It's November and in a very, very short while, the holidays are upon us! Pretty soon, our kitchens will be crammed with every imaginable food. Fruits, vegetables, meat, fish, confections, cookies and so much, much more! The holiday kitchen is joy to behold but along with it comes the stress of the preparations.

One of the lessons I've learnt from my mother and grandmother before her is to prepare way ahead. As early as October, we start buying food meant for the Christmas and New Year celebrations. Mind you, these are little things.

The first step is to have a list of needs. Then when you go for your regular groceries, buy a few of the items and store them for later use. Start with those that store the longest, such as canned goods such as evaporated milk and cream. Just make sure to check the expiration date. Then around mid-November, we buy the dried beans, pulses, dried pasta, etc. In December, we start stocking up on butter, cheeses and spices.

This methodical shopping goes on and since we go to the grocery almost every week, in the run-up towards the holidays, all we need to buy is the meat and a few other minor things. This way of going to the market has been very useful. Not only does it lessen stress but because it is gradual, grocery shopping for holidays does not break the bank.