What To Hoard From The Grocery So You Can Skip Holiday Carmageddon

They say that Filipinos are the earliest to prepare for Christmas, beginning right when the '"Ber months" roll in.

It's true, and it's not just because we're all excited about the holidays. It has a lot to do with all our personal horror stories with the inevitable traffic! If you're not ready for the holiday season, you'll be rushing right along with everyone else as well as standing still with everyone. Even waiting in cashier lines can feel like forever.

What can we do to make it feel less stressful than it already will be? 

We say you can start by hoarding a few grocery items and taking advantage of online groceries. You can shop a lot less frequent than usual by doing this. Plus, less trips to the market mean less travel time spent in traffic! Here's what you can start buying: 

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1 Rice, Pasta + Other Grains

When stored correctly, rice, pasta, and dry beans can last for years! As Filipinos, running out of rice can be a nightmare. Avoid that situation by buying several vacuum-packed kilos of rice to store. Choose 5- to 10-kilo packages instead, and open them only when one package runs out. Unopened packaging means less chance of contamination.

Photo by Patrick Martires

7 Bottled Sauces

Carbohydrates like rice, pasta, grains, or potatoes plus a good sauce is a combination that can result in one of the most basic meals you can make. As long as you have those two components, you'll be able to make a filling meal.

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3 Milk Powder Instead Of Fresh Milk

Although fresh milk will last long unopened and in a stable ambient temperature, weather in the Philippines can be unpredictable. You don't want any leftover milk that might spoil to deal with so take advantage of milk powder. Milk powder lasts a lot longer when stored properly, too.

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4 Hardy Veggies That Keep Long

Skipping grocery day doesn't mean not eating any vegetables anymore. Although it's best if you take advantage of any nearby wet markets selling fresh produce, there are still ways to go around it. Choose hardy vegetables like garlic, ginger, onions, potatoes, carrots, turnips, and more, which are hardy enough to last a while at room temperature. Just keep it away from moisture and these should keep long enough for you to use it up for several days after purchase. 

Photo by Patrick Martires

5 Cooking Oil

You can replace a lot of ingredients, but there are not a lot of substitutes for cooking oil. Sure, you can use butter, but its low smoke and high price points make it less than ideal for high-temperature cooking. Simply be mindful of your oil's expiry date when you bulk buy, and you're good to go.

Photo by Patrick Martires

6 Canned Goods

Hoarding food is all about being mindful of when things go bad. Canned fruits, vegetables, and even protein are undoubtedly going to be handy in any situation you need to make a meal that's solely from your kitchen or pantry.

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7 Salt and Peppercorns 

What could be worse? You can skip all your spices, but never your salt! Keep this dynamic duo of cooking handy at all times by buying enough to last you months. 

Still unsatisfied in spite of your hoard of food? That's what you have online groceries for. Landers delivers groceries to your doorstep, Monterey can deliver fresh, quality meat, Wild Caught, and Pacific Bay can deliver fresh and frozen seafood!

The -ber months are coming, but don't worry, we're all in this together with a little planning and foresight!