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SeaStar
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| Posted: Oct 07 2014 at 5:33pm | IP Logged
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Can we talk about your strategies for grocery shopping?
I need help... I frequently cannot get all the items on my list at one store.
Usually I vist two (or more  ) different stores a week, And I am finding that I just do not have the time or desire to keep up this pace at this season in my life.
I would like to get down to one store, once a week... once every two weeks would be even better, though I doubt that will happen since we eat a lot of fresh fruit and veggies, plus my ds inhales milk.
So I thought I would come here and do some grocery store research...,
What time of day do you shop?
Do you have a set day?
Do you rotate stores weekly or always go to the same place?
Do you take your kids or not?
Do you have a strategy that makes grocery shopping easier?
How much do you stock up to avoid extra trips?
I often shop on Sat am, but frequently these days we are off on some hike or other adventure, and we like to get going early- not wait around to leave while I grocery shop. And I really don't want to do it on Sunday.
I don't mind shopping in the evenings in the summer, but in the winter when it is cold and dark it is not my favorite. I do have a menu that I follow weekly, which helps, but I feel like I just need to revamp my whole strategy.
I would like to be rock solid on a day and time instead of always trying to squeeze in a trip. Last week I rushed through the store on Monday afternoon and wound up buying extra-expensive lactose free milk by accident . Today I shopped while dd was in her ballet class, but then ds is with me, and I have to say that he does make shopping harder...
always trying to talk me into buying this or that. He is the persistent type, and though I have plenty of practice at telling him no, but he never gives up! Plus then I have to have a cooler in the car for cold stuff... it's a pain.
OK- enough whining from me... dazzle me with your ideas!!
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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JodieLyn
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| Posted: Oct 07 2014 at 6:04pm | IP Logged
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ok right now I don't have a strategy.. because I don't need one. I have a lot of babysitters plus my mom and if dh is home he would typically go with me and I only take kids with me for some time with just one or two or as a treat or such. And we're talking about 2 miles to the further store and about a half mile to the nearer store.. and the stores are small enough that I can hit both and be home before my sister could get to and get through a single store where she lives.
BUT.. when I had a rock solid routine.. I never planned for my dh to be home for me to go to the store.. 1) he might not be home for 2+ weeks and 2) that was that much more time that I didn't see him when he was working long hours.
I did ALL of my errands.. whether it was one or two grocery stories and any other stops I might have.. with all the kids.. after story time at the library and lunch at the park (or mcdonald's when it was cold). Yes it pretty much took the day.. yes it was way harder because I had to have all the kids with me.. but I made a really good list.. and as the kids got older and could help I'd hand them the list and have them help me read the list and figure cost comparisons (they don't have as much time to pester about extras when they're busy). AND if I got treats it would be something decided on beforehand.. and might be something we'd get when we got home if everyone helped for the whole trip.. or it might be something we'd get for after dinner.. and yes sometimes I had a small treat (like a pack of gum and everyone would get one piece) after they were buckled (it made getting everyone buckled so much faster when they had a treat waiting)
As far as stocking up.. it depends on what you have storage space for. All the shelf stable goods can easily be added to.. when you buy something buy an extra. For ease of shopping (and keeping down cost) and depending on the item.. it goes on the shopping list when the last one from the shelf is opened OR there's 1 (or enough for 1 meal) left on the shelf. So like a large bottle of ketchup when I take the last one off the shelf, it goes on the list.. but tomato sauce if I'm that low will go on the list when there's still enough for a meal on the shelf. That gives me enough time to watch for a sale without needing to buy it RIGHT NOW.
Some things like milk can be frozen to keep longer if you have freezer space.. and some things may last way longer than you're planning for.. butter or unopened cream cheese come to mind, cheese.. Also consider looking up proper storage for fresh produce for the best storage time. Like don't store onions and potatoes together.. the potatoes give off a gas that makes the onions rot much sooner. But some things may last longer on the counter others in the fridge.. some may do much better in a cool dry dark location etc. And you might decide to get more winter squash (that lasts good in a cool dry dark location) and start foregoing summer squash that doesn't last near as long.. or plan one week with things that have a shorter storage life and the next week things with a longer storage life.
