Preparing for a new semester: Conquer the grocery store

ProfHacker leans towards how to achieve better living through embracing the digital, but our emphasis is “better living” and not necessarily “embracing the digital.” And so we also aim to provide common-sense tips on getting things done more efficiently–through whatever method–so that you can get on with spending most of your time on what’s really important to you. Now, shopping can be therapeutic if you’re on the hunt for nice clothes or a present to take to a friend’s birthday party. However, I don’t know many people who relish the thought of going to the grocery store to stock the pantry, especially once the semester is in full swing with class prep, piles of grading, committee meetings, writing deadlines, and conference preparations eating away at your available time. Do your future, buried-under-semester-work self a favor by taking a few simple steps right now.

Last January, I tried something for the first time and have been quite pleased with the results. I bought enough non-perishables to get me through the entire semester without having to go back to the grocery store:

Why stop there? I thought. So I bought enough toiletries, too:

Granted, fresh dairy and fruits and veggies and meats are also important, so I do make a weekly trip to the store–or the farmers’ market–for those items, but such trips take much less time than they would if I needed everything else, too.

Stocking the cabinets in this way was not cheap, but because I bought in bulk at a big-box discount store, I saved money compared to buying smaller quantities more regularly over the course of the semester. I’ve also been very happy with the savings in time and hassle provided by this strategy.

Does this sound like something you’d try? Or do you already stock the kitchen and bathroom cabinets in this way?

[From flickr user ghwpix. Creative-Commons licensed]