What day do you do your "big" grocery shopping?

[kaylinsmommy2]

Any reason in particular to go one day or another? Do any of you go shopping daily just for that night's dinner? And, of course, the big question: do you take your kids?? :)

ETA: new choice. Becuase I just totally forgot about how I used to shop myself (anytime I was hungry and unhappy with the choies of food in my fridge!). :)

Caroline
Kaylin 6/5/04

[searchdog]

I go on Wednesday with DD in tow. We are doing The Grocery Game (so far doing very well at this) and our "list" comes out on Sunday, so I usually cut coupons on Monday and get everything together, I don't shop on tuesday because I work that night and my mom watches DD so I usually stay home all day to keep her on a good schedule so that she will be good for grandma, I HAVE to shop on Wednesday because that is the last day my "list" is good for.

BTW any one interested in the grocery game feel free to email me, I would be happy to answer any questions that I can. This is our third week and I am hooked.

[Wife_and_mommy]

You ladies literally read my mind. When I think about posting something, someone always does it for me.

DD and I go on Fridays. DH likes having a house-full of food for the weekend and I don't have to worry about having to go to the stores when they're so slammed so it works out well. Taking DD isn't a big deal as of yet but I couldn't imagine going every night to pick up dinner. It's hard to plan the weeks meals ahead of time though.

Meg, I'd love to hear about the grocery game you mentioned. :) Sounds very interesting.

Elizabeth

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Our second morsel due early February 2006!

[amp]

Sat or Sun. Depends on what else is happening on the weekend. Sometimes I do it w/ DH and DS in tow and they run around and do other stuff while I shop, and somtimes I do it alone.

Also, depending on whether the local groc has good sale stuff, I may shop twice...once there and then again at Target for our staples at a cheaper price. I hate shopping twice, but sometimes it makes more sense financially to do it that way.

[kaylinsmommy2]

Meg, I just emailed you! :)
Caroline
Kaylin 6/5/04

[pb&j]

Saturday or Sunday. I work OTH full time, and hate battling the after-work crowds. DH works from home, but I don't yet trust him with the grocery list. ;) The store's not too crowded Saturday or Sunday mornings. I'll occasionally pick up a few things after work on a weekday if I need to, or happen to be in the neighborhood.

-Ry,
mom to Emma, s/b 11/04/04
and Max, edd 01/15/06 - it's a BOY!

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[s7714]

I used to go shopping a couple times a week, but then I had DD #2 and it's just too much of a hassel to do that. Now I make up a menu and shop for the whole week. I go on either Sat or Sun, depending on which day works out the best and for the plain reason that that is the only time DH is home to watch the kids. Sometimes I leave both kids with DH, other times I take the older one with me. I prefer to leave both at home of course! ;) One exception would be my monthly Costco trip, usually the whole family will go.

If I don't get a chance to go on the weekend, so I'll go on Monday morning with both kids. I hate shopping in the afternoons because it's just too hot out and the stores are so much busier.

Jennifer
Mommy to
Annalia 3/03
Sophia 6/05

[psophia17]

It hasn't started yet, as the ILs do the grocery shopping on Saturday mornings, but starting soon, I'll be doing my grocery shopping with DS in tow on Wednesday mornings.

I like Wednesday because when I worked in a grocery store, Tuesday night was when the shelves would be restocked, making Wednesday morning the perfect time to get everything you need.

Also, since DH is a notoriously bad grocery shopper (if it's on sale, he'll buy it), getting it done on a weekday morning means that he can't come ;)

[BillK]

I like going on Tue, Wed or Thur night - just doesn't seem as crazy as other nights. And yes - if given a list - I'm capable of doing the grocery shopping! :)

p.s. - it helps if the list is written out in the order in which you encounter the items in the store!

[lizajane]

i go first thing monday morning to stock up for the week ahead. but i am going to have to change my day, i think, because apparently sunday night is NOT when they restock the shelves at superwalmart... they are always out of a bunch of stuff and there are folks restocking while i shop.

[aliceinwonderland]

I meant to vote Saturday but clicked on Sunday instad. We go as a family because I don't drive, and I actually love grocery shopping (we hit three different stores). And Sunday, I try to cook ahead for part of the week, usually getting 2-3 big dishes done.

