'I only shop twice a year and my fridge is stocked with food for 6 months'

Stay-at-home mum Tabitha says shopping this way not only saves money but also a heap of time.

2 min read

April 20, 2023 - 10:46AM

Lifestyle

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2023 is seeing parents forever dreading their weekly shop. The ridiculous cost of food and pantry items aside, the effort we have to go to also makes it one of life's most mundane tasks.

But one frugal mum-of-five has found a way to lessen both burdens.

Tabitha Kelley, the mum behind YouTube channel This Mama's House has revealed how she saves money and time by shopping just two times a year and stocking up her pantry and fridge with six months worth of food and other household items.

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Tabitha is a stay at home mum and knows how to make use of her time and money. Image: YouTube / This Mama's House

Bulk buying saves mum time and money

Tabitha, who is a stay-at-home British mum reveals she shops at Costco to stock up for her family. Shopping at the massive warehouse-style supermarket means she's able to buy items in bulk, allowing her to really stock up for her family of seven.

In a recent video titled "Most epic Costco haul yet", the mum admits that while shopping is a chore, her method is well worth it because it only comes around twice a year.

"As a busy mum of five grocery shopping is a WHOLE CHORE (I know you can relate) so that is why I love to stock up and shop at Costco once or twice a year," she says in the footage.

"These hauls last us anywhere between six to eight months.

"So we shop at Costco once or twice a year and that's just how we like to do it."

The mum proudly shows off her Costco haul. Image: YouTube / This Mama's House

An epic Costco haul indeed!

Tabitha then goes on to show what she typically buys during these trips.

First comes the household items that she stocks in her pantry - including cleaning products.

In her haul, the mum shows off her collection of 425 cleaning wipes, 90 rolls of toilet paper, six jars of olive oil, a year's worth of rice, 22 packets of pasta, and 95 bags of chips.

Snacks for the kids. Image: YouTube / This Mama's House

Then comes the items that need to be stored in her fridge or freezer.

In there, you'll find 36 packets of butter, 10 dozen eggs, 24 chicken breasts, mince and other cuts of meat that she claims will cover at least 15 meals for the large family. There's also bread and bagels that get stored in the freezer.

Meat for six months. Image: YouTube / This Mama's House

The shop cost the mum a little over $7,600 at the checkout (or £4,100) and she claims she tries to drag out the time needed for her next shop as long as possible.

"We are a family of seven and we have five kids and this is just what works for us, not everybody would like to make this huge haul in one trip but that’s just how we like to do it," she says in the video.

"We’re hoping about four to six months that this will last us."

Bread goes in the freezer to last longer. Image: YouTube / This Mama's House

Meal prep and planning at it's best

With such an epic haul, Tabitha says that she's often packing items away until late in the evening - so yes, planning and organising play a huge part in the whole shopping process.

"It requires a lot of effort on my part, with organising and meal planning," she admits.

Hey, if it works and means no emergency dashes to Woolies to get bread or lunchbox snacks each week, we're down with that!