Comments on: How Often Do You Grocery Shop?

By: Kelli

Kelli — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 14:58:30 +0000

I shop every two weeks. I make a list of two weeks worth of meals and buy what I need to make them. Other than what I already have on hand, of course. I also try to stock up on staples at the same time. We live 20 miles from the nearest grocery store, so we have to be prepared! I have been trying to get into the habit of “going without”. I typically would run into the store when I’m in town mid-week if we needed more of something or I had forgotten something. But I have learned that just because I wanted red peppers for our tikka masala doesn’t mean we need them. We use soy milk and buy it in bulk at Costco so thankfully I don’t have to buy that mid-week. The only think we constantly run out of is bananas - I agree with the previous commenter - I need a banana tree as well! Only, I don’t think they would grow very well in three feet of snow in Montana. : )

Kellis last blog post..Ordinary Day

By: Kate@Living the Frugal Life

Kate@Living the Frugal Life — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 13:16:12 +0000

I’ve shopped less and less frequently this year, thanks to putting in a huge garden and getting four laying hens. The one thing we still go to the grocery store for consistently is milk. Everything else we need comes from the garden, the hens, can be gleaned, or can be bought in bulk. I bake all our own bread, and we have an apple tree that is extending our fresh fruit season right now. We have a big chest freezer, and we’re slowly eating our way through half a hog and half a lamb.

We haven’t done any of our previously normal big shopping trips since May. We tend now to either make trips to Trader Joes for bulk items like olive oil and pasta, or hit the farmers’ markets for the few things we need that we aren’t growing ourselves. Only the dairy items are left to still pick up at the store. So every 7-10 days for just a few items. I suspect I’ll be shopping more through the winter as our supplies of homegrown stuff dwindle.

Kate@Living the Frugal Lifes last blog post..Fingerless Gloves - Easy Knitting Project

By: mom, again

mom, again — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 21:46:47 +0000

I’m living in the UK, and since I don’t drive, I’ve had groceries delivered weekly since moving out to this village. We used to live across the street from an American sized grocery, and I walked over there almost daily. I could only bring home as much as would fit in the baby’s stroller basket, but it’s surprising how much junk could fit in besides the few items actually needed.

Anyway, since moving, our grocery bill dropped when I went with delivery. I could get back into my old habit of a weekly menu plan and an accumulating list. Plus, various treats and goodies which seemed worthwhile when bought a singly every day, are unreasonable to buy for delivery. One candy bar (daily) didn’t seem so wrong, but adding a package of candy bars to the order DID. So the savings of planning, and the savings of avoiding junk food.

For the first few months, I still walked to our local co-op grocery mid-week for milk and bread. Then, the milkman stopped by one afternoon! I knew milk delivery was still widely available here, but hadn’t thought about getting it. Now, I get fresh milk 3 times a week. I may have to walk up and get bread sometimes but that’s not so bad as there are 3 places in the village to get fresh, local bread. And, I’ve been trying to fit baking back into my schedule. I’ve also considered some of the other items the dairy will deliver: pet food and litter, veg. boxes, and of course, cheese, yogurt, butter. Not my preferred brands, but it may still be worthwhile.

I’ve been trying to stretch the order out into a two-week cycle, because there is a delivery fee. But, given the size of refrigerators here (a really big dorm fridge, and a freezer the same size.) I have to think carefully about what can be stored. Now that the weather is changing, I may be able to simply store fruits and veg in the garage.

By: Tara@From Dawn Till Rusk

Tara@From Dawn Till Rusk — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 21:28:13 +0000

Hey there, visiting from Writer Dad.

I shop once a week - and always with a child in tow so I’ve mastered a strategy to get me round that supermarket, paid up and on my way before the first thought about throwing cans out of the trolley enters their bored little head!
I appear to have two children with the World’s Biggest Appetite because they just never stop eating.
Seriously, these today they built a den on my bed and said: “bring us a feast of fruit (I know I know, I should be grateful)” but this was but 10 minutes after the largest Sunday dinner you’ve ever seen and an ice cream Sunday.
I don’t know where they put it. Hollow legs and all that!

Tara@From Dawn Till Rusks last blog post..Things that make me go WOW! #1

By: Gypsie

Gypsie — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 14:20:13 +0000

We shop for two humans, two large canines, and two small felines plus our kitchen is literally from 1955 so we dont have a lot of food storage. We take a weekly trip to Sam’s Club for animal food and supplies in addition to paper goods (kleenex, TP, etc - hooray for allergies!). We also make a weekly trip to the local grocery for breakfasts, lunches and dinners which are all preplanned before we shop. We rarely take in-between trips unless something comes up in which we need to bring a dish or something.

By: Edie

Edie — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 11:51:00 +0000

I try to shop once a month for the bulk of our groceries and then bi-weekly to pick up perishables/produce/loss leaders.

Edies last blog post..Let’s talk pumpkin

By: Carnivals, Festivals and Linklove — Almost Frugal

Carnivals, Festivals and Linklove — Almost Frugal — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 10:02:27 +0000

[...] How often do you grocery shop? Remodeling This Life wants to know. [...]

By: gina

gina — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 14:19:33 +0000

We do a big shopping one day a week- at two stores- Sam’s Club and Shaw’s. Then if we have to stop throughout the week , it’s for perishables or H&B things we run out of that can’t wait until the ened of the week.

ginas last blog post..cheez-y’mores

By: Miss Thrifty

Miss Thrifty — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 16:56:39 +0000

Once a month! We fill up the trolley with lots of frozen foods (vegetables and fish), buy up sliced loaves of fresh bread and bung those in the freezer two, and put our fruit in the fridge so that it keeps. Because we get it out the way in one go we aren’t dipping into our food budget throughout the month. We just buy milk.

Miss Thriftys last blog post..FRIDAY BARGAINS: Betty Jackson at Debenhams (again)

By: Monday Morning Roundup - Are The Markets Starting To Recover? | Bible Money Matters

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 14:55:17 +0000

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