Pesach shopping in February. Don't hate me.

I posted this last year and the year before and I'll post it again this year because it's still true.  The number one way to save money (and reduce stress) on Pesach shopping is to start before Purim.  Period.

There is a woman in our community in Denver whose house is clean-for-Passover every year immediately after Sukkot.  I'm totally serious.  Back when I was dating my husband, I stayed there on Simchat Torah and she asked me not to bring any food upstairs because her entire house, except for the kitchen and dining room, were Pesach-Pristine.

My blood pressure goes up just thinking about Pesach cleaning.  You know when my house becomes completely clean for Pesach?  Generally about three days before.  

Ok, who am I kidding.   Pretty much the day before. 

But while I'm a slug about Pesach cleaning, I'm a demon about Pesach shopping.  My non-perishable Pesach shopping is currently about 65% done.  Don't hate me.  My intent with posting this is not to get you nauseous or to get you throwing things at your monitor.  My intent is to get you moving.

If you've been following my blog for a while, you know that one of the best ways to save a ton of money on Passover shopping is to do it all year long.  

I know exactly what I need to replace in my Pesach appliances and kitchen goods, and I've got my master list out on my computer, so I know which non-perishables I can keep from last year and which I'll need to replenish.  I've already got a box in my basement stacked high with non-perishables that I know I'll need and I've purchased very cheaply, like sugar, foil, toothbrushes, and paper goods.  I've got some hostess gifts that I got through Totsy stockpiled in the garage.   I bought a whole bunch of new Pesach kitchenware on clearance at the Oneida liquidation sale (still going on today!).   I'm going to hit Ikea next week to replace some pans that were irreparably burnt we broke last year and browse through their amazingly frugal housewares section.  I've decided not to kasher my cooktop this year on our brand new oven (it ruined the old one), so I'm going to need to buy four plug-in coils for cooking; I've got my eyes peeled for a great price.  I've ordered my grass-fed roasts and skirt steaks from a local meat co-op; they won't get here for another month, but they have been ordered, and I'm putting in my chicken order next week.  Why am I filling up my freezer so far in advance?  Because the price of kosher meat soars immediately after Purim, and I'm not going to wait that long.  

I've got frozen cranberries and raw nuts in the back of my freezer.  I've got my list of KLP items (canned and otherwise) that I saved from last year, so I know what I'll still need this year.   I've got a dozen cans of KLP tuna that I snagged on clearance in New York for a song.  I bought my KLP cheese and honey at Costco (the cheese in the freezer) and I'm picking up my grape juice there today.   By the time Purim hits, I'll should be about 80% done with my Pesach shopping.  Think about that.  Can you imagine being 80% done with your shopping a month before Pesach?  Imagine how much stress that would erase from your life (though I usually just transfer that stress over to cleaning), and most importantly, how much money you would save, because you 1) didn't buy anything under a time constraint 2) didn't pay pre-Pesach prices and 3) bought almost everything opportunistically with a sale, a coupon, or a promo code.

If you haven't set out that box in your basement, do it now and start filling it.  Minimally, get your meat order done before Purim, because that is the one thing that you know for a fact that will go through the roof the moment Purim is over.  Get your basement/garage freezers cleaned out for Pesach, and move your chametz to your kitchen freezer.  

It's almost halfway through February, ladies.  Start your engines.

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