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Groceries | Pad Patter 12.3

I still keep a running list on my phone & also make a weekly list (I also have a staple list that I look at when I'm making my weekly list) If I'm going in the store I organize by how I like to go around the store. I pretty much know where everything is. That makes less backtracking for me.

I have started doing pick-up since covid (our Wal-mart didn't offer it until about July) & absolutely LOVE it! Makes things so easy and quick for me.
 
HavaDrPepper said:
I didn't even know online shopping was available 10 years ago! Even my Wal-Mart didn't have it until the pandemic hit.
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We live in a suburb of Washington, DC, so we probably got it on the early side. I have no idea when it started, but it came on my radar screen when I had 3 kids too young for school. This was one of our earliest deliveries--the kids used to be so excited to see the truck that they stood next to the door waiting. The littlest one was 12 months in this picture, and she turns 12 this month!

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While we were on lockdown, I had to plan for a whole week's worth of groceries and that was a big change for me.

As it is, my usual routine is to shop Sunday morning or evening to buy enough lunches & dinners for Sunday - Wednesday. We have family dinner at my parents' Thursday nights, and I pick up pizza on Friday nights. Saturday can be leftovers, takeout, or homemade as I feel so moved. If I'm feeling extra-creative (or extra-not), I will go through and plan dinners and sort my ingredients by aisle on my list. Otherwise, I will just go through the store and see what speaks to me. I have enough basics on hand that as long as I grab proteins and produce, I can make most of our regular meals. I pick up the bulk of our groceries at Aldi, and then I supplement with specific items and/or brands at Walmart.
 
We live in a small town with no delivery or curbside pickup so we still go in. We have shopped at Sam’s more so we stock up once a month and then run for stuff like milk and fresh veggies occasionally. I used to go at least three times a week, now about three times a month. I just think the less exposure to the virus, the better.
 
I really try to go to only one store and only once per week or two if I can stretch it out. I'm back to shopping at my normal store (Meijer - kinda like a super target). In the spring I was going to a much smaller store that closer to my house because they always had fully stocked shelves and there were way less people. Now that covid doesn't seem to be spreading at grocery stores, I'm more willing to go to the bigger store because it's a little cheaper and they have the extra stuff at the same store.

As to how I shop in the store... I have to have my paper list, so I can cross things off the list as I get them. :giggle I don't organize by aisle really. I should. I think it would help, but I'm too lazy. I just scan my list as I pass each aisle. I do sometimes forget something and have to go back though. I just count it as more steps. Lol.
 
My grocery shopping has changed only a little. I used to go every Monday morning, after everyone left for school and work, but between the kids being home from school and my husband working third shift, I'm now going at odd days and times where it fits best.

I tried ordering ahead and picking up once, but it seemed a lot more time consuming to pick out everything and some of the meat I wouldn't have gotten if I'd been in store (too little in the package), so I don't do that. Plus, I missed out on all the sale pantry items that I pick up just because I see the sale tags as I walk through.

I mostly shop at Meijer, with a trip to Sam's Club or Costco about once or twice a month as needed. I figure out my menu, make a list based on that, and shop off of it, plus sale items.

I've started to do the Meijer Scan and Shop, where I scan my items in the app as I go through the store and it downloads to the kiosk when I check out. It works great, because I don't have to take things out of my cart and I don't have to bag them either! (I have large bags in the car that I move my groceries to, so it's nice to not have to deal with all the extra plastic bags. Quicker too, since I don't have to check every bag to see what's in them as I pack them into the car.)
 
Nothing really changed except who goes! We all really really dislike grocery shopping, so we would all go and get the dreaded task done - boys run around store, and it would go faster.

Pandemic started and DH was home for a bit so he used to go during day... now, we are back to normalish. Usually, one adult/one kid or two adults. We go once a week, and it's about an hour long process. Once home, boys load pantry, and I do fridge.

Costco runs are usually DH and I on a weekend.
 
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