And if you find you're always coming up short on something like milk when you go to make a meal.. have a substitute on hand like dry milk or canned milk that you can use for a meal but won't be used up by others.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
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jawgee
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| Posted: Oct 07 2014 at 7:06pm | IP Logged
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My only strategy right now is that I shop on Sunday AM right after my 7:00 AM adoration hour. I really don't like to shop on Sundays, but in this case I am already out of the house, I don't have children with me, and I know the grocery store is quite empty at that time.
Saturdays I get the ads from the store, so I menu-plan from those. I also keep a list on the side of the refrigerator throughout the week so that everyone else can add to it (and for me - when I get low on things when I am cooking, etc.)
That's my only strategy for now. It's rare that I have to stop to get anything else during the week. I do wish it was a different day, but this works for this season...
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Monica
C (12/2001), N (11/2005), M (5/2008), J (8/2009) and three angels
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Erin
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| Posted: Oct 08 2014 at 3:24am | IP Logged
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Melinda
I'm a little worried that sharing my approach might be too intimidating, please remember we began this approach over 10 years ago so we have had years to fine tune.
To clarify for the following questions; we shop once a month at the supermarket and butchers, then we go to our greengrocer's for fruit/veg, milk and bread weekly.
Seastar wrote:
| What time of day do you shop? |
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I have a tendency towards sensory overload in the supermarket, so I like to shop when hardly anyone is around. Also if I go in busier times I run into so many people who want to chat so shopping takes so much longer. I like to be in and out in under 1.5hrs.
We have undertaken a couple of approaches over the years, when dh and the dc used to come shopping with me (when the dc were much younger) we shopped after dinner. We would be home by 8pm in time for the children to go to bed. At that stage we also lived in town.
We moved out of town(15min) 8 years ago, and nowadays I go before breakfast, leaving here to be at the supermarket by 7.30am, finishing by 9am.
Seastar wrote:
| Do you take your kids or not? |
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I used to take the kids to help but as the older ones hate shopping, it's easier to leave them at home to care for the younger ones. Occasionally I'll take an older one, leaving some to babysit, or on the rare day I'll take a younger child or two to have Mum time.
I prefer though to slip out early, leaving dh to get the children up whilst getting ready for work. I give my order to the butcher (outside the supermarket) and then whip around the supermarket. I fill one trolley and park it near the service counter, grab another trolley and keep moving, sometimes I need a third trolley.
Dh usually meets me around 8am, to help me load the groceries on the conveyor belt (this is when I think of that scene in the original 'Yours, Mine and Our's "The Beardsley's are here!"- they certainly know us anyhow) He helps load up whilst I run over to the butchers and pick up the meat. We then trundle out with our three trolleys and load up the van. I pick up yogurt for breakfast and we have a 'romantic' breaky in the carpark. A girl's got to grab romance where she can 
Seastar wrote:
| Do you rotate stores weekly or always go to the same place? |
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When we lived in town I used to chase prices between the three supermarkets, but the prices aren't hugely different and frankly I don't have the energy (or time) any more. Now I shop for customer service, that's important to me. Because I'm shopping monthly if I see a good deal I stock up so I can save that way.
We always shop after the 20th of the month, when the credit card rolls over. That way we have a month to pay it off.
Seastar wrote:
| How much do you stock up to avoid extra trips? |
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I've had years to work out our system. I shop to our needs, we have a monthly menu (each month I make slight variations as the menu varies to the seasons) and a master pantry list that helps me know just how many items I need to buy.
Seastar wrote:
| Do you have a strategy that makes grocery shopping easier? |
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Shopping when hardly anyone is around makes it much easier.
And my spreadsheets make a huge difference. They have seasonal menus on them, a shopping list which is set out aisle by aisle (actually the shopping manager has asked me to send him a copy), this shopping list contains the items we buy only, not everything. The shopping list corresponds to my master pantry list (taped to the inside of the door), it has the numbers of items needed typed in it. So when it is time to do up the shopping list, I just have to check the number of items needed via the master list and see how much I have on the shelves then write the number needed on list.
Now the children are older life is easier too. I pull up to the door, the children carry the items in and put them all away.
Usually it's all put away by quarter to ten, still time to put in a good day of lessons.
The greengrocer shop only takes about 20 minutes, and as ds17 now works there he often does the shop for me, I just provide him with the list (yes a spreadsheet too )
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Erin
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SeaStar
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| Posted: Oct 08 2014 at 4:45am | IP Logged
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Thanks for all this helpful feedback!
You all have my brain buzzing with ideas....
