it on the shelf. It was a really good deal, I just won’t buy this for next month.
3. NEVER take your children with. My kids are good, they didn’t once ask for sweets or chocolate, which they only get for Shabbat. I did, however, buy olives, pickles (two kinds), extra jam, tinned peaches and custard these things were not on my original list.
4. Lastly NEVER go into an actual store! I saw all the specials (Tenderchick chickens and R49 per kg, for those of you who don’t keep kosher, that is an excellent price), bought a new type of pear to try, Nectarines which are new in season so cost a bit more and fresh strawberries, new slippers- although mine are old they are not broken and keep my feet warm just fine, but these were cute.

Overall I learnt a valuable lesson, as much as Pick n Pay is more expensive for some things, the vitality points and your smart shopper card definitely make a difference. I would have earned points and fuel cash. Using my card and coupons at Checkers I only saved R8 in coupons and I think earned just over R70 in ebucks (I don’t know how to work it out), and because I actually went into the store I spent double my budget.

Shabbat (we are observant Jews and keep Sabbath, we have a special meal on Sabbath)should cost between R500 to R700 per week, this is if you are entertaining. On a family Shabbat (no guests) we only have soup, main, 1 starch and 2 veg, salad, a 2 litre cold drink and occasionally desert, for dinner and for lunch, a main, and salad and desert.  Desert is normally homemade ice-cream. If we are entertaining we would have a starter and a salad, 1 meat dish, 1 starch and 2 veg, a salad, 2-3 2 litre cold drinks and desert.

When I do my meat order I order enough for all the Shabbat meals. I generally don’t do last minute invitations so I almost always know how many will be coming for meals in a month.

Your basic Shabbat would then cost a lot less, bought Challah (Jewish braided bread/Kitke) (PnP) R9- R16 (Shula’s homemade/ German) per challah, Shabbat breakfast for us is a cake or pastry (PnP Melktart) R20-R50 (Shula’s rugelach-pastry rolls) depending on what you get and where you get it from. 1 cold drink for supper and 1 for lunch, and very importantly Shabbat morning treat, this is usually just a slab of chocolate, once a month I will by individual treats. As part of my envelope budget I include money for 4 Shabbats, this way I will always be able to buy my basics, so even if it is a peanut butter type of month, Shabbat will be special.

Obviously if you are not Kosher, Checkers is definitely a lot cheaper as their brand name product prices are really good and you can do your shopping according to the available vouchers on ezee-coupons the Checkers app, thereby earning a bigger discount, also unless you are on a very high tier for ebucks you don’t earn much, I still don’t know that it is worth it.

If you are not Jewish you can use the money I allocate for Sabbath, into your Sunday family lunch instead.

I will be going back to my online shopping from next month.

A big part of my online shopping is that I have a problem with crowds, Pick n Pay just has too many people especially at month end.  Checkers was a much better experience for me in this regard.

Lesson learned.