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Groceries | Pad Patter 12.3

bestcee

bestcee

In love with places I've never been to
Joined
Dec 18, 2013
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I went to the grocery store today. Well, stores. It's hard to do just one since things I need are either out or not carried at one, plus I usually go to a store and Sam's Club.
Anyway. I got my list together, made notes, and divided it by store. It's already divided by type (produce, canned, etc). This was something new that I hadn't done before, but I hope it would make shopping faster. It did! I was surprised. Except for still not knowing the layout of the store, and having to backtrack to a previous aisle. I think I'll keep that practice!

So, I was wondering, has your grocery shopping ways changed this year? Are you doing more pickups? Are you doing deliveries? Are you making a list? Or is it the same as before?
 
I have been in a grocery store once since March and that was to get my flu shot. (We are old and in the higher risk Covid group). We have ordered our groceries at Safeway and used curbside pickup all this time. It works quite well. My DD (bless her heart) has made monthly Costco trips for us in the interim.
I didn’t think I would ever say I missed grocery shopping, but I do.
 
I keep an ongoing list. Depending on what I need I go to either Wal-Mart or the local grocery. If it is Wal-Mart, I use the app and find the aisle location for items I don't get as often and may not remember where they are. I also have a specific "route" through the store. Start in health care and end in grocery. That has really cut down my time in the store because I'm not wandering looking for items. I also go before 10 am and it is usually the older crowd that respects the mask mandate and social distancing.

If it is the grocery, it is usually for items like milk, eggs or pop. I will pick up a few other items at times but since it is a lot smaller than Wal-Mart, it isn't hard to find things. Again, I go early and it usually isn't busy at that time so it is easy in, easy out.

I refuse to do online ordering because I'm very picky especially with the dental situation. I can't afford to have them substitute items that I can't eat or won't eat. In other words, I want to be in control!
 
The only thing I changed is that I switched back to a paper list so my phone can stay in my pocket and avoid germs. Not that I have much of a list. I only need to write down a few things that I don't buy regularly because I've kind of got into the habit of getting many things and I just remember them. I pretty much only go to Wegmans, a large store that carries everything I want. I haven't tried online ordering because I make a lot of decisions on the spot, in the store, when I see what's available, and also we deal with food allergies and intolerances so I don't want to have to rely on them to make substitutes. It's also more work to create a list for someone else. I'd rather just do it myself, with my mental list and my habitual route through the store that reminds me what to get.
 
I do more pick up things at places like WalMart that are more crowded and when I just need an item or two. I do most of my grocery shopping at a local store at odd times when there are very few people there. I usually have a written list, but it's not very well organized lol. I do miss just wandering the aisles of stores.
 
I’ve been shopping at local stores rather than the really big grocery stores lately. They’re not as busy and they seem to have better cleaning protocols than the big stores around here.
 
We are only allowed 75 people in stores. 1-2 hour lines outside In 20 degree weather.
OT-I’m so proud of my town; many reports of people going and giving their place to seniors! Makes me smile!!

I do once a week pick up. Wednesday night I order, and pick up 9 am every Friday.
They do have some out of stock things. I did drive one hour, ten minutes to get salmon and asparagus in the state below us(God bless Texas)! I went cause it was my birthday meal! Lol
 
I don’t think I have been in store shopping since March. We do almost exclusive curbside pickup and a few deliveries. That has changed as I think I had only ever done that once in the “before times”. My local small grocery (Sprouts) does a good job with picking my items and their interface allows you to identify specific replacements and add notes.

I also do shipping of some items from either Amazon or Target. I’ve done a few pickups from our Fry’s grocery, but they are not as good with substitutes as Sprouts. Hubby is in the at risk group and I’m no spring chicken. We fall to the cautious side.

I did have to run in to pickup my Thanksgiving prepped dinner, but I went first thing when they opened and it was empty.

I had an eye doctor appointment last week and I was actually really anxious to be in an office with others that I have no idea what their interactive bubbles are like.

as for list, we keep a paper scrap in the kitchen that we add items to as we identify the need. For in store shopping I always grouped my list.
 
We had all of our groceries delivered when the bad shutdown started in Florida. Prior to that, our dd went for us, but then it got so bad that we didn't even want her to go. We had excellent personal shopping/delivery service there and since we moved, they have pick-up. We're way out in the country, so not so much delivery here. We can still get Amazon, so we're happy.
 
