I like to pretend I’m on Guy’s Grocery Games and maybe one time get only things that start with “A”, or only shop in the cat food/seasonal items aisle. Or get a cart and an airhorn and announce my 2-minute shopping spree for some random items.
Prior to 2020, it went more like “I want fajitas tonight, time to go to the store and get the stuff to make them”. For a while there it was buy whatever is available. Now it’s more like buy whatever’s on the list plus maybe some good stuff and see what can come together out of it. And try to eat some of the beans and pasta in the apocalypse stockpile too.
Plus my wife discovered that she can order groceries online and have them put in her trunk so she handles a lot of it now. Previously she wouldn’t go to the store unless she absolutely had to, so I did most of the shopping.
Now that it is just one human in the house again, I
Decide what I would like from my usual inventory.
Go to the freezer, refrigerator, and/or can pantry to retrieve it/them.
If there, prepare; if not there, decide on something else and loop back to above.
If not there or low inventory, add it to my shopping list for a day or two down the road.
If leftovers, dog is happy to get them, if suitable for her; she prefers such to her usual food. (Tonight she got some leftover chicken that I didn’t want to see again tomorrow. She did not get any of the stove top dressing, though she lobbied for some – I figured it was too spicy for her, and she sleeps beside me.)
@brandom@PocketBrain Yep, I’ve heard that before, but am still surprised to see onion and/or garlic listed as ingredients in some dog treats, though they are relatively far down the list – so I guess that means small quantities.
Shop hungry and buy all the meat, bread, and salty snacks. Or shop after a meal and get new place settings and silverware. That reminds me that I need the Chinet Halloween set next time I am at the store.
@spitfire6006006 That’s almost me except, I buy for me because I eat relatively healthy food, and spouse buys for himself because he eats at restaurants since he works 1st and I work 2nd and he doesn’t like reheated food. So he buys everything unhealthy.
Buy a bunch of staples (mostly yogurt, which is my main food source these days), maybe throw in something that I haven’t tried before, forget two or three things that I was supposed to buy, and pay up and get home as quickly as possible. My husband shops for himself because his eating habits are even weirder than mine.
Shoot for only every 2 weeks. But this strategy keeps it to every 1 1/2 or 1 week, rather than more often. Keep list and writing utensil out on counter so things get added. Buy double supply of milk and freeze one so lack of milk isn’t the trigger. Buy double supply of ice cream so that isn’t the trigger.
@romellex You are so right about lack of milk being the trigger. I am looking at mine today and deciding whether or not I’ll go sometime today or leave enough for breakfast and go tomorrow.
@Kidsandliz Yes, sometimes I also start “rationing” milk to stretch it another day. Also keep a couple cans of evaporated milk in the cupboard. Sometimes that will tide me over. And then there is the old spoonful of ice cream in the coffee to make that milk last for the cereal. Well, sometimes the ice cream hits the cereal too.
@romellex organic milk lasts a month or more - i’m not one who wants or can afford to buy organic everything but the extra $ is worth it bc i never throw out milk and rarely run out now. (unless freezing is to prevent it from being consumed too quickly vs. it going bad.)
@jerk_nugget I’d buy “shelf milk” (doesn’t need refrigeration) if my local grocery store would carry it. Actually sort of like the taste. I’ve asked the store to carry, but no luck yet.
@jerk_nugget@romellex I’ve had shelf milk. I can only barely stand it cold. In my opinion, even the chocolate version isn’t all that good but it better than the regular. Of course I also hate skim milk. I jokingly call that blue water.
@jerk_nugget@Kidsandliz I’ve been making my bread the old-fashioned way, so it would take running out of those ingredients to force me to the store. That almost worked in the early pandemic days, just when yeast vanished from the stores. Fortunately my kind DIL shared some of hers.
A grocery list on my computer sort of helps. I spend more time there than in the kitchen, so it can be easier to update the computer one than the kitchen one.
the first one…ish. my max is two weeks to plan for. and although i do meal plan and most are specific, others aren’t super rigid to account for changing cravings and the waxing and waning will to cook.
Add stuff to grocery list; at this stage of the game, no oven (new one should be here Friday, then needs to be installed, damn, they just don’t make things like they used to said the old woman who wears granny pants) and it’s too hot to cook anyway, there’s really no reason to think of a couple of days menu. Make sure he takes it with him when he goes shopping.