[mommy_someday]

You need another option on the poll...'whenever the fridge/pantry is completely empty'. That would be my answer. We're kind of a fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants household at the moment. DH occasionally will run and pick up groceries so I don't have to do it, but he doesn't get everything unless I write it all out for him. He comes home with milk, bread and peanut butter. That's about it. If I want fresh veggies and fruit or if I want to actually cook a meal that wasn't frozen in a box, I have to do it myself. I generally go during the week sometime, in the middle of the day after DS's morning nap. He doesn't like sitting in the cart (and frankly, they're so gross, I'd prefer he didn't anyway). So I usually tie him on my back in the Mei Tei and do my shopping while DS has a nice ride. He always has a good time and likes when the elderly ladies and store employees flirt with him! We went yesterday and half of the local fire dept was there picking up lunch from the salad bar. We all had a nice time chatting in the check out lane. Okay, I'm rambling so I'll stop now... :P

[Karenn]

Which day we go on varies, but it's usually every week or so, usually when I've worked though the week long menu I made the last time I went. (It sometimes takes us longer to get through a menu just becauses of leftovers or other spontaneous events.) It often ends up being Friday or Monday just because that's when we don't have other commitments. I go in the morning because it's less crowded and the kids almost always come with. ETA: I didn't vote since we don't have a regular day. :)

[Judegirl]

Oh, Erica, I thought it was only me! I don't think I've ever in my life shopped on the same day in two consecutive weeks...

Thanks for posting. :)

Jude

[Bethann31]

Umm.... I'm obviously the crazy one here who usually does grocery shop (or, more often, I call DH and ask him to get stuff) every day. I keep some staples in the house, but I can never decide what I want until that afternoon. I'm thinking it's a bad habit that I need to break.


Beth
mom to:

Josh 3/90
Mollie 4/92
Jeffrey 12/94
Katherine 6/03


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[steph2003]

I usually go Friday afternoons after DS's nap. Like to stock up before the weekend....

I do run out to the grocery store on random days though to pick up stuff here & there.

[psophia17]

I just emailed you!

[ykc]

Sunday. Mostly because my husband, who can eat the same meal every day for weeks on end, has a turkey sandwich for lunch nearly every week day. The meat starts getting a little icky towards the end of the week, so we get it as close to Monday as possible. We also buy a loaf of fresh artisan bread and have it for Sunday lunch, along with cheeses, olive oil, sometimes a salad. Then, my husband uses the leftover bread for those aforementioned turkey sandwiches.

We go in some combination of kids and grown-ups, depending on whether I'm working on the weekend and if any children are being particularly obstinate!

[wagner36]

We go to three, and sometimes four, grocery stores. We decided to stop shopping at the typical cub/jewel/dominicks/rainbow type places about 8 months ago.

So, we do the bulk of our staple shopping at Trader Joe's. We buy all of our produce from a local produce market that has great prices and some things you can't get a local store. We usually go to those 2 on Saturday. On Sunday, we go to Whole Foods to buy lunch meat, any other meat (steak, chicken) milk (TJ's doesn't have Charlie's 2% in gallons) and any produce that looks perfect.

Then, about every other week, we hit up either the great butcher or the delicious little gourmet market (where we buy coffee).

Even with the occasional $200 Whole Foods trip, we are spending so much less on groceries than we were 8 months ago. I think it was a thread here that made us rethink our planning. Plus, I feel really good about everything we buy.

[ctmom]

I try to do a big "grocery store" shopping on Thursday to get ready for the weekend but I also go to Target about twice a week for less expensive staples...I can't wait until dd#1 goes back to preschool so I only have one child with me!!!

[mommy_someday]

You're welcome. We disorganized types have to stick together. Although, I prefer the term 'spontaneous', LOL! ;)

[heatherlynn]

I usually go on Friday mornings, after the bus picks DD up for school. I either go by myself or w/ DS, depending upon whether DH is home. I found that our store stocks on Thursdays, so they always have everything when I go on Fridays. Sometimes I like DH to come w/ me (nice to have company), but he's worse than DD, always throwing junk into the basket, asking when I'm going to be done, etc.

H-
Heather
dd 3/98
ds 8/04
and #3 edd 11/05 (it's a girl!)

[muskiesusan]

Whenever DH has time to go! I hate grocery shopping, so that is one of his chores. He does a much better job than I would.

The timing is usually whenever we are low on milk or the fruit is going bad.


Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04

[ribbit1019]

I have to say I am in the disorganized camp myself! I went yesterday evening because I realized I had nothing to make dinner with.

Though I try to go late Saturday night as our local grocery store's "deals" switch over and I can get the week before and current week's deals because they have to give you the sale if the signs are posted. Sneaky sneaky. ;)

Christy
Maddy born 06/09/04
http://lilypie.com/baby2/040609/3/4/0/-5/.png
Little Peanut due 03/02/06
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[mamaharsh]

I always do it Saturday mornings and take Nate with me. It gives DH some time to himself to "recover" from the work week, which means he's in a better mood for family outings and that he returns the favor on Sunday afternoon by taking Nate out and leaving me by myself.

I have a feeling when this one comes, though, it'll be me and baby shopping on one of the days that Nate has preschool...

