Holy Wholesale!

I like to eat. I do NOT like to cook. What a puzzler!

When we were newlyweds with no children, this was not a problem. My husband and I both worked full time jobs with high demands. Most days, we wouldn't see each other until 8P.M. One of us would inevitably bring home Chinese food, full course Italian dinners;take out from our favorite Mexican place or a gourmet pizza. This was financially easy, since we were DINK's (Double income, no kids.)

And on the nights when we would work late or forget to stop for dinner, we were happy to exist on tortilla chips and ice cold Corona's.

When we found out we were expecting our daughter, we decided I would be a stay at home mom after her birth. I promised my husband I would be the quintessential stay at home mom. I filled his head with notions of a perfectly clean house, folded and pressed laundry and home cooked meat and potatoes meals hot and ready when he walked in the door every night. How June Cleaver of me!

Not so much. My husband will quickly tell you that I sold him a bag of goods. Our house is clean-but only for about two hours every other Thursday- when my cleaning lady comes. Our laundry has taken on a life of its own. Just opening the door to the laundry room makes me cringe. Sometimes a problem gets so big, there is no solving it. So I just ignore it. As for dinner on the table- If deli sliced ham and tater tots are considered meat and potatoes, we are all set!

So how does a family survive when that family loves to eat, hates to cook, and cannot get through a restaurant meal that doesn't include tokens and singing rats?

They shop at Costco! I spend approximately $300 a month at Costco. I am addicted to their freezer section. They have a huge selection of oven to table meals. Granted, most portions are big enough to feed a colony of praire dogs, but they re-freeze well. I estimate that I spend $6 per meal, including a salad or side dish.

Joining and shopping at wholesale warehouses such as Costco, BJ's and Sam's Club can be cost effective if you shop correctly. Instead of buying the single serving size bags of pretzels and chips, buy a five pound bag, and separate them yourself into Ziploc bags. I have found that all meats that my family eats are cheaper. Of course, nothing screams 'CARNIVORE' like tossing 15 pounds of ground beef into your shopping cart.

If you have a small family, or just don't think you have use for 214 rolls of Charmin, find a neighbor, or friend who is willing to go half and half with you. You could split the cost of the membership, and shop together. 107 rolls of Charmin are easier to store anyway.

All of these stores have their own coupons, which they mail to their members, or hand out at the entrance. Match these coupons with their already low prices, and you could be the proud owner of a ten gallon drum of ranch dressing at a bargain basement price.

Try them out for one day without buying a membership! Costco will give you a pass at the guest services desk, and you can print out passes for BJ's and Sam's Club online!

Happy shopping, and DO NOT buy a 25 pound of M&M's! It IS possible to eat them all in one sitting. Or so I've heard!

Until we meet again,

Cici

Cici@MyCoupons.com