Yes… it’s true. I’m a Single Person who loves to watch YouTube videos about people – almost always women – who do huge grocery shops and create videos about it.

Since the Pandemic, and before I found these videos, I thought I was buying lots of food when I went to Costco. I’d buy two packages of chicken thighs and one package of chicken breast. Then I would head to the Real Canadian Superstore and buy a bulk size package of extra lean ground beef. Being a Single Person, I’d round out my shopping with a trip to Sobeys for bread, vegetables and fruits. I’d pat myself on the back for buying an extra loaf of bread, or maybe 2 packages of soft Kaiser buns, to put in the freezer. And let’s not forget about those 6 cans of sliced peaches!

Yes, indeed – job well done – way to go, Blue Lobster!

I was pretty proud of myself… until I found The Queens Cabinet on YouTube. This woman knows how to shop! From what I’ve gathered so far, Shelby and her husband Ken live on a farm and are raising 4 sons. When theywere younger, they had to budget their money and lived quite frugally. As a result, they chose to stock up on the things that they always use so that they always have food in their pantry.

Big deal, Blue Lobster – most everyone who can already does this!

Gentle Reader, I would suggest that few people stock up their pantry with a year’s worth of food the way that Shelby and Ken do. How many people do you know with 7 freezers? And how many people have their own baking centre, yet alone one that is so well-organized?

I’m not ashamed to admit it – a tour of her pantry made me wish that I had a slight touch of OCD just so I too would be motivated to take the time and organize my food storage space. In my world, a $3700 (or more!) grocery shop is still a very rare thing…even for those I know who go to Costco!

While a 4-figure grocery haul is not part of my life, I can see its benefits. You can stock up when things are on sale. This saves you from shelling out more when the price is higher. Secondly, meal planning is easier when what you need is already in your home. You can put the money-saving magic of your kitchen to work more easily when you have ingredients at your fingertips.

I’ve no doubt that Shelby still runs to the grocery store throughout the year for certain items. Fresh fruit and vegetables immediately come to mind. However, I would guess that she doesn’t have to waste money on condiments, meats, prepared drinks, and baking supplies throughout the year. She stocks up when it’s on sale, then it’s on hand when she needs it.

And if you subscribe to her channel, you’ll see that she’s a big fan of meal planning. I can’t say that I blame her! If I had her kitchen, I’d want to spend a lot of time in it too – cooking and baking things. Try to find the videos where she talks about her fridges – yes, more than one fridge in a kitchen!

Their Pantry is an Emergency Fund

What Shelby and Ken have done is to create an emergency fund of food. If their income stops for a period time, their monetary savings need not be used to feed their family. They have a cache of food already set aside so everyone will be able to eat while another source of income is found. Their cash-money doesn’t have to be spent on food, which means that it will last longer.

Take a look at your own budget. What percentage of your monthly income goes towards food? And if you lost your income tomorrow, how much longer would your emergency fund last if you didn’t have to use it to feed yourself?

But I don’t have the room for that much food, Blue Lobster!

I hear you. And trust me, I don’t have that much room either. However, I do have freezer in my basement and I have a freezer area in my fridge. That means I can freeze a much smaller, but no less important, amount of food. I have 6-8 packages of extra lean ground beef. Is that too much for a Single Person? No, not if I lose my job. A single package becomes 4-5 hamburgers, or a cookie sheet of meatballs, or a big pot of meat sauce. Whatever the final product, that’s a few meals that I don’t have to buy with money from my emergency fund.

The same principle to the chicken thighs that I’ve bought. A bulk package of chicken might have cost me $30. Yet, I can get 25-28 chicken thighs that I then divvy up into Ziplock bags of 4-5 pieces. It takes very little time to prepare a marinade, pour some into each bag with the chicken, and then freeze the bags for later use. I haven’t bought chicken in several months. I do the same thing with my pork.

I’ve started going back to my office, which means taking a lunch and taking snacks. My freezer allows me to baking a big batch of cookies, or muffins, then tuck them away for when I need them. If you’d rather have something else for snacks, then be my guest. My point is that it’s not a bad idea to have some extra food stored away. Save money now by buying things when they’re on sale. Save money later by not having to buy outside food unless the purchase has been planned in advance.

Use Your Pantry and Freezer Space

Do what you can with what you’ve got. Your pantry and your freezer space are tools that can help you save money. I’m not an expert. No one’s expecting you to be an expert either. That said, I learn a little bit more each time I watch videos about how other people do it. I can take a tidbit or two and incorporate it into my life. There are ways for me stretch my dollars.

Build up your own emergency fund by learning to buy a bit more when things are on sale so that you can stock your pantry and your freezer. Watch a few more cooking videos on YouTube so you can cook for yourself a little bit more. Figure out how to cook or bake what you like to eat, then do so. If you don’t already, learn to love leftovers.

You have to eat. Keep your pantry and your freezer well-stocked with foods that bring you joy. Then learn to cook & bake what you love in your own kitchen. Doing so is another way to insure that you’re using your money to create a life that maximizes your happiness and joy. And isn’t that one of the very best reasons to have money in the first place?

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Weekly Tip: Contribute to your Tax Free Savings Account every year. Invest your contributions in a broad-based equity exchange-traded fund or index fund for 2-3 decades. (You can select a mutual fund, if you wish. However, mutual funds have higher Management Expense Ratios than ETFs or index funds so it makes little sense to spend more money for the same product.) Let your money grow over the years and re-invest all the dividends. When you finally do withdraw your money from the TFSA, never pay any taxes on the principle or the growth.