Check sales at favorite stores, especially Aldi. Make special note of periodic specials like pork and chicken schnitzel, tomato sauced herring, special cheeses, etc.
Put together a list of things my wife wants (mostly staples like eggs, cream, egg wraps, luncheon meat, yogurt).
Check how much space is available in the pantry, kitchen cabinets, and freezers.
Once a week get the staples and then load up on enough stuff to slightly overflow the kitchen cabinets and pantry and stuff the freezer. And also buy another pack of TP just in case. There’s room in storage even if the closet is full of TP.
Pre-Covid, strategy, what strategy? Let’s randomly walk down the isles and decide what I want for dinner the next few nights. Something looks good, throw it in the cart. Simple times…
Covid - perpetual shopping cart online that is updated when I finish off something in the pantry. Also planning the weeks meals in advance to be part of the weekly grocery delivery. Sucks…
Prepackaged salads and protein shakes. Sometimes I’ll eat some hot dogs straight out of the package over the sink in the darkness, and chase them with a glass of whiskey.
Everything but the protein powder is taken care of within a short walk since I’m in a big city. The powder is delivered by Amazon.
Because I meal prep, I shop weekly. I make a list of the recipes and then the needed ingredients. After I have my list, I go thru the pantry/fridge to see what I don’t need to buy.
I start at Aldi for produce, etc and usually order what I couldn’t find there at Kroger via Instacart.
Also… if you aren’t using Instacart you are missing out! I’ve saved 100s of hours of shopping.
Stock up on the classics when they are on sale, get fresh things, buy necessities.
I like to pretend I’m on Guy’s Grocery Games and maybe one time get only things that start with “A”, or only shop in the cat food/seasonal items aisle. Or get a cart and an airhorn and announce my 2-minute shopping spree for some random items.
@kerryzero Was that you running down the condiment aisle cursing the letter X?
@hchavers That was me!!!
Prior to 2020, it went more like “I want fajitas tonight, time to go to the store and get the stuff to make them”. For a while there it was buy whatever is available. Now it’s more like buy whatever’s on the list plus maybe some good stuff and see what can come together out of it. And try to eat some of the beans and pasta in the apocalypse stockpile too.
Plus my wife discovered that she can order groceries online and have them put in her trunk so she handles a lot of it now. Previously she wouldn’t go to the store unless she absolutely had to, so I did most of the shopping.
Now that it is just one human in the house again, I
@phendrick also a good idea to keep your dog from anything with onions in it. Onion is toxic to dogs and cats.
@phendrick @PocketBrain thank you for the heads up, that’s good to know!
@brandom @PocketBrain Yep, I’ve heard that before, but am still surprised to see onion and/or garlic listed as ingredients in some dog treats, though they are relatively far down the list – so I guess that means small quantities.
Shop hungry and buy all the meat, bread, and salty snacks. Or shop after a meal and get new place settings and silverware. That reminds me that I need the Chinet Halloween set next time I am at the store.
@hchavers ooh good call on the Halloween place settings
pick up the usuals, wander around and grab things that seem appealing to me. get home, realize the things I forgot to get
@spitfire6006006 That’s almost me except, I buy for me because I eat relatively healthy food, and spouse buys for himself because he eats at restaurants since he works 1st and I work 2nd and he doesn’t like reheated food. So he buys everything unhealthy.
My shopping strategy is evolved for the sort of large city where train stations usually have supermarkets next to them.
So, on the way home from work, buy whatever I feel like eating that day (or whatever I decided to eat the day before.)
Go to the store for a couple of things, come back with several random things that are on sale or that I have an idea for.
Check the sales, restock the pantry. Plan the week from what we have after shopping. Always have fresh vegies, as the grocery is just 2 minutes away.
A weird hybrid? We probably go to the grocery more than we ought with a semi-shelter-in-place order.
Buy a bunch of staples (mostly yogurt, which is my main food source these days), maybe throw in something that I haven’t tried before, forget two or three things that I was supposed to buy, and pay up and get home as quickly as possible. My husband shops for himself because his eating habits are even weirder than mine.
