To be honest I’m not exactly sure why I didn’t have this idea earlier!! I could have saved myself a ton of time, less things on my to do list, and much more headspace for what I really want to do: create lovely meals for my family. It was clear for a while that I needed to simplify grocery shopping as a chore, but I couldn’t quite work out how.
You see I’ve tried getting veggie boxes delivered a couple of times, but it just wasn’t for me. I like to do my own grocery shopping, at the farmers market as well as the shops. I like to see what’s in season, what’s on special, what looks good and what tickles my fancy. It’s great for Finn to come along and learn about fruit and veggies as we pick what we’ll eat throughout the week. He gets to choose what he likes and learns about the seasons in the process.
But the shopping definitely started to become a massive chore. Until one evening recently it hit me:
Whilst I don’t want to outsource any food related shopping, why don’t I outsource all the rest of it!
Duh, why didn’t I think of this earlier. Big supermarkets (Coles and Woolies here in Australia) generally offer delivery. Up until now I dismissed it because I consciously didn’t want to do my grocery shopping there. But I still have to go there to get some staples, nappies and the likes for starters. So in January I sat down and made a list of all the things we need in the household that are not food related, calculated how much of it we’ll need throughout a month and organized a delivery!
Monthly Shopping Staples
I choose Woolworths, because I like their range of eco and organic products better, but obviously choose whichever supermarket serves you best.
If you’re interested, on my monthly list is:
- Nappies (Homebrand)
- Baby Wipes (Homebrand)
- Ecostore dishwashing powder/Earth Choice dishwashing tablets
- Ecostore dish detergent
- Ecostore laundry powder
- Ecostore shampoo and conditioner
- Grants Toothpaste
- Thank you Body Wash
- Tissues (I’m trying to switch to cloth tissues but that is work in progress…)
And then it’s always worth to have a look at their specials and add whatever it is you may need. Whilst this is meant to make your non-food related shopping easier, it can never hurt to stock up on some organic oats, large bottles of olive oil, cans of legumes (beans, chickpeas and lentils) and stuff like that :).
Toilet Paper
Where is the toilet paper I hear you asking. Why isn’t that on your monthly list.
I also order toilet paper, and you can, by all means, add it to your monthly staples list. BUT if you want to buy toilet paper AND make a difference, I highly recommend switching to who gives a crap.
Why they are wonderful:
- Good for people: 50% of the profits go towards building toilets for those in need.
- Good for the earth: They use 100% recycled paper fibres, bamboo or sugarcane.
- Good for you: Super-soft and super-strong, made without any dyes, inks, or scents.
You can buy them as a one off, but you can also choose to have them delivered on a regular basis. No more lugging around silly big packets of loo rolls from the supermarkets!!
For us I chose the 48 double length rolls package and get them delivered every 16 weeks. This was the best value (you can also choose 8 or 12 weeks or smaller packages).
They are not expensive! Often the perception is that eco friendly products cost more. I definitely have to watch the budget but, without boring you with too much detail, I can tell you that the only cheaper comparable option (as in 3 ply) I found at Aldi. But even then, they were only 7 cents cheaper (per 100 sheets), not recycled and certainly not providing anyone with toilets. So really, why wouldn’t you place an order with who gives a crap instead and don’t worry about toilet paper shopping ever again!
Cleaning products
In regards to cleaning products, I’ve recently started using ekoWorx, which is pure genius. It’s independently certified eco friendly and whilst I’ve been using non-toxic cleaning products for a long time now, including making my own, this is the first one that makes cleaning a breeze. Not kidding. I hate cleaning, I never thought I could get excited about it, it’s just something that needs to get done. But here I am doing a little happy dance about a cleaning product, who knew! Not just for its effectiveness, but also because it speaks to my minimalistic soul that I just need this one thing and can clean the whole house, from oven to bathroom to windows to sticky kitchen spills.
It has made my life so much easier!
Firstly – It has eliminated the various bottles and containers under my sink. I use it for pretty much everything now.
Secondly – It has eliminated the need for paper towel. For any quick clean ups in the kitchen I spray a bit on it and wipe it away with their microfibre cloth.
Thirdly – It has eliminated the need to go shopping for cleaning products. If I run out I simply re-order, but the 5 l box under my sink lasts for ages.
Get $10.- off!
If you’d like to try this product you can order here and get $10.- off!
Toothbrushes
At a recent local market I discovered this amazing initiative called The Toothbrush Project.
In my attempt to eliminate more and more uses of plastic, I’ve recently switched us over to bamboo toothbrushes. This wonderful project goes one step further with a subscription which is a really fantastic idea!
For $16.- you will get a new toothbrush sent to your house every 3 months.
Why this is a wonderful project:
- Be honest, how often do you remember to switch over your toothbrush?
- You don’t have to go shopping for a new one anymore!
- It is environmentally friendly and compostable, no more toothbrushes in landfill.
- 100% of profits go directly to providing dental care for children in need
Nappies
One company I’d like to mention, even though I don’t use them currently, is Thank you. They have a subscription program for nappies and wipes which is delivered monthly. Every subscription helps fund safe births and healthcare for mums and bubs in need. The only reason I don’t currently use them is because we don’t have a lot of money and I need to make (sometimes tough) choices about where to spend it. But if you do have a bit of room in your budget, this is a great company to support.
The 4 steps to simplify grocery shopping
There you have it.
Automate your monthly non-food related needs and you will have so much more time and brain space to focus on healthy family meals.
- Make a list of non-food related staples (and amend it over time as needed)
- Choose your supermarket and organize a delivery. Often you can save your list for next time.
- Switch to an easier and ecofriendly way of cleaning with ekoWorks.
- Consider additional projects like who gives a crap, The Toothbrush Project and Thank you, to not only make your life easier but the world a better place!
And then take yourself out for a coffee and off to the shops to do your grocery shopping with a clear head and a MUCH shorter list!
Be kind to yourself,
Katrine x
P.S. None of this content is sponsored. I received the ‘$10.- off’ link for ekoWorks after I placed my own order, to pass onto friends. These are all companies that I personally use and think are wonderful.