I am an early riser, so I could take one morning a week to do my shopping...
would need to find out just how early the stores open, though. I like the idea of pegging shopping to a certain day or time, like going after Adoration as Monica does.
Also, I think I need to find one store that really works for me. Yesterday I needed celery, but the store I was in had only limp celery that wasn't at its best, to say the least. I had to pass. So now that leaves me with no celery for the week unless I make another trip.
Also, that store frequently moves items around. It will pull sale items and stick them on random end caps, without leaving any in the usual place. So
then I find myself having to take extra time to find simple items, which is annoying.
I also like to shop when the stores are less crowded. Going alone is best for me. Everything at the store seems to fascinate ds, so while I am trying to find pretzels that have been moved, he is wanting to show me the frilled toothpicks and discuss the merits of regular versus plain. Normally I don't mind this, but when I have a time limit (yesterday I was working within the limit of ballet class), I don't want to have a discussion about shower cap food bowl covers or why the store no longer carries caps for cap guns, etc ( ds is a talker  ).
Hearing your strategies and advice is great!
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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jawgee
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| Posted: Oct 08 2014 at 6:19am | IP Logged
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SeaStar wrote:
Also, that store frequently moves items around. It will pull sale items and stick them on random end caps, without leaving any in the usual place. So
then I find myself having to take extra time to find simple items, which is annoying. |
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This just wouldn't work for me at all. I have a pre-typed list of what is in each aisle so that my kids can just circle what we need. I get in and out of the store in about 45 minutes that way.
(Once when I did have a little helper with me, I brought a camera and had them take a picture of each aisle sign that lists what is in the aisle. I entered that into the computer and use that as my master sheet. If the store moves something, it's just a quick modification of my file.)
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Monica
C (12/2001), N (11/2005), M (5/2008), J (8/2009) and three angels
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SeaStar
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jawgee wrote:
This just wouldn't work for me at all. I have a pre-typed list of what is in each aisle so that my kids can just circle what we need. I get in and out of the store in about 45 minutes that way.
(Once when I did have a little helper with me, I brought a camera and had them take a picture of each aisle sign that lists what is in the aisle. I entered that into the computer and use that as my master sheet. If the store moves something, it's just a quick modification of my file.) |
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This is a new thing, and it is driving me totally insane! I never know where I might find a sale item. I can't see how this helps the store with sales overall.
Another new thing... not all the stores in the chain are set up the same way anymore. I used to be able to walk into any branch of the store and know the layout. Now I walk in and have to figure out what is where. I suppose this could be a marketing ploy to make shoppers spend more time in the store- but it is only making me want to switch to another store.
This morning (after the lunar eclipse watching  ) I sat down and made a master list for all the items I tend to buy at each store: Walmart, Costco,
Whole Foods and the regular grocery store.
I think this will also help me- I quite often go to Costco and forget one or two items that I usually buy. Or I forget the baking powder at Whole Foods (aluminum free). Having the list will help me to stock up on everything I need while I am in the store.
Interestingly, the only two items I had on my Walmart list were toilet paper and Ghiradelli chocolate chips! Walmart has the best price on the Ghiradelli- I buy the dark, semi-sweet and the mini chips. Hmm...
what does buying chocolate chips in bulk say about the real me?
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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CrunchyMom
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I would buy toilet paper from Costco and the chips from there and Amazon. It would be worth it to me to not go to one more store!
Erin, I am in awe of your system. I sent it in an e-mail to Dh!
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Lindsay
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JodieLyn
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Yeah, I haven't found anything worth the cost (but I have negligible travel time).. check out what Amazon carries these days.. tons of grocery items.. having it come to you rather than you going to another store may be a good deal.
Also, you might see if any of those stores do a personal shopper type of thing.. I only ever used it once in Tucson (I was pregnant and felt awful).. I think you can pick up an order that way rather than having to go and hunt for stuff or they may even deliver.. don't know the current charge for any of that.. just another option to check out.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
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JennGM
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Melinda,
I shop at three stores for our groceries: Trader Joes, Giant, and Costco. I also get delivery from our farmer for eggs and meat (seasonal farmer's market for fruits & vegetables, winter changes). I used to get my dairy, but now I have to find another option, as they just dropped that.
I try to go to TJs every 2 or 3 weeks. That is the bulk of our basics. Costco the same. Giant is very near my house. There are certain brands and needs I can't get at TJs or I need to fill in, like bananas, coffee.