Shoot for only every 2 weeks. But this strategy keeps it to every 1 1/2 or 1 week, rather than more often. Keep list and writing utensil out on counter so things get added. Buy double supply of milk and freeze one so lack of milk isn’t the trigger. Buy double supply of ice cream so that isn’t the trigger.
@romellex You are so right about lack of milk being the trigger. I am looking at mine today and deciding whether or not I’ll go sometime today or leave enough for breakfast and go tomorrow.
@Kidsandliz Yes, sometimes I also start “rationing” milk to stretch it another day. Also keep a couple cans of evaporated milk in the cupboard. Sometimes that will tide me over. And then there is the old spoonful of ice cream in the coffee to make that milk last for the cereal. Well, sometimes the ice cream hits the cereal too.
@romellex organic milk lasts a month or more - i’m not one who wants or can afford to buy organic everything but the extra $ is worth it bc i never throw out milk and rarely run out now. (unless freezing is to prevent it from being consumed too quickly vs. it going bad.)
@jerk_nugget I’d buy “shelf milk” (doesn’t need refrigeration) if my local grocery store would carry it. Actually sort of like the taste. I’ve asked the store to carry, but no luck yet.
@jerk_nugget @romellex I’ve had shelf milk. I can only barely stand it cold. In my opinion, even the chocolate version isn’t all that good but it better than the regular. Of course I also hate skim milk. I jokingly call that blue water.
@jerk_nugget @romellex The other trigger for me is bread since I usually eat a sandwich for lunch.
@jerk_nugget @Kidsandliz I’ve been making my bread the old-fashioned way, so it would take running out of those ingredients to force me to the store. That almost worked in the early pandemic days, just when yeast vanished from the stores. Fortunately my kind DIL shared some of hers.
My wife and I use OurGroceries and add stuff to our shared list as we go through the week and then I go to the store on Saturday.
@zinimusprime Shoutout for OurGroceries. One of the first apps I installed, like, 10 years ago and it’s still doin’ what it does.
A grocery list on my computer sort of helps. I spend more time there than in the kitchen, so it can be easier to update the computer one than the kitchen one.
the first one…ish. my max is two weeks to plan for. and although i do meal plan and most are specific, others aren’t super rigid to account for changing cravings and the waxing and waning will to cook.
Add stuff to grocery list; at this stage of the game, no oven (new one should be here Friday, then needs to be installed, damn, they just don’t make things like they used to said the old woman who wears granny pants) and it’s too hot to cook anyway, there’s really no reason to think of a couple of days menu. Make sure he takes it with him when he goes shopping.
The end.
Check sales at favorite stores, especially Aldi. Make special note of periodic specials like pork and chicken schnitzel, tomato sauced herring, special cheeses, etc.
Put together a list of things my wife wants (mostly staples like eggs, cream, egg wraps, luncheon meat, yogurt).
Check how much space is available in the pantry, kitchen cabinets, and freezers.
Once a week get the staples and then load up on enough stuff to slightly overflow the kitchen cabinets and pantry and stuff the freezer. And also buy another pack of TP just in case. There’s room in storage even if the closet is full of TP.
@duodec Aldi is the BEST
All I can say is, I never have to shop for Penne pasta again.
@PocketBrain I wish I’d ordered from Pastadrop. For awhile, I could not fine Penne anywhere!
@PocketBrain
Pre-Covid, strategy, what strategy? Let’s randomly walk down the isles and decide what I want for dinner the next few nights. Something looks good, throw it in the cart. Simple times…
Covid - perpetual shopping cart online that is updated when I finish off something in the pantry. Also planning the weeks meals in advance to be part of the weekly grocery delivery. Sucks…
Prepackaged salads and protein shakes. Sometimes I’ll eat some hot dogs straight out of the package over the sink in the darkness, and chase them with a glass of whiskey.
Everything but the protein powder is taken care of within a short walk since I’m in a big city. The powder is delivered by Amazon.
Well, I do get other stuff. Canned tuna and such.
@ShotgunX mmm hot dogs and whiskey
Because I meal prep, I shop weekly. I make a list of the recipes and then the needed ingredients. After I have my list, I go thru the pantry/fridge to see what I don’t need to buy.
I start at Aldi for produce, etc and usually order what I couldn’t find there at Kroger via Instacart.
Also… if you aren’t using Instacart you are missing out! I’ve saved 100s of hours of shopping.