Just curious - how many grocery carts do you use at the store?

[Slipper]

I feel so weird. I can never get all of my groceries in one trip through the store. I try stacking as carefully as I can, but I either make two trips or go to two different stores. I've noticed other families with half full carts cheerfully making their way to the front of the store although they may go more than once a week.

 

Currently, i make one large trip on the week-end and then towards the end of the week, I usually have to run back for milk or some other odd or end. (Don't get me started on the cost).

 

I do have a weird shopping list - we try to eat all gluten free due to dd's Celiac. My oldest has autism which means that she sometimes won't eat what the rest of us are eating and she's starting to eat a lot. (I blame being an almost teen-ager. My husband is aghast sometimes at how much she can eat - almost as much as he does). My husband takes salads to work (and he likes a varied salad so I buy lots of veggies).

 

I would love to hear stories of others who have towering carts or someone in tow with a second cart at the store.

[merry gardens]

I can fit a lot into a single cart, but once they're bagged, I often end up with two carts. I push one and pull the other, or an older child helps with the second cart.

[Cinder]

I use only one cart but I got shopping more than once a week. We have no food issues here.

 

I've seen people with two carts where the second cart had only kids in it. ;)

[Hwin]

One cart, two weeks' worth of groceries. I feel like we eat a lot, maybe it just comes from smaller packages? :confused:

[xixstar]

1 cart for typically 1-2 weeks worth of food, family of 5.

 

We don't buy meat or milk at the market. So our cart usually only has produce, cheese and bread - occasionally pasta and sauce if I'm stocking up. But produce usually ends up being a good portion of the cart though our garden is reducing that now that we're into summer. Oh and we do shop at costco every few months as well and that stocks up on some staples too.

[REv1053]

I refuse to push 2 carts through the store, and no way am I volunteering to take kids to the store to push the extra cart.

 

I go twice a week if necessary.

[merry gardens]

... I usually have to run back for milk or some other odd or end. (Don't get me started on the cost).....

Besides using two carts at some store...we also buy milk at the gas station frequently to supplement our groceries. It's not that different in price, and I save money by staying out of the store.

 

If I need more than just milk, I may make a second trip to a different store that sells groceries. I buy and stock up on different items at different stores. In a month I usually rotate through grocery, small specialty grocery store, club store, and larger drug store that also sells groceries. At some of those stores, I might only have a small cart (because I like some of their items and need milk), but overall I do most of my shopping elsewhere.

 

I have a large family. I'm sure that my grocery shopping is not typical.

[prairiewindmomma]

We are a two cart family when going to Costco....a one towering cart family when going elsewhere. I occasionally have a smaller cart--that's usually when I'm just picking up a few items that missed the original weekly shopping list.

[catz]

I do one cart, but it isn't unusal for us to hit the grocery store for something every 2-3 days. We have 6 different options within 5 miles from us from 2 standard chains, whole foods, 2 co-ops, luxury grocery, convenience store down the street which has great produce sales sometimes and I like them all for different things, so I tend to stock up on certain things when I hit them.

 

We have no real food allergies, but try to eat well. We just started getting a CSA so our produce shopping will be way down for the summer.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I can fit a lot into a single cart, but once they're bagged, I often end up with two carts. I push one and pull the other, or an older child helps with the second cart.

 

This usually me, too.

 

If the kids go with me, they each get one of the mini kid carts, and fill those up, so that would technically be more than one cart filled with groceries.

[Jenny in Florida]

Huh.

 

We're a family of four, with two teens. I shop once a week, and I use a single cart.

 

In the name of full disclosure, I'll explain that I am currently hitting three stores on my weekly shopping trips. I go to Aldi for most of our produce and some of our staples, then Target for a few things on which they are consistently less expensive (frozen fruit, for example) and finally Publix for the things the other two stores don't carry. Very occasionally, I also stop at the health food store for a couple of things available only there. But I never come close to filling my cart at any of the three stores.

 

But, even before I started this routine and was doing all of my shopping at a single store, I can't remember ever needing two carts.

 

I wonder what I'm doing differently?

