Your tips for making grocery shopping a pleasant experience?

[mountainmist]

I was amazed this morning to read several postings about how negative an experience it generally is to go grocery shopping -- and here all along, I thought it was JUST "me," and had no idea that the same things irk others.

For myself what I hate & despise most about shopping for groceries is that it is necessary to go several times a week for FRESH produce, as I will not purchase that bagged stuff that is filled with carbon dioxide to keep it from wilting for weeks, but that same gas destroys ALL the vitamin content of anything in the bag --- I'm not eating those high priced items for the roughage, I eat fresh fruits and veggies for the vitamins & minerals & antioxidants.

So I have to go frequently to bring home produce which is actually FRESH, and I need to time these store runs to coincide with time periods when I'll time to WASH it thoroughly BEFORE putting it into my refrigerator.

It's pathetic that in the 21st Century I have to be so scared about what I bring home from the grocery store, and how everything must be washed under running water according to FDA instructions, this seriously irritates me.




Here's an interesting posting from the WHAT FRUGAL THING DID YOU DO TODAY MESSAGETHREAD:

Originally Posted by LuxLiving

97.00 - wow, great job frugalelf! I'm inspired!!! Do you have a system to rotate your canned goods? I mark mine w/the date bought as in 10/06 for October 2006 and what I ended up paying for the item w/coupons etc. It takes even LONGER to put them away this way, but I do tend to get the older ones used up first.

You're exhausted? ME TOO! I was just complaining to The Hubster that grocery shopping wipes me smooth clear out!

First the perusing the ads, then the menu plan, the making of the list, the searching of cabinets to see if there is something I need to restock on, the coupon pull, the drive to the store, the hunt for list items, the hunt for instore coupons, wine tags, peelies, the finding of list item, the coupon match, the calculations, the putting in the cart, the taking out of cart and putting onto conveyor, making nice w/the checker, finding my *&^@# drivers license to verify I'm one and the same, the writing of the check or swiping of the debit card if I can %#$ find it, the taking out of cart to the shelf/sacking if you buy at someplace like Save-A-Lot or Aldi's, the loading cart with sacks, the unloading sacks into car, huff, huff, huffff, catch breath, drive myself and my 'gatherings' home (anybody wondering at this point why there isn't more roadrage hasn't been grocery shopping lately), the unloading sacks from the car and into the house, and then unloading them, marking them and then putting them on the shelves.

Great Goosegrease but that's a lot of loading and unloading!! No wonder we're exhausted Pattie!!

I'm going to really start slowing down planning to do anything else on my grocery days. I just ain't got enough ummpphhh left in this ol'gal to do too much else on those days...much less cook anything afterwards.

Going to have to start loading the crockpot BEFORE I leave for the grocery, because I sure as shooting don't feel like cooking anything after finally throwing myself on the couch after ALL THAT and wishing I had a cabana boy to bring me an iced tea!

[mountainmist]

I was amazed this morning to read several postings about how negative an experience it generally is to go grocery shopping -- and here all along, I thought it was JUST "me," and had no idea that the same things irk others.

For myself what I hate & despise most about shopping for groceries is that it is necessary to go several times a week for FRESH produce, as I will not purchase that bagged stuff that is filled with carbon dioxide to keep it from wilting for weeks, but that same gas destroys ALL the vitamin content of anything in the bag --- I'm not eating those high priced items for the roughage, I eat fresh fruits and veggies for the vitamins & minerals & antioxidants.

So I have to go frequently to bring home produce which is actually FRESH, and I need to time these store runs to coincide with time periods when I'll time to WASH it thoroughly BEFORE putting it into my refrigerator.

It's pathetic that in the 21st Century I have to be so scared about what I bring home from the grocery store, and how everything must be washed under running water according to FDA instructions, this seriously irritates me.




Here's an interesting posting from the WHAT FRUGAL THING DID YOU DO TODAY MESSAGETHREAD:

Originally Posted by LuxLiving

97.00 - wow, great job frugalelf! I'm inspired!!! Do you have a system to rotate your canned goods? I mark mine w/the date bought as in 10/06 for October 2006 and what I ended up paying for the item w/coupons etc. It takes even LONGER to put them away this way, but I do tend to get the older ones used up first.

You're exhausted? ME TOO! I was just complaining to The Hubster that grocery shopping wipes me smooth clear out!

First the perusing the ads, then the menu plan, the making of the list, the searching of cabinets to see if there is something I need to restock on, the coupon pull, the drive to the store, the hunt for list items, the hunt for instore coupons, wine tags, peelies, the finding of list item, the coupon match, the calculations, the putting in the cart, the taking out of cart and putting onto conveyor, making nice w/the checker, finding my *&^@# drivers license to verify I'm one and the same, the writing of the check or swiping of the debit card if I can %#$ find it, the taking out of cart to the shelf/sacking if you buy at someplace like Save-A-Lot or Aldi's, the loading cart with sacks, the unloading sacks into car, huff, huff, huffff, catch breath, drive myself and my 'gatherings' home (anybody wondering at this point why there isn't more roadrage hasn't been grocery shopping lately), the unloading sacks from the car and into the house, and then unloading them, marking them and then putting them on the shelves.