[LD92599]

Since we're always in BJs (practically daily to eat our lunch in their cafe!) I hardly do a 'major' shopping. There's also a few staples we get in Costco. However, when there's non-perishables on sale in the regular grocery stores i'll run in before work. I'll also "run in" on the way home from being out somewhere, leaving DH and DS in the car. It's been awhile since i did a "big" shopping.

If I do need to do a regular shopping trip I try to get in & out early on Sunday morning! It helps that we receive the sales flyers on Friday & Saturday.

Laura
mom to William

LKibala at optonline dot net

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[mommy_someday]

Oooh, aren't you crafty? ;) Seriously, that's a wicked cool idea. I might have to use that one, although that would remove a bit of the 'spontaneous' aspect of my shopping...

[lmintzer]

Or another option yet--internet grocery shopping (which we do once/week to two weeks and then go to the grocery store as needed).

[marinkitty]

I shop throughout the week, mainly b/c I regularly buy from a bunch of different stores. Usually I hit Whole Foods and Stanleys (a permanent farmers market type place) on Tuesday when I have the sitter, go to Trader Joe's at some point during the week with the kids in the stroller b/c it is walking distance and I usually don't buy more than I can carry from there (plus - balloons!) and then I stop at Jewel or Osco for the mainstream stuff we use that I can't get at the other two places. And every few months I do a mass Peapod order when I need to stock up on the heavy/voluminous household stuff that I cannot bear to haul myself.

Holly
Mom to Mia (3.17.03) and baby brother Jack (3.23.05)

[squimp]

My answer would have been "when we need to". We also have no set day when we go. Our pantry is pretty well stocked, and we live 2 blocks from the best co-op, so we run there for fresh veggies and bread.

[MarisaSF]

Polls like this make me want to get organized. I'm interested in seeing all the replies.

There's no poll choice for our method: "Go when the good food runs out" :)

[kaylinsmommy2]

There is now! :)
Caroline
Kaylin 6/5/04

[kijip]

since we MOST often go on Wendnesdays.

The sales are new that day here AND the stuff is freshest in the store in terms of meats, fish and whatnot since a lot of stores here get stuff on Tuesdays.

We often shop LATE at night to avoid the crowds.

[s7714]

I've actually gotten free items (including mega packs of diapers) on several occasions, because of that! They'll change the price in the register, but not on the shelf. If the store manager is ringing me up, he'll usually give me the item for free if I point out the pricing error--it may be the store's actual policy, I'm not sure.

Jennifer
Mommy to
Annalia 3/03
Sophia 6/05

[MarisaSF]

Yay! Thanks! We go when the fridge looks bleak (or blech as the case may be!).

We just moved to the 'burbs so we can go to the "big" stores more often. City grocery shopping was harder -- we could pick up produce (and take out) locally, but we had to wait in line to park at Trader Joes and nearly every other supermarket. Whole Foods was a nightmare. Castro Safeway on a weekend -- fuhgedaboutit.

DH and I have always done our food shopping together. Not sure why, I guess I thought everybody did it like that. We're not list people, we just meander up and down the aisles to see what looks edible. :)

[mskitty]

I usually go on Wednesday or Thursday because the new ads come out on Wednesday. If you wait till the weekend, all the great specials are gone and you have to ask for a raincheck. I usually stock on up on the specials, fresh fruits and vegtables, and half a gallon of milk for my husband's cereal. Saturday farmer's market is a staple to get the absolute freshest produce. Every 2 or 3 months I do a big stock up trip for the pantry when they do a 10% off a $50.00+ purchase at HyVee. Sometimes we do the SHARE program mostly depending on what the specials are since my husband likes their steak, cordon blue and ham specials when they have them. The regular SHARE stuff is pretty mediocre IMHO.

My other trick is stocking up on meat in bulk. I bought the largest side by side for the huge freezer. I buy half an organic lamb once a year from a seller at farmers market. I buy 20lbs of chicken breast at Hen House when its 1.99 a pound (no fillers or freezing) which I separate into quart freezer bags with marinade, then it goes into the freezer for later. I also buy 30+ pounds of pork from the local meat locker near my parents house in Wi when we drive up in the late summer and when my folks drive down here for Easter. It doesn't have the additives and by buying it in bulk/custom cutting, I end up getting it all for about $2.50 a pound. I do splurge on funky flavored sausage, shrimp and salmon at Wild Oats because they are worth the extra money.

I love cooking, baking and grocery shopping :)

MsKitty
seriously thinking about #1

[ellies mom]

I voted Saturday because we almost always hit the store that evening but we also go on Wednesdays or Thursdays. DH works Sun-Tue or Sun-Wed, so we go the day before his work week and the day after. Although quite honestly, I'd just as soon shop everyday or every other day. Shopping with DH drives me nuts most of the time, but I don't get enough money from him to do all the shopping myself so i have to suffer.