It's not flawless and perfect, but I try to make it work. I just can't go shopping all over the place.
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Jennifer G. Miller
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SeaStar
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You are right! It is probably worth a few more cents on certain items to cut out an extra trip. The only problem with ordering the chips from Amazon is that they melt in transit... I can't order them from April to the end of October or I get bags full of chocolate mush.
Usually I buy them at Walmart when I happen to be in the store for another reason... like the other day when ds needed new jeans. The Walmart here is kind of scary- I try to stay out if I can.
But, like Jenn said, there is no one store that has everything I need. Unfortunately the Costco and Whole Foods here are located on a very, very busy road that most people avoid after 10 am. I will have to plan those as a once a month stock up trip.
But all these ideas are helping me see how I can streamline. 
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
SQUILT Music Appreciation
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setonmom
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Have you tried online shopping? Walmart.com has free shipping if your order is over $50- so you can stock up on diapers, toilet paper, laundry detergent etc without having to leave the house. Then you just need to get perishables from the grocery store.
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SeaStar
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setonmom wrote:
| Have you tried online shopping? Walmart.com has free shipping if your order is over $50- so you can stock up on diapers, toilet paper, laundry detergent etc without having to leave the house. Then you just need to get perishables from the grocery store. |
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I did not know this!! I just checked, and they do have chocolate chips at a great price.  . This is going to be hugely helpful...
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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Erin
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setonmom wrote:
| Then you just need to get perishables from the grocery store. |
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So now I'm wondering, do you not have greengrocer stores (fruit/veg shops) in America?
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Erin
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JodieLyn
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Nope. Supermarkets with everything from fresh produce to meat counters, all the dry goods etc. There may be places that still have them but they're not typical.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
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Erin
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Oh wow!!! Do you have Farmer's Markets where you can buy direct?
Can you buy your meat from the butchers?
Does this mean the supermarkets have a monopoly?
Our supermarkets sell meat, fruit/veg and dry goods etc but we also have other places to buy goods from too, including the Health Food shops
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Erin
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jawgee
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Others have mentioned something I completely forgot - I use Amazon Subscribe and Save for several things: vitamins, Pull-Ups, toilet paper, several cleaners, and other toiletries. I only subscribe when I find a great price, but that certainly does help cut down on extra trips. (I avoid WalMart and Target. I usually only go to those places once or twice a year.)
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Monica
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JodieLyn
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Farmer's markets are up to the individual area.. here we do have a farmer's market on Saturday mornings during the growing season. There's an independent butcher.. but I don't know how this one works.. I know people who use them to butcher meat.. and I know around here you can generally get in on buying from the rancher.. whole or half or quarter beef at least. There's a bulk order service that has some good deals that you can occasionally get just depends on what they have and when they have and where (at the moment someone goes to another town to pick it up). And we do get fruit/veggie stands popping up around town during the growing season. But there's not any dedicated stores here other than the supermarkets. But larger towns may have other options.. or ones in more temperate areas that have something growing year round.
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Jodie, wife to Dave
G-18, B-17, G-15, G-14, B-13, B-11, G-9, B-7, B-5, B-4
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SeaStar
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Ditto what Jodie said. We have seasonal farmers' markets here and the occasional roadside fruit/veg stand, but there is nothing like a real greengrocer shop.
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Melinda, mom to ds ('02) and dd ('04)
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MarilynW
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Melinda - I feel your pain. I am trying to figure out my grocery shopping too. I shop at 2 places weekly right now - Trader Joe's for the bulk of my shopping, and Costco for some things. This year I am trying to really avoid any distractions during school hours - but I hate driving and shopping at night, especially when it is cold. Saturday shopping here is just crazy and I don't shop on Sundays. In addition, I do not want to take my little ones with me - too many germs around, and I am quicker on my own. But now my teens are very busy out of the house, I suddenly don't have an older kid to leave the younger ones with.
My aim is to keep doing TJs weekly (it is only 5 min minutes from me) and get Costco to biweekly. It is hard to keep food in the house, and I don't have enough fridge space - one fridge and an extra freezer - to go really long without shopping.
The main reasons I have to go weekly are for fresh milk, fruit, vegetables, chicken and cheese.
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Marilyn
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4Real Forums : Our Lady's Loom, Larder, and Laundry
Topic: Grocery shopping strategy- help!