Edited June 8, 2012 by Jenny in Florida

[prairiewindmomma]

At Costco, I could mostly fill one cart with just papertowels, toilet paper, diapers (I had three in diapers at one point), wipes, dishwasher or laundry soap, and non-food items + our four gallons of milk. Our other cart had our other food items.

 

My friends with 6+ kids usually need three carts if they are only shopping once a week or so....they go through 2 gallons of milk a day. :)

[Jenny in Florida]

At Costco, I could mostly fill one cart with just papertowels, toilet paper, diapers (I had three in diapers at one point), wipes, dishwasher or laundry soap, and non-food items + our four gallons of milk. Our other cart had our other food items.

 

My friends with 6+ kids usually need three carts if they are only shopping once a week or so....they go through 2 gallons of milk a day. :)

 

Well, maybe those are a couple of the answers for me.

 

We don't use paper towels. I never used disposable diapers.

 

We don't drink milk. I do buy soymilk, though.

[Desert Rat]

I get the job done with one full cart. Now my mom goes with me so my oldest pushes hers and we have 2. That doesn't really count though as it's two households.

[*Michelle*]

One cart for one week, but we get our milk from another store and our CSA home delivers our produce. We also get some things delivered from Amazon.

[Jenny in Florida]

Just milk alone fills half a cart for our family.

 

There are also just a lot more of you than we have here. And you have boys. So, it totally makes sense you'd be buying more.

 

My husband was the third of four boys in his family. I often wonder, as I watch my single 14-year-old son eat and eat and eat, how they managed to keep everyone fed during those years.

 

Edit: For what it's worth, we seem to generate less trash than average, too. I'm always a little bemused at the twice-weekly garbage pick-up in our city, since we don't manage to fill the garbage can even once a week unless we've had a major life event (like moving). So, maybe I'm just buying stuff that comes in less packaging?

Edited June 8, 2012 by Jenny in Florida

[DawnM]

90% of our shopping is done at Costco. Many times I even need a 2nd cart there!

 

40 pounds of dog food, 8 gallons of milk, meat, produce, cereal, etc...

 

Bulk shopping takes up a lot of room!

 

This isn't weekly though.

[Amira]

None. I have to carry home everything I buy, and I usually don't shop at the stores that have carts anyway. In the US, I never used more than one cart, even on my huge quarterly shopping trip. That cart was well-packed though, but that was okay because it was my one shopping trip with a car.

[TravelingChris]

I have never used more than one cart. We used to have five and now we have anywhere from two to four, depending on college schedules, youth group activities, and my dh's work.

[Ellie]

One cart for four people, every two weeks. But no cleaning, personal care, or laundry products (I use Amway stuff), no pet food (Innova/Evo only, which I have to get at "specialty" stores, not, say, PetCo or PetSmart). Maybe half a gallon of milk.

 

Now that it's just Mr. Ellie and me, I use those cute little carts that some stores have now. :)

[Impish]

Depends. We've used 2 before, and will again, no doubt.

 

First Tues of the mth is 15% off total grocdery bill, so we stock up and yup, that's 2 carts easy.

[angela in ohio]

Count me in the half-full cart people. It's not that I shop more frequently, it's just that I don't buy a lot at the grocery store. I get 90% of our fruits and veggies (most of our food) from the local produce place, and we buy many other things in bulk at the local source (honey, meat, etc.) The only time I will have a full cart or more than one cart is if I am having long-term guests who want "regular food" or I'm buying for a party.

[Slipper]

I'm going to try doing two trips this week (we live 15 miles from the nearest store and an hour to the nearest Publix/health food store). I'm going today after a dentist appointment and pick up pet food, toilet paper, bottled water, soda (we use a 12 pk a week), and cleaning supplies. Tomorrow I'm going to "the city" and buy my meat, dairy and veggies. That should solve things. (Plus I'm going to a specialty health food store for some gluten free things). It might be that bulk items are what is causing me grief.

 

My daughter with autism only drinks rice milk (although she is starting to drink flavored water occasionally) and we use 1/2 gallon every two days, plus regular milk for the girls (and cream for DH and cooking). Plus, I'm bulk cooking some soup (he has friends over every other Sunday) and need to buy the ingredients to make about 40 quarts of it.

