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Tips for Better Grocery Shopping This Festive Season
Welcoming guests to your home brings as much stress as it does joy to your home. Living in a country of multiple racial and religious compositions, a few requirements have to be taken into consideration, particularly when serving food to your guests. As a result, you’re left with the arduous task of preparing meals which comply with these specific requirements. You may engage a caterer to provide the food for your ‘open house’, but in the event that you do decide to go with the option of preparing the meals yourself, grocery shopping then automatically becomes top of your ‘open house’ to-do list. Here are 5 tips you can incorporate for a strategic and enjoyable grocery shopping experience during the festive season.
Building a Game Plan
Strategy is an art. Kingdoms do not go to the battlefield without war tactics. Similarly, grocery shopping for the festive season also requires a game plan. Deciding on what meals you’re looking to serve during your ‘open house’ is a fundamental part of your grocery shopping strategy. Break down each meal by listing down each item required to prepare the dish. Also, be on the look-out for any festive shopping deals being offered by your preferred store in order to get more bang for your buck. Alternatively, look also towards purchasing your ingredients in bulk. Stores such the The Hive Bulk Foods and A Bit Less Bulk Store not only sell a variety of basic ingredients in bulk, but incorporate a zero-plastic waste business model as well.
Braving the Rain is Better than Braving a Crowd
When it rains, most Malaysians tend to shy away from the prospect of getting in a car and taking a drive to the store. Instead, they wait it out, and only leave when it stops pouring. Take advantage of this situation by making your way to the store and stock up on as many items as you can. This includes extra ingredients for your dish preparation. As these items aren’t exclusively sold during festive seasons only, purchase extra to avoid making any last-minute runs to the store. Alternatively, come rain or shine, consider getting your shopping done during off-peak hours to avoid looking for items in a crowded store.
Grocery on Wheels, Delivered Fresh to Your Doorstep
If you’re not particularly a fan of wading through a sea of people to purchase what you need, skip the physical shopping experience entirely and shop online instead. Some supermarkets such as Tesco, Jaya Grocer and Mydin currently offer the option of doorstep delivery, which saves you both precious time and money. Also, do be on the lookout for any shopping deals or offerings which you can take advantage of, particularly during the festive season. For instance, some stores might offer discounts on online purchases during the festive season to drive traffic to their online platforms.
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.
Forego Driving and Hitch a Ride Instead
To avoid the needless stress brought upon by having to drive through traffic and look for a parking spot, consider the option of hitching a ride instead. Booking a ride through an e-hailing mobile app will allow you to focus not only on the task at hand, but give you the opportunity to ensure that you’ve not missed out any items that you may require in order to make the ‘open house’ experience as welcoming as possible for your guests. Alternatively, consider the option of car-pooling with friends or family members to help you save time and make your shopping experience an enjoyable process.
Add a Little Fun into The Mix
Using your time well and strategically executing your tasks as planned will enable you to also have more time to enjoy the shopping experience. If your shopping excursion involves family members or friends, use that little bit of free time you have once the shopping is done to participate in the store’s festivities, such as taking pictures at a photo booth, enjoying live performances or letting your kids participate in activities such as sand art, playing in inflatables or watching a magic show. Not only will this make shopping a fun process, but it will also boost your mental health by strengthening the bonds of relationship with your family or friends.
Be it a small or large ‘open house’ gathering, take the stress out of the equation by planning each task strategically. And although there may be slight hiccups that you may face during the process, which is entirely normal, it is important to stay relaxed throughout in order to problem-solve or discover alternative methods of execution. Ultimately, enjoy the process in its entirety, as it is, after all, a time for festivity and joy.
