How do you shop for groceries?

[gimmesugar]

I feel like this is Adulting 101, but I just cannot find the time to make a legit trip to the grocery store. Before DS was born, we made weekly trips to the farmers market and Trader Joe's for stuff, and I meal planned like a pro. I also ordered pantry staples, toiletries, and vitamins from Thrive Market unless I could find a better price on Amazon. My online shopping game is 💯, so I'm considering doing more grocery shopping online (like Amazon Fresh). Anyone else do something like that? We have a lot of stuff in the freezer, but a lot of times I'm missing some stupid ingredient that can't be substituted and blows my whole plan.

[cmb]

I just bring the kids with me. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’ve been known to tandem wear them as well.

We do a massive Sam’s club run once a month. I get periodically needed things on Saturday mornings before 10am due to crowds and impatient children. If it’s something we need for that night, I stop at the Walmart or target on my way home

[gimmesugar]

Dec 14, 2017 14:59:59 GMT -6 cmb said:

I just bring the kids with me. 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’ve been known to tandem wear them as well.

We do a massive Sam’s club run once a month. I get periodically needed things on Saturday mornings before 10am due to crowds and impatient children. If it’s something we need for that night, I stop at the Walmart or target on my way home

Yeah, evenings after work are basically a lost cause due to daycare pickup, DSD's activities, and oftentimes I have to keep working in the evenings for a bit even after I pick up DS. Maybe it's the holiday busyness aspect, but it's like we can only accomplish so many errands in one day. I probably do need to plan things on a longer time horizon so that I don't have to rely on a weekly grocery run. One or two things isn't a big deal...like a quick stop for toilet paper, but I can no longer allocate an hour or more for big trips each week.

[piratecat]

gimmesugar, H does most of the grocery shopping now. We find it easiest to split up and since I'm the one having to feed the kid he ends up doing most of the other chores. I am still relying on H to pick up a lot of the slack around the house so I'm no help.

[gingy]

I like to go first thing on Sunday morning. It's the slowest time of the weekend. I definitely don't have time for a full-on shopping trip on a weeknight! We don't have any grocery delivery or pick-up yet. Damn small town. So for now I just wear DS around Target and get a huge coffee on my way in.

[irish14]

Instacart!!! If you have it in your area it's f***ing amazing. You put your list together online and someone literally goes to the store, picks everything up, and brings it to your house.

I know some people who like peapod but I like instacart bc I'm sending them to my grocery store, so I know what will generally be in stock (and where things are to tell them if I get an idiot shopper, which only happens occasionally - and if it does they'll usually let you choose between a refund or a pretty prompt re-shop).

It has literally saved our lives with one, so now with two its non-negotiable. We probably instacart 2-3 times a month and shop ourselves once, for the weird stuff and just to go see how stocks have changed or pick out new things to try. We meal plan weekly for every night - will switch stuff around if things come up unexpectedly - and that has made a HUGE difference too, so we only have to think about dinners once a week on the weekend. During the week, just look at the board.

Upcharge depends on the store - some have, some don't.. You tip your shopper like 10% (waive service fee, it's not a tip). But for us it is well worth a little extra.

[moutonrouge]

I've tried to condense to just one store. Wegman's has good produce, a ridiculous deli, and sells all the one-off things I used to get from TJs or Whole Foods (almond milk yogurt, etc.).

I also started using Pepper Plate to create shopping lists. Once the list has been created from the recipes, I add anything else we need (cereal, snacks). Then I shop the pantry/fridge/freezer. To help that process I posted a list of the meat and veggies we have in the freezer on the door, and I reorganized the pantry. Once I know what we don't have, I head out.

Another thing I do, but don't enjoy: DD usually wakes up at 5 and goes back to sleep for 90 min/2 hours. Instead of going back to bed, I'll just get up and go to the store then. Our grocery store is 24 hours, so I can go, no one is there, it gets done and things put away before DD gets up.