 

Really we don't eat many processed foods (other than gluten free mixes) so it amazes me at how quickly the cart fills up with dairy, meat, veggies and dried beans.

[Laura Corin]

I get it all in one cart: slightly fuller one week, slightly emptier the next. Do you use a lot of disposable things? We don't use much paper towel, for example, as we use washable cloths.

 

Laura

Edited June 8, 2012 by Laura Corin

[Baseball mom]

Weekly -- 1 cart

 

When I get to go to the store about 40 miles from here and they are having a good sale -- 2 carts -- but this is stocking up

 

Normally I buy all milk at the gas station. It is the same milk as the grocery but is quiet a bit cheaper.

[frugalmama]

It depends on how the coupon deals are!:D If I get a really good deal I've done 4 carts before easy. Normally I do one, but shop at least twice a week. If I am making a big monthly run because I have a ride {we don't own a car}, it's 2 or 3 carts at least.

[Scuff]

I fill a cart a week. But it is full. Occassionally, the cashier won't be able to get everything back into one cart.

[Cosmos]

I'm going to try doing two trips this week (we live 15 miles from the nearest store and an hour to the nearest Publix/health food store). I'm going today after a dentist appointment and pick up pet food, toilet paper, bottled water, soda (we use a 12 pk a week), and cleaning supplies. Tomorrow I'm going to "the city" and buy my meat, dairy and veggies. That should solve things. (Plus I'm going to a specialty health food store for some gluten free things). It might be that bulk items are what is causing me grief.

 

My daughter with autism only drinks rice milk (although she is starting to drink flavored water occasionally) and we use 1/2 gallon every two days, plus regular milk for the girls (and cream for DH and cooking). Plus, I'm bulk cooking some soup (he has friends over every other Sunday) and need to buy the ingredients to make about 40 quarts of it.

 

Really we don't eat many processed foods (other than gluten free mixes) so it amazes me at how quickly the cart fills up with dairy, meat, veggies and dried beans.

 

Those bolded things are all pretty bulky. I can see how your cart(s) would fill up quickly that way!

 

I have about a 30 minute tolerance for grocery shopping (and a small family) so my cart is never that full. Once a year or so, my dh gets it into his head to go to the big grocery store a half-hour away and do a big stock-up. Then our cart does get pretty full but even then it's just one cart.

[abacus2]

1 cart, although I frequently shop at multiple stores and get some food elsewhere like 1/2 a cow from the farm or food from amazon.

[Mommyof4ks]

1 cart for a weeks worth of food for our family of 5. We rarely fill one cart, but e carts at my usual store are bigger than like a standard WM cart.

[rafiki]

.

[ssavings]

One cart, every week and a half or so for us and the kids. But my kids are still pretty young, and DD(baby) doesn't like much solid food, yet. But all our baking supplies (corn meal, non-wheat flours, etc.) are bought at a different store monthly.

We rarely (never) buy packaged foods (allergies), don't really use paper/disposable products, don't buy bottled water/soda/juices, don't have pets, etc, so we have less bulky stuff in our cart, for sure. If we used disposable products, had pets, and drank bottled drinks, we'd need another cart, because that stuff is bulky. As is, we fill a cart with mostly meat (not terribly much, we eat meat only a few times a week), rices, wheat-free pastas, quinoa, produce, beans/lentils, and frozen fruits for smoothies.

[Myeightkiddies]

I use one cart because I shop approximately every other day. Often there are daily mini stops for items. Despite having a deep freezer and two refrigerators (and a large pantry) there really isn't a lot of room to store a week or two worth of groceries.

[Tasia]

Two carts, once a week at our regular grocery store. My oldest comes shopping with me.

[curlylocks]

1 cart for typically 1-2 weeks worth of food, family of 5.

 

We don't buy meat or milk at the market. So our cart usually only has produce, cheese and bread - occasionally pasta and sauce if I'm stocking up. But produce usually ends up being a good portion of the cart ...

