Jump to content

Menu

when do you go grocery shopping/errands?


Recommended Posts

If I go on Saturday (which seems the best option), then it makes it really hard to do other fun things that day (birthday parties, family/friend get-togethers, fun outing, etc.), because it takes me several hours, plus all the putting away. I've been alternating--one week groceries, one week errands. I'd sure like to cut back the time I spend too.

Just wondering when others do it (especially if you don't live close to the store, so it's more of a half-day job).

Thanks!:)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We have 1 day a week in which we do grocery shopping and errand running. I really don't like to drive around because the traffic is crazy here! :tongue_smilie:

 

We normally pick Wednesdays to go, just because it fits our schedules nicely, but it can be any weekday. It is one day we get up early and are ready to leave the house by 8 (9 if we are moving slow). I plan out my menu 2 weeks at a time and plan out a grocery list using that menu and what is on sale. I do couponing like crazy so sometimes I have weird things on my list like 6 jars of pickles because I can get them for 50 cents a jar. I also type my list into a spreedsheet I have made that matches the isles in the store I go to. That way I can go up each isle, know exactly what I need in it, how many, and go.

 

Granted I can do this way faster if I go by myself, but with 2 kids, it normally takes 2 hours, plus a 1/2 to get home. If I have errands to run, like drop books at library, post office, or Target, I do those before I grocery shop so my food doesn't spoil. Or if I really have do them after shopping, I make sure I have my cooler in the back of the van and put the cold items in there.

 

I do major grocery shopping every other week. The weeks I only have errands to run, I still swing by the store and pick up milk and produce to last us till I go again.

 

We also run errands on library day if I have something pressing to do.

 

HTH

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to live a solid 20 minutes to the nearest grocery store and 30-35 minutes to any sort of errand. It actually depended on what needed to be done. But typically the grocery store happened on Sunday or Monday nights when dh was home. Other errands weren't too often, maybe once a month or so. Oh! Costco (which was 35 minutes) happened on Wed. nights while my kids were at AWANA, since we were already in town (church was near Costco LOL). Now that I think about it, that's when my other errands (Walmart, etc.) happened too, if it wasn't a Costco run night.

 

Now we live much closer - 5 minutes to the grocery store, 15 to Costco, 10 to Walmart, etc. I attempt to run errands while my kids are at AWANA on Sunday afternoons. We also have moved to an every other Monday off schedule for school to accomodate for appointments, errands, and cleaning. My dh is off every other Monday from work, so we just take the day off from school and do any running around then.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

We live in town but I still try to do errands/grocery shopping on schedule. Right now I am combining trips - while my kids are in special classes and therapies I hit the grocery store or other short errands or I take them with me afterward. I have also done it late in the evenings after dinner and DH is home. But sometimes I am so tired I don't like doing it then. My favorite time though is early Saturday morning - like 7 am for grocery shopping. Almost no one is in the stores, dh is sleepin in late with the kids, products are being marked down, and I can be home before the heat hits. I can also be home with the family most of the day.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I try to lump everything into two days since we eat alot of fresh produce. Sundays we are near-ish to one of the stores so we go after church and on Wednesday we have appts in town and they are near the other store so we take our lunch food with us and make a day of appts and grocery shopping. We're gone for roughly 4-5 hours on these days so dinner that night is always easy but it saves having to make several trips into town during the week.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Either I or my husband go to the grocery store at night after the children are in bed. We live 15 minutes from the store. We do this every week to week and a half.

 

We run most errands when we have to go into town (30 minutes) for piano lessons. We leave early and blaze through them all. Occasionally my DH runs an errand on the way to or from work.

 

We try hard to consolidate because we live a bit out of town.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I drive by stores daily, so I shop all the time, at little here a little there. I will usually do it while one of the kids are in a class. The closest store to our house is Costco... and it is about 10 minutes. I do a lot of $50-75 trips instead of a couple $200 trips.

 

I will sometimes go during the babies nap time on the weekends. It makes it easier if I can get back before she is awake and wants to help put away groceries.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Our grocery store is about 15/20 minutes away. I usually go on Saturdays, but I'll go on a Friday or Monday evening if we have big weekend plans. Thank goodness they're open until 11!

 

Dh does most of the errand running. His commute takes him past just about any store a person could need.

 

I try to take the kids to the library on Wednesdays, and I'll tackle a few errands then if I need to.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I schedule errands "when we are in the vicinity" to save gas. Ex. Violin lessons are across town... if I need to go to the feed store.... we go by on violin day. Piano lessons are near downtown... if I need chlorine... we go by the pool store on piano day.

 

I schedule "major" grocery shopping for every other Friday to align with pay day of DH. I treat extra bread, milk, or lettuce trips like i do the errands.... when I am going in that vicinity. I take kids grocery shopping usually & on purpose. (they should have to suffer too... haha... teashing). I think it helps them know what is involved, how to plan/budget/shop, and where things are (to help Daddy when I can't go).

 

If I run out.... I try very hard to NOT go buy anything. Just perservere! I hate to crank the car for a bag of sugar or loaf of bread or postage stamp!:glare:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My DH and I go on Mondays usually (every other week), or whatever day he is off. We go out for lunch then errands/shopping. I make a two week at a time menu plan and grocery list and he picks up whatever produce or whatever we need through the week.

 

Amy

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The whole family goes to Costco once a month - I like to try to go on a Friday night. The nearest Costco is 1 hour away from where we live, so it's quite an outing for us.

 

I'm trying to limit our grocery store visits to once every two weeks - I try to go on my lunch break on a day I work, but trying to put 5 gallons of milk (plus all of my other cold groceries) in the office refrigerator is quite difficult.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I go on Monday nights while both boys are at chess club. The club is 45 minutes from home, but the supermarket is only five minutes from the club. I have 1hr 20min in total to get the shopping done and I can just do it in that time.

 

When chess club is not running, I order on the internet and get it all delivered - the nearest supermarket is a fifteen minute drive away.

 

Other errands I tend to do while Hobbes has his riding lesson on Friday afternoon.

 

Best wishes

 

Laura

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My favorite time to shop is Saturday early - around 5ish. NO ONE is in the store, I can get my shopping done more quickly, everything is still pretty well stocked and my fam is still sleeping so I'm not missing time with them. This does mean I need to get to bed at a reasonable time on Friday night, though!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I go out one afternoon a week. I could probably go in the evening when my dh got home, but that would not get my mom and sister out of the house for the day. Neither of them can drive (medical issues) - so I make sure they get out and run their errands, have a nice lunch out, etc. We do what school we can get done by noon and then I just have to call it a day for school. I do sometimes take them on the weekends, but my dh prefers I not leave it till then because then I am gone a whole day on one of his days off.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I go whenever it's time - haven't got a specific day or anything. The kids usually come - shopping (and other errands) is a great learning experience, particularly for our special needs kiddo, ds10. (Life Skills/Independent Living Skills/Community Awareness/etc etc)....good for dd12 as well, on a different level - budgeting, shopping for value, meal prep, coupon usage, brand name vs generic comparisons, nutritional value, and so on. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I usually go in the morning (like at 7) before dh goes to work but sometimes go between 4 p.m. (when I get off work) and 5:30 (when dh gets home). I hate going in the afternoon though because everyone else is there at the same time and I don't like going in the evenings because by then I'm too exhausted!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

×
×
  • Create New...