[gimmesugar]

moutonrouge Wow, props to you for grocery shopping at 5AM! 👏🏻👏🏻

[moutonrouge]

Dec 15, 2017 11:53:35 GMT -6 gimmesugar said:

moutonrouge Wow, props to you for grocery shopping at 5AM! 👏🏻👏🏻

The first time was like "yeah, woohoo, I've got the whole day ahead of me!"

Now I'm like "hmmm...maybe it wouldn't be so bad to take her with me and go later this morning..." So I only do it if our weekend is over scheduled. 

[gimmesugar]

irish14 Interesting! I will look into that! Funny story, when I was taking classes for my MBA back in 2011, I had to take an entrepreneurship class, and for one project, we had to come up with a business idea. We had to present several, and I recall grocery delivery or even just preorder/pickup was one of the ideas I presented to him. The professor thought I was an idiot...something like, "Yeah, those businesses have always failed." LOLOLOL 😂 Too bad I never had it in me to be an entrepreneur. I could have been rich!

[lupincat]

moutonrouge I actually like the grocery store super early or super late, it's way more peaceful.

We live in too rural of an area to have Peapod deliver to us *sobs*. Luckily H has a weird work schedule and is off Thursday-Saturday so I usually hit Aldi's and Giant when he's home. I wouldn't mind taking the baby with me but hard pass to bringing the toddler along.

[moutonrouge]

I want grocery drive thru. For when you just need 1 thing and don't want to get baby in/out of the car.

[lupincat]

Dec 15, 2017 13:29:41 GMT -6 moutonrouge said:

I want grocery drive thru. For when you just need 1 thing and don't want to get baby in/out of the car.

The idea of this makes me way happier than it should.

[lildiamondeyes]

Dh and I normally go twice a month grocery shopping together. Or I do mini runs with all the kids. We have unconventional schedules though so...

[joy]

Peapod.

I can’t with physically going to a grocery store. Waste of time. I shop at home, they deliver to me. Bueno.

[gimmesugar]

joy That's exactly what I feel like. I've always detested grocery shopping, and I feel like I especially hate it now.

[joy]

I just have so little time. I don’t want to spend two hours on the weekend dealing with getting there, other shoppers, my kid in the store, getting home, etc. We’re also city so this would all be walking. Just no - I’m done. Bring it to me. $8 for delivery - yup, here ya go.

[mikaela20]

I shop weekly for produce and bread things so I usually make it an adventure with the baby. When he was smaller I would use a carrier. But now he fits in the cart seats so that's easier.

If I wait until the weekend I go with my H and make it a family thing.

I plan it between naps and it's fun for ds. We chat the whole time while I keep forgetting things and going back to isles. He has lots to look at so he is entertained. People look at me like I'm crazy since I sound like I'm talking to an invisable adult because they can't see my baby sitting in the cart right away.

If it's little things that are needed during the week here and there like dog food, toilet paper etc. I have my H pick it up on his way home from work.

Every penny counts in my house so paying for grocery delivery just won't work for me. If I had the option, I would probably do that and make a different outing to take ds to.

[Nymeria]

MH does the shopping and most of the time I stay home with R. Now that R is older (15 months) some weeks MH and I will go shopping together and just bring R with us.

[lildiamondeyes]

FFTC- I enjoy grocery shopping, even when I have all the kids. Its soothing to wander the aisle.

[gingy]

Dec 21, 2017 12:33:32 GMT -6 lildiamondeyes said:

FFTC- I enjoy grocery shopping, even when I have all the kids. Its soothing to wander the aisle.

Same.  It's my favorite part of the week.  I'm also a planner, so making lists and finding deals is my happy place. 

[gimmesugar]

Tried Instacart this past weekend, and it was a success!! 🙌🏻🙌🏻

[june]

We normally go grocery shopping one a week. Sometimes I go for small errands to the supermarket but all alone with the kids I think it is very exhausting!