 

:iagree:

[kewb]

Family of 4 - 1 cart -1x per week. But, I don't do all my shopping at one store. I go to different stores for different things. At the grocery store I am usually buying some produce, milk, cheese,pasta, tomato sauce, and other shelf stable dry goods. I don't as a regular thing buy soda, refrigerated juice, deli meats, chips, or cookies. Well, sometimes chips and cookies. If I can make it myself I try to go that route because I like to be in control of the ingredients we eat.

[stripe]

I've never filled two carts!

[Jenny in Florida]

I'm going today after a dentist appointment and pick up pet food, toilet paper, bottled water, soda (we use a 12 pk a week), and cleaning supplies. Tomorrow I'm going to "the city" and buy my meat, dairy and veggies.

 

Those bolded things are all pretty bulky. I can see how your cart(s) would fill up quickly that way!

 

True.

 

We don't buy bottled water. We've been experimenting, instead, with reusable bottles with filters, which we really like.

 

I buy my pet food at PetCo, usually, not with my groceries.

 

Soda, though, I'm embarassed to admit how much of that we go through in a week.

 

Other folks mentioned bread, and I don't buy much of that, either, since I make my own. That means buying flour, of course, but I can get many loaves out of a single 5-lb bag.

 

I also don't buy meat, and I suspect a bag of dried beans takes up less space in a shopping cart than the equivalent amount of protein in the form of meat.

 

I'm always fascinated by these discussions!

[jujsky]

We use one cart in the store, but to be fair we usually hit the grocery store and then a warehouse store like BJs or Sam's.

[Beth S]

Two carts at Aldi, with food for 3 weeks.

 

Initially the 2nd cart contained an infant car seat and a toddler. It has gradually be claimed for more food to buy!:001_smile:

[tori@thehomefront]

We load up one cart to get to the checkout, but often use two to hold the bagged groceries. I'm a little - ok, a LOT - OCD about how my groceries get sacked. There's a method to putting it in the cart, checking it, sorting the bags once loaded, and getting it to fit in the car.

 

Wow, now I feel quite freakish! :blushing:

 

Anyway - we have a family of 6, every other week is a "stock-up" on staples.

[Mothersweets]

Two carts every time, sometimes three. I shop once a week.

[elegantlion]

One cart, usually once a week. It's never full, although it could be if we had the budget. Big bag of dog food once a month, cat is now eating gluten free and people food only (sigh) and we don't buy water, although we do buy soda from time to time. I don't drink milk and the guys only use about 1/2 a gallon a week.

[Soror]

Generally I might half-way fill a cart every week, or these days a handheld basket. However, all my meat is bought in bulk from local farmers. Eggs are currently from my mom (and hopefully from my own chickens soon!). I do not buy anything disposable, other than toilet paper. We only drink water(from the tap- super yummy well water!), or tea (homemade). I don't buy packaged products other than condiments, anything else is very rare and nonexistent these days. Pantry stables are bought in bulk from the co-op once a month with a few things bought from Amazon or a few different suppliers (ie for coconut oil and a few other gf items that are cheaper from other sources). The only thing I generally buy at the grocery store is produce and a few canned items(ie tomato products, mushrooms, and olives generally).

[QuirkyKapers]

One cart once a week. Although, lately it seems like we are shopping more times and buying less items than one time with many items. I think it is just quicker to grab and go.

[Berta]

I shop once a month. In one day I will get 3 carts at Aldi and another cart at Walmart.

[mommaduck]

Depends upon the kind of grocery shopping I am doing. If I have the room and am stocking up, I will have two or three. If it's a quick run, then it's one, sometimes two.

[Matryoshka]

I've never needed more than one cart. I go shopping 1-2x a week, usually once to TJ's where the cart might be fairly full, and once to Whole Foods where I only buy a few items (usually meat and fresh produce). Or I just go to one or the other.

 

Family of 5, don't eat out much.

[Wabi Sabi]

I shop at multiple stores and generally do several smaller trips a week. Most of the time I can even go through the express lane because I don't have much at all. It's rare for me to buy more than $30-$40 worth of groceries at a time.

[Ibbygirl]

One cart. I don't typically buy everything I need from one single store so I never go over one cart in each store. :)