Speed Shopping For Groceries is an Acquired Skill
Grocery shopping can be a chore, especially if there are teens in the house. You buy food, turn away for a minute (or what seems like a minute) and the refrigerator shelves are bare. "What happened to all the food?" you ask. It's time to go best secured loan shopping again.
My husband and I are raising our twin grandchildren. There have been just the two of us for years, so it has taken me months to get up to speed on grocery shopping. First, I didn't know what the kids liked to eat. Second, I serve healthy meals, meals the kids resisted at first. Third, I never know gyco car insurance many teens will show up for dinner, "our two" or a few more.
I used to shop every third day and now I shop every other day. I whiz through the store as quickly as possible and, after lots of practice, have developed my speed shopping skills. Speed shopping for groceries is not sloppy shopping. You have to be prepared.
1. Make menus. A few days ago my granddaughter asked me what I was fixing for dinner. I handed her a list of menus and told her to choose the meal she wanted. "You have menus?" she asked in a startled voice. Yep, I have menus and I think they are good ones.
2. Check inventory. The twins "graze" in the refrigerator constantly and that is fine with me. But they have eaten food that I planned for a later meal, so I check inventory before I go to the store.
3. Write list in categories. Produce is my first category because it is the first department I encounter in the store. Meat, poultry, and fish are the second category because they are the second department. Dairy products are a third category. Staples are another. Cleaning and bath products are my last category.
4. Shop at one store. When you know the layout you can speed through the store. Of course, you can't always shop at one store, but do it as often as possible.
5. Check grocery cart wheels. Every so often you get a cart with gimpy wheels. No matter how hard you try you can't steer the darned thing, which slows you down. Check the wheels before you start your shopping. While you're at it, swipe the handle with an alcohol wipe.
6. Skip the samples. Sure, the store samples look tasty, but pass them by. Eating food samples slows you down and can throw off your grocery list.
7. Take the recipes. My grocery store has free recipe cards in the produce department and the meat department. When free recipes are available I take them. I X-Men the recipe cards to plan next week's grocery list.
8. Unload and bag wisely. Put refrigerated and frozen foods together at checkout and make sure they are bagged together to keep them cold. Grouping other items in categories will also speed unloading when you get home. Speed shopping is an acquired skill, but it is a skill you will be glad to have and use.
Copyright 2008 by Harriet Hodgson
Harriet Hodgson has been a freelance nonfiction writer for 30 years. She is a member of the Association of Health Care Journalists and the Association for Death Education and Counseling. Her 24th book, "Smiling Through Your Tears: Anticipating Grief," written with Lois Krahn, MD, is available from http://www.amazon.com - Centering Corporation, North America's oldest and largest grief resource center, is publishing her 26th book, "Writing to Recover: The Journey from Loss & Grief to a New Life." The 25,000-word book is slated for June release.
Please visit Harriet's Kansas Lemon Laws site and learn more about this busy author and grandmother.
posted by biibj @ 5:16 AM
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