Great Goosegrease but that's a lot of loading and unloading!! No wonder we're exhausted Pattie!!

I'm going to really start slowing down planning to do anything else on my grocery days. I just ain't got enough ummpphhh left in this ol'gal to do too much else on those days...much less cook anything afterwards.

Going to have to start loading the crockpot BEFORE I leave for the grocery, because I sure as shooting don't feel like cooking anything after finally throwing myself on the couch after ALL THAT and wishing I had a cabana boy to bring me an iced tea!

[Cheetahwoman7]

My suggestion is to go on days/times when not as many are shopping. I try to go on Thursdays at 4pm. Usually quite a pleasant experience as there's hardly anyone in the store....well, except for this last Thursday!!! Here I am, doing my usual weekly shopping and lo and behold, the store is PACKED!!!

Seems that because it rained the day before and that morning, a lot of the workers who normally would be out in the fields harvesting veggies were in the stores shopping. Tough to work in a muddy field! *heavy sigh* Guess I have to figure out a new day/time for those rainy day Thursdays.

CJ

[JanH]

During the weekday is a good suggestion. Here it's best before 3 pm and the kiddoes start getting out of school. I make sure I'm not hungry, tired, and I make sure I have a list so I won't be roaming too much. The less time it takes me now the better. The part I hate is carrying stuff in. I don't mind putting away. Now that I don't get as much, it is easier. But I still don't like it. I tend to leave large items like dog foods, detergents and hubby's water out in the car until he gets it when he gets home. Share the burden I say.......

[aurielle]

Here its just me and DH, so that simplifies things a bit. I shop on saturday mornings before 11am, after that the store gets crowded. I plan for simple meals that don't take too many ingredients or expensive ingredients, and I work full time so I like them simple to prepare too. I'm not perfect at it but I try to plan meals around things already on sale for the week and I try to wait for things that I need to go on sale before I buy. And I'm not a coupon clipper. Most of the coupons I see are for things I don't use and our stores do not double coupons and they do not accept online coupons that you print at home. DH doesn't like to grocery shop so he doesn't go with me but when I get home he helps unload and put them away. So the whole grocery shopping thing takes about an hour a week, maybe two hours if we go to Wally World.

[Bookie]

Delegate it to someone else.

[Ima saver]

Eat first, don't take kids, eat six meals out every week and I bought everything on my list, plus supper for tomorrow night for $16!

[JanH]

Actually, buying fresh produce gives me a warm, fuzzy feeling. Probably brings back memories of childhood in the country with dinner from the garden. I really enjoy fresh over about anything else. So I guess I don't have too hard a time with the shopping, since in some of our stores, it is an adventure to what they will have on hand and at what price (produce).

[Ima saver]

I don't ever buy porduce except for a potato or onion once in a while.

[tabbycat31]

try and get your produce from a local farmers market, or U pick it farm (i have so many fond memories of that when I was a kid).

Also if you have a yard, consider growing some vegetables for next year.

[JanH]

I have thought about growing in containers but I wonder about the huge squirrel population here eating everything. We've even had them short out transformers getting caught in them!

[cschin4]

I buy bagged products. I would rather buy bagged lettuce as I am more likely to use it up. And, I don't wash products until I am ready to eat them, otherwise they are more likely to mold/rot in the frig. If you want to eat fresh produce frequently then you will need alot of trips to the grocery store. I have delegated most of the shopping to DH and he enjoys going to the grocery store whereas I don't.

[Ima saver]

Drink a bottle of wine first! [Automated by GetSmile]

[PRICEPLUS]

My local grocery store plays oldies music so I don't mind going with the wife.
I sing along and my wife gets a little embarassed. Hey, I have a sort of nice voice!

[Ima saver]

That would make it a lot more pleasant. The bi lo does that, but Ingles plays awful music! (I still think my wine idea is good)

[PRICEPLUS]

We have to drive though!

[Ima saver]

True, but we could take a nap in the car! I am kidding, I don't believe in drinking and driving. that is why my husband is always the designated driver.
When we go to the grocery store after dinner out, I am usually pretty happy!!

[PRICEPLUS]

Way to go Julie!

[Ima saver]

See, grocery shopping just got happier!!

[MonkeyMama]

I am lucky my husband enjoys grocery shopping. Phew. HE shops and cooks, I clean, we are happy - LOL.

I guess I just hate driving around and going into various stores, for me it is internet shopping all the way. Though I guess that is an option for groceries too - buy online.