Indeed, shopping and cooking for one is no fun. In fact, studies suggest that this situation usually causes a senior to not eat healthy and can even lead to depression. Sensibly speaking, it is often not practical and if you are not too careful, you might end up with too much excess—to your dog’s delight, of course, or your neighbor’s if you don’t have a dog.
However, with a little adjustment and a battle plan, you will be able to avoid wasting your time, money and resources and still be a satisfied, well-fed human being! Below are some handy tips you can do today:
·         Buy only what you need. This can be tricky as sometimes I find myself walking to a grocery store with a firm list of what I will buy and still end up double the number of the things written on my list! So the next best thing to a list is actually sticking to it. Don’t be sidetracked by flashy ads, just go inside, grab what you need and head out.
·         Freeze them. If you are used to cooking for two and cooking for one would mean big time adjustment to how you cook then go ahead, cook for two, divide into two portions and freeze the other portion for future consumption.
·         Never bulk buy, no matter how cheap!! Seniors are the most notorious bulk-buying group—and with good reasons. However, never take your habit with you when shopping. Remember, you are now shopping only for yourself thus you need to buy only what you can use.
·         Be particular with expiration dates. Since you are shopping, cooking and eating for one then there is a chance that you won’t use it right away.
·         Use online stores for shopping. It is truly convenient and many seniors are doing their groceries now via online. For two reasons, one is you save awful lot of time and energy and two, you won’t get sidetracked by things you don’t need. Another plus in shopping online is that discounted items are often upfront and detailed, so you don’t have to look for them anymore or get them by mistake.
·         Timed grocery shopping. You do know that most stores cut their perishable goods prices by half around closing time and usually a day before holiday when they are due to close right? If you are a pro in selecting good meats, practice your skills and take home an expensive cut that otherwise you can’t afford.
·         Backyard gardening. It is very unlikely to find a lonely tomato for sale. No matter how many you need, you must buy them in groups right? Same goes for spices. However, to avoid buying in excess and end  up throwing rottens away, why not grow them in your own backyard and just go pick one if you need them? Gardening is therapeutic for seniors and you can make some money out of it too, if you like.