I don’t actually do any groceries while I’m living at home but when I do I prefer to go in store. Between being on a budget, wanting to see what things are priced to clear, being somewhat picky about certain brands it’s just easier to physically go into the shop and do it myself.
 
We switched to online grocery shopping a long time ago, probably 10 years. I started because we had 3 little kids and it was easier, but I kept doing it because I stuck to the budget better when I could see the total, put things back, check recipes on the spot, etc. I've done their curbside pickup a few times when we couldn't get a time slot for delivery, but I don't like it as much because curbside pickup doesn't do any substitutions. It defeats the purpose when every pickup order ends with me going into the store, but if I do delivery the substitutes are usually good enough.

Even with online shopping, pre-pandemic we still ran into the grocery store or Target once or twice a week for things that were better purchased in person or that we ran out of. We're doing much less of that these days. We do our grocery order, and once every couple of weeks DH runs to the store for a couple of items that he didn't add to my grocery list. I go once a month when I have to pick up DS's prescription, and it's kind of crazy how exciting it is to go into the grocery store! I also end up doing some Target runs, but we're doing as much as possible with online pickup and delivery so those trips are shorter and less frequent.
 
I didn't even know online shopping was available 10 years ago! Even my Wal-Mart didn't have it until the pandemic hit. I'm not even sure the Kroger in the next town over had the online shopping even though stores in larger cities did. Of course, small town living has the advantage that there are not hundreds of people in the stores at the same time. The most crowded times are Saturday mornings or evenings after 4:00. That's why I go during the week before 10 a.m. And, if I go to the local grocery on Tuesday, I get a senior discount :)
 
I do try and only go twice a week, but I am faithful to my local Woolies food store.
They have great fresh veggies, meat and fruit.
You may find cheaper but the quality won't be as good.
 
Absolutely nothing has changed for me. I do keep a running list on my phone of items I need to purchase. I actually have running lists for just about every store I go to so I won't forget stuff (unless I forget to look at the list, which I actually do.) I have ADD and it's gotten much worse since I went on some medication (I'm going off that stuff!) so I've a hard time remembering anything. I'd much rather choose what I'm buying than have someone else do it for me, especially fresh fruits and veggies. I'm pretty particular about those.
 
hubby does the shopping. He used to find it relaxing, but this year really stressful. The follow the maze around the store, once and only once round, system doesn't work with the way his mind thinks.
 
Angela Toucan said:
hubby does the shopping. He used to find it relaxing, but this year really stressful. The follow the maze around the store, once and only once round, system doesn't work with the way his mind thinks.
Click to expand...

Wow, I wouldn't like that either! I haven't seen that here, but for a brief time the grocery store nearest me put arrows on the floor to try to get people to go one way in each aisle and that was annoying.
 
Every 2 weeks I drive 35 miles down to the closest Walmart & do grocery pickup. The kids that work there are always nice & respectful. The boys & I have made it a thing. We grab takeout from an Italian restaurant near there. We have a picnic in the car while we listen to an audiobook. We get our groceries, then go down a little further south for gas & a carwash. It works out since I drive a hybrid, I only fill-up every 2 weeks. Then we go home & put all the groceries away. The system has worked well for us.
 
I find it very stressful.
We wear masks, get out temperature taken, sanitise ,then use plastic gloves , or plastic bags ( that the stores provide ) to pick up veg and fruit ( poor mother earth, she must be choking in all that extra plastic waste ) we try our best to keep at least 1 meter between us ( 2 if we can), makes staying in a que , quite adventures... So yep it has changed. I have a magnetic pad, that is stuck on my fridge door, and when we run out of things we write it there, ( or when we open the last Jar ) We do a big shop around once a month, and a smaller one ( to a local small (and incredible clean) grocery ) about once a week ( milk , bread, cake,) Last month I treated my self to a visit to an Art store..... I stayed an hour, just could not get enough of looking (and buying) at everything ,and I was (sadly for the store ) 1 of only 2 customers..
Roll on "the good old days" pretty please....
 
Since March, I make the list and my husband does the shopping. I think I've been to the grocery store only 3-4 times for just a few items.
 
it's been a lot less frequent this year - the little trips i used to make at least twice a week got down to zero at one point but given it's gotten hotter and DH has gone back to not eating any banana with spots on it, i'm back to like every second day, it is a lot easier without masks now (as we fortunately are at that stage that i know many of you can only dream about) but the humidity is increasing food waste (DD won't eat bread that's been frozen - gee, i wonder where her pickiness comes from) and summer salads just aren't the same with wilted greens etc Enjoy your winter soups & stews!
 
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