Your tips for making grocery shopping a pleasant experience?

[shelbylovesmelby]

Not taking my oldest or my dh with me to the store.

I see the savings everytime I leave no extra $ spent on things not on my list! & no whining from dd about this or that box that has Dora or Sponge Bob on it!

If I do take both dd's it's to Aldi's that way, I hear less whining cause there isn't alot of pkgs with Dora ect on them!

[Homebody]

My husband also loves to shop and did virtually all of it and the cooking for years 2-26 of our marriage. The past two years I am trying to do more of it, so I am not sick of doing it. In fact, I kind of like to cook and surprise DH and myself with something that actually tastes good.

Dh almost always had a menu and a list made before he went. Now he goes when we need something. We shop at Costco and Winco.

[budgetmom]

I've noticed that if DH and kids go with me I get out quicker. Sure I have to evil eye DH a few times when they all get so loud it's hard to think, and a little embarrasing, but I find if I shop with other people around I stick closer to my budget/grocery list and won't buy that splurge item that I have a good coupon for that I really don't need.

[Fern]

If you're worried about pesticide sprays, i would try to buy domestically grown produce whenever possible; it's also better for the environment, cus it's not trucked as far, and it's more nutrititous, as less time to get to the store and your home means less nutriitonal loss from sitting around.

I use Veggie Wash which supposedly rinses residue from produce more effectively than just plain water. Commercially grown food today is fraught with risks...if you think that's overstating it, think about the fresh spinach thing recently.

I mean, if women of childbearing age are told not to eat fish more than twice a week due to mercury and PCB contamination, there's something wrong with our culture and priorities.

What most bothers me is that when i go out to eat at a restaurant, do you really think they bother washing produce? I don't think so!