Your tips for making grocery shopping a pleasant experience? - Page 2

amberbamber · #21 (**permalink**) 10-07-2006, 07:03 PM

Here's what I do:

Send my husband to the grocery store around 10:30pm at night. There's hardly anyone there, he can take as much time as he wants going through my list and getting the coupons out!

I WILL NOT take my 3 kids to the grocery store alone. Plus I'd have to push two carts and that's not possible!
Good luck!

neatdesign · #22 (**permalink**) 10-07-2006, 07:49 PM

Never go on an empty stomach and always take -- and stick to -- a shopping list.

~ Jenney

Kris10Leigh · #23 (**permalink**) 10-08-2006, 06:45 AM

My BEST tip? Don't take the kids.

When I shop at Aldi's, I take laundry and place it in the bottom of the cart. Makes, loading the conveyer, unloading, loading to the car and taking to the house much easier! Easier still if DH is the one to lug it into the house. Often it is just too heavy for me to lift out of the cart, so I lessen the load a little by bagging two bags worth.

I buy fresh produce and it lasts about a week, so I COULD shop weekly. I actually shop every other week and make do with frozen veggies. Apples last two weeks in the fridge. If I need anything during the two week period, I send DH.

The only time I truly HATE grocery shopping, is when I have BOTH children. However, I might want to amend my "don't take the kids" statement. I actually LOVE taking just one of them! It's one-on-one time. I get to teach them things. Without their sibling, they are each extremely helpful with searching, loading and unloading. We have nice little conversations. We get lots of smiles from people who think they're cute. I think taking ONE child makes it more enjoyable! However, every time I take BOTH, I always swear to never do it again! LOL!

pearlieq · #24 (**permalink**) 10-08-2006, 07:14 AM

I actually quite enjoy grocery shopping. I go once per week.

For starters, we have one store where we can go for almost everything. I've compared the prices with the competing stores, and my grocery store is either the same or so close it's not worth making a separate trip.

I go during the middle of the week--usually in mid-morning. The store is usually pretty quiet.

I generally don't use coupons. I don't get the Sunday paper anymore, but the branded products I buy are so specific that I didn't often see coupons. The rest are store brands where there are no coupons. I sure don't miss the hassle!

I pay cash. My grocery store doesn't take credit cards, so when I go to the bank on the first Friday of the month I also take out enough cash for my groceries for the month. I keep it all in an envelope, which helps keep me on budget.

As for produce, I rarely use fresh vegetables. Frozen is much better for my purposes. They're packaged fresh without added salt and can just be steamed or sauteed as needed. I buy fresh fruits weekly. I always keep some longer lasting fruits like apples on hand to use when I've eaten the more perishable fruit I've gotten during the week. I also will buy frozen berries to eat with yogurt and in smoothies. So far I haven't developed scurvy.

I'm not a huge fan of carrying them in or putting them away, but I can deal.

MonkeyMama · #25 (**permalink**) 10-08-2006, 08:21 AM

My dh enjoys taking both kids - I have no idea why. LOL. I remember when he was scared to take the youngest and went shopping in the evenings. But lately he seems to enjoy taking both kids. They really enjoy the store I guess. Plus 1 can't walk yet - maybe then he'll just take 1. 2 walking kids is probably another story - hehe.

Ima saver · #26 (**permalink**) 10-08-2006, 09:33 AM

Thanks for the great info, jackie!

lrjohnson · #27 (**permalink**) 10-08-2006, 10:01 AM

Bring a walkman/Ipod/whatever. I have a little 15 buck radio that makes shopping more bearable for me.

Ima saver · #28 (**permalink**) 10-08-2006, 10:10 AM

I like to shop at the nudist colony's grocery store.

[Automated by GetSmile]

LuxLiving · #29 (**permalink**) 10-08-2006, 10:25 AM

Oh GreenGrocerette - Nice peponem(s)!

You're funny Ima!!

abowers · #30 (**permalink**) 10-08-2006, 11:35 AM

We try to go shopping at night if we can to avoid all the families that go Saturday & Sunday during the day. We make a list during the week as we run out/run low on things, then before we shop we think of what we want to make for dinner for the week based on our schedules/how many nights we'll both be home for dinner. Then we go, and it's not a big deal. If we go at night but before 9 or 10 the deli is still open, the produce is still stocked, and there are still bagels/etc. out in the bakery area.

Bookie · #31 (**permalink**) 10-08-2006, 11:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ima saver

I like to shop at the nudist colony's grocery store.

[Automated by GetSmile]

It's still grocery shopping. How do you bare it?

rob62521 · #32 (**permalink**) 10-08-2006, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ima saver

Drink a bottle of wine first!

