If you’ve been watching grocery prices lately, you know they’ve continued to climb. As a family of nine (almost ten!), every grocery decision I make adds up quickly. I have been brainstorming ways to save money and still have a full pantry. I’ve decided it’s time to change my strategy.

In today’s grocery haul, I’m sharing my latest Azure Standard order, the new way I’m planning my grocery budget, and how I’m stocking our pantry and freezer while taking advantage of sales throughout the year.

If you’re feeding a large family—or simply trying to stretch your grocery budget—I hope these ideas encourage you.

Watch the Full Grocery Haul

In my recent YouTube video, I’ll walk you through my entire Azure Standard order, explain why I’m changing the way I shop, share some of my favorite pantry staples, and show you the garden plants and household items I picked up.

Why I’m Changing My Azure Standard Shopping Strategy

Years ago I started mainly shopping once a month for our groceries, and when an Azure Standard drop location became available close to us, it worked well into the system I had created for shopping — I just needed to price compare and test our preferences for certain products.

For the rest of this year, I’m approaching it differently.

Instead of simply replacing groceries every month, I’m treating Azure like a sales flyer. When products we regularly use go on sale, I’m stocking up while the prices are lower rather than waiting until I run out.

Because we live in Indiana, I also have to factor in delivery fees and taxes. Even with those added costs, many specialty items are still less expensive than buying them locally—and some simply aren’t available where we live.

My goal is simple:

• Buy pantry staples when they’re on sale.
• Build a well-stocked pantry over time.
• Reduce our overall grocery spending throughout the year.

Stocking Up on Frozen Fruit

One of my biggest purchases this month was frozen organic fruit.

I stocked up on:

• Marion blackberries
• Raspberry pieces
• Tart cherries

Frozen fruit has become a staple in our home for:

• Smoothies
• Homemade jams
• Fruit compotes
• Baking
• Oatmeal
• Desserts

Buying large quantities during sales helps us enjoy organic fruit year-round without paying full grocery store prices.

Pantry Staples I Always Keep on Hand

Some pantry items rarely go on sale, but they’re worth buying because we use them constantly.

This month I restocked:

• Butter
• Whole milk powder
• Beef gelatin
• Arrowroot powder
• Mozzarella cheese
• Turmeric
• Lemon extract
• Chocolate chips
• Soap

These are all items I know we use regularly, whether I’m baking from scratch, freezer cooking, or preparing meals for our growing family.

Preparing for Baby

With baby number eight arriving later this summer, I’m also beginning to think ahead.

I’m slowly stocking the freezer with meals, baking supplies, and ingredients that will make postpartum life a little easier.

Having butter, pantry staples, and freezer ingredients ready now means less stress later.

Gardening for the Months Ahead

Part of saving money also means growing as much food as we can. I’ve always treated our garden like a bonus grocery store, but this year I am really trying to grow and preserve as much as I can in the small spaces I have.

This haul included several live plants for our garden, including:

• Delicata squash
• Spaghetti squash
• Tomatoes
• Jalapeños
• Nasturtiums
• Dward Sunflowers
• Celery Leaf Herb

I’m hoping for a much better squash harvest this year after losing all of my last year’s crop to squash bugs.

Gardening doesn’t replace our grocery budget, but every tomato, squash, pepper, and herb we harvest helps stretch it.

Small Kitchen Changes

One purchase I was especially excited about was a mason jar pour spout.

We’re slowly replacing plastic containers in our kitchen with glass storage, and I thought this would be a great way to store maple syrup for the kids. Azure Standard carries many long-term storage-type items along with classic grandma-type kitchen tools.

A goal of ours is to really try to swap out plastic, and in the kitchen that can not only be hard to do, but expensive. Small changes like the mason jar pour spout for our maple syrup is one less plastic item in our kitchen.

My Favorite Tip for Shopping Azure Standard

One habit that’s made a huge difference is keeping a simple sticky note nearby.

Whenever I read the monthly sales flyer, I write down:

• Items our family regularly buys
• Good sale prices
• New products I’d like to try

Then, when I’m ready to place my order, I already have a shopping list based on the sales instead of trying to remember what caught my eye weeks earlier.

It’s simple, but it saves both time and money.

Final Thoughts

As grocery prices continue to rise, I’m learning that being intentional matters more than ever.

I’m not trying to buy everything at once.

Instead, I’m slowly building a pantry filled with foods we actually eat while taking advantage of sales throughout the year.

I went back through my receipt and wrote down all of my savings — 9 percent savings. That may seem like a small number this month, but as I continue to keep track through the end of the year, I will not only be happy to see that savings, but knalso ow that I fed my family well.

Side Note: I also am printing these out so I can get back into tracking how long each of these items will last us, so next time an item goes on sale, I can save even more when looking at having a 1-year supply on hand, especially as children grow and eat more.

Little by little, I hope this strategy helps lower our grocery costs without sacrificing the quality of food we serve our family.

If you’re also feeding a large family, shopping in bulk, gardening, or cooking from scratch, I’d love to hear what’s working for you.

Feel free to leave a comment on the YouTube video and let me know your favorite way to save money on groceries or your favorite Azure item!. I always enjoy learning new ideas from others.