Stocking Up
I have yet to find a satisfactory way to complete our necessary grocery shopping. The problem is, that no matter what I try, this is a process that takes about 2 1/2 or 3 hours to complete from getting everyone's shoes on their feet to putting the last can away in the pantry. It is utterly exhausting. Some things that I have discovered in my many attempts to streamline the process:
1. I am MUCH more likely to cook if all ingredients are on hand - nothing irritates me more than to be missing just ONE ingredient in my recipe. I would almost rather be missing 2...or 3...or even all of the necessary ingredients than JUST ONE!
2. The most time consuming portion of the process is the fact that I have 4 tag-a-longs who love to "help". They are actually pretty good in the store, it is just that "help"...
3. While going on the weekends means dropping a boy (or 2 or 3), it also means dealing with more people in the store (which is also time consuming) and that means losing a few hours of our precious family time with Dad.
So my new idea, is to try to go less often. My recent decluttering has freed up a lot of shelf space in our laundry room, so I am thinking that I might be able to really stock up on pantry and freezer items. This would limit my grocery tips to twice a month. I could then fill in the alternating weeks with a quick Saturday morning trip to the local Kroger for milk, produce, cheese, and bread - which is really all that I would have to get more often due to the fact that it tends to spoil over more than a week. That really shouldn't take too long, maybe a 45 minute trip, should it? And the other wouldn't be that much longer than it already is either.
Sorry for the rambling - I am just trying to think out loud here! Please share your tips that you have for completing this daunting task. I know it can be done - it is just a matter of finding what works most efficiently.
posted by Mom of boys @ 1:34 PM
3 Comments:
I have to go every week...I need to buy milk at least. And a trip to the store is a trip to the store: if I have to get milk, I might as well get other stuff too.
But it doesn't take me (usually) more than an hour start to finish. I can't count the getting-shoes-on-time, since that has to be done anyway. It's best if everyone has been fed recently. I have a grocery list typed up in Word that lists the basic items I get all the time in the order in which they appear in the store and I circle the ones I'm getting that time. I pile everybody in, drive to the store (2 minutes from my house), get one of those carts that seats two plus one and encourage the older boys to hang on for dear life to the sides as I whip through the aisles repeating "No...no...no...no...no...NO!...no no no..." while madly throwing things in. At checkout, the boys like to help load the conveyor belt.
Where I shop, there are baggers, so that is a big time saver. Last place I went, I didn't have that luxury, and I learned to put things on the conveyor in groupings (dairy here, frozen there). I bagged like things together and put the bags with perishable items together in the car. If I'm in a rush, I unload only the perishable items and get the rest later.
As long as the milk supply is good, I'll avoid going shopping. But once that last gallon gets cracked open, I just put together a list and gather the crowd.
Oh, I stopped "shopping" years ago...you know, when you compare labels or look for the best price or see what's on sale. I just can't do it - it adds too many minutes to the inevitable meltdown if we spend more than 45 minutes in the store.
Also, the store here has only standard business hours, but where I used to live, the store was open 24 hours. I always shopped at 10 pm (child-free). No lines.
Michele, I have to say Robin and I love our late night trips to the store. We pick a night once a week. Same night every week. We get the kids in bed. And go between 8:30 and 9:00. We really love it. We don't take any kids but even if you had Jonathan along that would be nothing. I can think clearly without the kids. I have well written list b/c I have planned my menu and go by ingredient by ingredient for each recipe. I start that about a day and a half earlier so I am not rushed making the list. I put my list in grocery store order. I will not grocery shop at the big W any more b/c I think it is poorly laid out and they just don't have as many of the brands/store brands etc. as Kroger. I love Kroger. I still think Kroger is the best price bet. They double and triple and their store brands are great and they have more than any other store. If there are certain items I like to get at W b/c of the price I stock up on those at a once a month trip to there. I even stopped buying diapers at W. There are too many sales at Kroger and coupons and their store brand isn't bad either. I love going at night and it usually takes an hour - maybe a little longer sometimes b/c Robin and I tend to talk a lot too.
Hi, I'm enjoying your blog...I'm mom to 3 boys. I started bulk shopping when my first son was little! He's a bit strong-willed so I had to learn fast. Also we try to eat organic which, of course, costs more, so I try to be frugal about it. I used a coop for a long time which automatically requires you to buy in bulk so that was a good way to start. I shop every two weeks now and it's pretty easy. Occasionally I'll ask my dh to stop by the store on the way home from work to pick up the essentials. We don't drink fresh milk frequently...those aseptic containers of soymilk are great. Also you could freeze regular milk too. Have been told that works fine. I think an extra freezer is a necessity. We have minimal storage so our upstairs mstr. bedroom closet is our auxillary pantry! I've also learned to buy fruits that last awhile. For example, I buy the pears, bananas, seasonal fruit that goes bad quickly and we eat it first. I also buy mangoes, pineapples, apples that ripen slowly and we eat it last. We eat fresh veggies the first week and frozen bagged veggies the second week. I freeze EVERYTHING. It works for us. Also, I should mention that our 3 boys are not picky and they have huge appetites, so it's not like I'm shopping for two folks...like it seems to be w/other families I know.
Anyway, I hope that helps...it's difficult learning to shop in bulk. If you'd like more advice...I'd be glad to let you know what I keep on hand.
My infrequently written blog is www.myfellasandme@blogspot.com. At least I think that's right. I guess the address will come up on my profile too though...still figuring all this out!
Hope that helps,
Luci
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