[Automated by GetSmile]

Bet that makes driving that cart an experience...don't drink and drive!

rob62521 · #33 (**permalink**) 10-08-2006, 12:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Bookie

It's still grocery shopping. How do you bare it?

Groan to both of you and your naked jokes! Yikes!

tinapbeana · #34 (**permalink**) 10-10-2006, 09:46 AM

well, i shop one grocery store, one 'natural goods' store, and have found the best produce at the best price at the flea market, of all places. the grocery store and 'natural goods' store areon the same road & about 3 miles tops from our house. with the price of gas, i can't justify shopping outside of that range, and due to personal experiences the super wal-marts of the world can bite me...

the grocery store is called Bloom, it's a NC/SC chain that's relatively new. the absolute best part is that if you register for their card program, you can scan AND bag your own groeries as you make your way around the store. when you're done, you turn in your scanner, pay, and walk out. yes, they occasionally audit folks to make sure everything's in order, but the overall convenience is worth it. DH loves the scanner and goes shopping w/ me everytime now because of it; it's part of our quality time together.

the natural goods store is Garners and i get bulk coffee, oatmeal, spices, beans, rice, etc. in bulk, the organic version of these are about the same if not less expensive as regular. they sell locally produced dairy and meat products, which i appreciate and try to support. and at this point, organic tomatoes are cheaper than regular ones and most organic spinach doesn't have the same e coli issues as have been in the news. shopping at this store makes me feel good about what i'm buying.

as for the White Horse Road Flea Market (as featured on Turner South's Junkin), well, i guess i have migrant workers to thank. we have a large latino population and SC is relatively close to the boarder, so i guess they truck in mexican produce. i get limes 10/$1, bell peppers 2/$1, romas 3$ for a peck... if you get there saturday morning everything is exceptionally fresh and not picked over, and lasts a week easy. the prices alone make shopping fun, plus there's something i really like about buying produce outside...

PrincessPerky · #35 (**permalink**) 10-10-2006, 09:56 AM

If I go, I take all three kids, but I also take DH

it is fun in many ways, but I try not to be tired, and we use the time to talk about what we buy and why. Plus window shop....

My youngest rides, my older two walk with us/help get stuff.
If they are good they can play on the truck on the way out...hardly ever put a quarter in, but at least it is fun to climb on/pretend.

Normaly DH goes without any of us, no idea what he thinks of it, never asked...and since it takes 10 minutes to buckle three kids, I see no reason to make the trip longer if we arn't planning on enjoying it!

rusty@saving · #36 (**permalink**) 10-22-2006, 04:59 AM

i think i could swing nudist grocery shopping!(that was bad)
like other people have said, i go late at night or early in the morning. as long as i do not need help from anyone working there, i am good to go.

rduell · #37 (**permalink**) 10-22-2006, 05:35 AM

To make it a more pleasant experience my husband and I go together and it's our "date night". We go out to eat and then get groceries together. He is the one that picks out what we buy and I keep the tally marks and let him know when we're getting close to the limit.

When I go by myself I just sort of wander and don't really find anything to buy, so that's why he does the choosing. It's worked quite well and gives us time out together without kids around.

lrjohnson · #38 (**permalink**) 10-22-2006, 11:54 AM

For fewer people in stores, shop after the tenth of the month.

In CA, Food Stamps are issued the 1st through the 10th, RSDI is on the 3rd, SSI/SSP is on the 1st, and TANF is on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd. With so many people getting money at this time, some grocery stores do a lot of extra business. And, a lot of people get paid on Fridays, either biweekly or weekly. So I don't shop the first half of the month if I can avoid it, and I also avoid Fridays, and Saturdays.

(It's not about avoiding certain types of people, for me it's just about avoiding as many people as possible.)

tinapbeana · #39 (**permalink**) 10-22-2006, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by lrjohnson

For fewer people in stores, shop after the tenth of the month.

In CA, Food Stamps are issued the 1st through the 10th, RSDI is on the 3rd, SSI/SSP is on the 1st, and TANF is on the 1st, 2nd or 3rd. With so many people getting money at this time, some grocery stores do a lot of extra business. And, a lot of people get paid on Fridays, either biweekly or weekly. So I don't shop the first half of the month if I can avoid it, and I also avoid Fridays, and Saturdays.

(It's not about avoiding certain types of people, for me it's just about avoiding as many people as possible.)

similarly, a lot of folks get paid the 15th and 30th.

so, monday - thursday the 20th-29th, either early in the morning or later at night are sounding like the best bets overall.

rduell · #40 (**permalink**) 10-22-2006, 12:38 PM

Our favorite night to go is Wednesday. Seems like it's the least crowded night of the week. Tuesdays is usually Senior Citizen day because a lot of the stores in the area give an extra discount that day. Thursday is normally payday for most in the area so they're out spending what they made. Friday seems to be "fun night".