Monday, March 5, 2007

Sams Club






Yesterday i made the decision to go back to Sams Club. To renew the membership and try again to do the whole thing. The theory is amazing and sensible: to buy in bulk at a discount, to store properly, to be well stocked, to not run to the grocery every day, to make large quantities of food and freeze it, to get real about how big our family is now, to plan and list and use our brains to make our dollar and our TIME work for us. To feel like if friends dropped in, we wouldnt have to run to 7-11.
I spent alot of money, but got amazing deals. I took these pictures to show the nice, full, organized fridge, cupboard, pantry and chest freezer.
I bought a box of four boxes of 52 gallon ziplock bags. After 2 1/2 hours of shopping, (alone! yay!) we all worked for 2 hours doling out almost everything into the ziplock bags for storage, freezing, and freshness. I do not want any of this food to be stale, freezer burned, spilled, or forgotten. It was really really fun scooping the dry pasta, frozen waffles, crackers, bagels, shredded cheese, tomatoes, pretzels, frozen fries, and more into the huge bags and putting htem all away. the kids were impressed. they kept saying HOW MUCH DID ALL THIS COST?! And I said "alot". Steve looked pale, but really I spent 2 weeks grocery money and got hopefully 4-5 weeks worth of food.
I didnt buy a single decadent, wasteful, non-food, overpackaged or luxury item besides a cookie dough tub and a huge dry-erase board.

7 comments:

sneakmastergeneral said...

That is awesome...we have a Costco membership (same thing as Sams Club pretty much) but we can never afford to buy large quantities at once even if the deals are good. Yep, we're that broke...so sadly we use our membership for baby wipes and many many Zantac. We also have zero pantry or cabinet space...I want your storage...so pretty...AHHHH...I crave organization.

Housefairy said...

i totally and deeply understand. the reason we havent been a memeber in 2 years is because we never have more than 80-90 bucks for groceries and as you know, that gets you only a few things there.

We got a tax return and this was a good time for me to try and restart this system. I will probably never be able to afford to go crazy like that again for a long time. But my dream is to now just be able to "top off" here and there like 3 dollars for a pillowcase of elbow noodles, 10 pounds of shredded cheese for 8 dollars...and yeah the 2000 motrin better last for a while!

I could be a big sucker. I am hoping that this was a good idea. It is day 2. So its hard to tell.

I actually liked Costco more because they had a few key items that we love. they had Uncrustables, baby wipes, and many many meat-free items like "cheese only" pizzas, pizza rolls, taco-y things, and Sams Club has NONE. But its close by.

: )

sneakmastergeneral said...

Oh yes, we do love our giant Costco cheese ravioli...mwahahaha...I dog your plan. We're always horribly late filing our taxes...like October late...and we always end up having to use our refund for rent...someday I want ummm...a house, a minivan...some storage...oh, and zero debt...HA...me and my fantasies.

Amanda said...

you inspired me, so after I talked with you, Jake and I went to Costco and joined. We had been mentioning and mentioning it, so we finally did it! Jake was amazed by it all(he had never been there) and I think we are going to become regulars!

P.S. And you know what a place like that does for the worrier in me! I am able to stock up majorly and have less worries of running out!

Housefairy said...

Aww, awesome!
Costco is better, can I give you money to get cheese pizzas and baby wipes and uncrustables soon? : )

Im happy about it. Im sure you thought of this, but just be careful you dont spend 400 bucks and get home and have no dinner and no money left.

Besides that they are great a stores, and very fun to me for some reason. (what ever happened to nature girl hating corporations? SO embarassed to love these mega turds. But i do!)

Housefairy said...

...because the first time we went to there with baby Greta ( !!! ) we got toilet paper and giant pickles, giant jam and giant mustard and 30 packs of altoids and ya know...were out of money!

sneakmastergeneral said...

But come on! Altoids are worth it! Especially those Sours...mmmmm....tasty