I'm not a shopper by nature so I don't really like to spend time in stores. Is it just me or does anyone else get a headache when they're in Walmart or one of those big department stores?

Anyway, I try to make a list and stick to it so I can get out of the store as quickly as possible. Comparing prices does take a little longer and I do that as much as possible. Sometimes though I think it might be better to spend a few extra cents on something than to have to go to different stores, which does take time and gas, and then be tempted to buy more stuff. I have found that I can stick to a grocery list and get out of the store faster when I'm alone. DH is very thrifty but he has a weakness for snack foods. Somehow they always magically appear in our cart when he comes with me.

karen kay:

wont it be nice when we can shop for groceries on computer.  probablly wont be in my day thought.  but its a good thought.  

 

Actually, some places do offer this. The grocery store I use most often has online ordering, and they'll deliver at a time you specify. Of course there is a fee for delivery, but it's such a nice feature. This store will also let you use coupons, but you get the money back as a store gift card instead of the money being taken off your order. It was a lifesaver for me a while back when I was very ill, didn't have a stocked pantry, and ran out of food.  Anyhow, you might want to check! I know Amazon.com offers a few groceries also. 

I HATE grocery shopping, so I try to get in and out of the store as quickly as I can. I'll linger for ages at the farmers' market, but there's just something about grocery stores. I don't know what it is. 

Clothes and shoe stores are a completely different story, though.  

Kim_150:

karen kay:

wont it be nice when we can shop for groceries on computer.  probablly wont be in my day thought.  but its a good thought.  

 

Actually, some places do offer this.

 

Just what I was going to say. I'm not about to pay a fee for delivery, though. 

  Probably more .. I spend a little more time perusing the bargain blogs and the ads to check on deals, then time getting the coupons together.  I've also put another grocery store back in the shopping mix -- it had been out of my way since we moved, but I decided their deals made them worth a trip when necessary.

 I spend a lot more time than I used to on grocery shopping.  At home, depending on the sales, I will spend an hour to two hours planning a menu. Also depending on the sales, I may hit up to 3 or more stores that are located close together.  That can take me from 2-3 hours, as well as driving 18 miles to and from town.  Grocery shopping leaves me stressed and tired.  I never really feel like doing anything after I get home and get it all put away but I still have to cook dinner. lol  When money is more plentiful and I don't have to bargain shop, I do enjoy it a lot more.  Lately, with trying to plan more frugal and more healthy meals, it really takes a lot out of me and I dread my weekly trips.

 

 Mikasha, shopping does give me a headache, especially when it's crowded.  I just can't handle crowds very well and people can be so rude!  I was not raised that way.  I shop at Meijer some which is very similar to Walmart but I haven't walked into a Walmart store since early January.  It's great for those who like it but their poor service anymore makes me not want to give them our hard-earned money.  Only if I can't find something we need elsewhere will I go shopping there now.

 

allie:

I just can't handle crowds very well

I can't handle large crowds and a lot of noise and color well either.This is the biggest reason I have stopped shopping often at Walmart. I leave drained and with a headache from the lights, blaring colors that don't blend together well, the smells and the noise. It's worse if it's very crowded and the one nearest us usually is unlike the ones I used to frequent.

I prefer the grocery stores and specialty shops we have found here. 

 

I don't have the energy, nor the inclination to FOOD shop ~ it's just one of those nasty "have to do" chores!  I don't eat much, and only buy the same things month after month.............but that isn't for everyone?

I have heard on TV and radio ~ through the internet, one can get coupons AND, more importantly, see if their favorite/local store has "online" shopping. 

In today's world, I wouldn't be surprised if stores have taken into consideration frugal folks, coupons, and probably either pick-up or delivery?  Would these ideas be worth investigating?  (Or have these suggestions already been made?)

JustMe

Now that DD is getting older (she's almost 4), it gets expensive to take her to the grocery store because she finds things she wants. I keep a grocery list on the kitchen counter and add to it as I come across something we need. I try to only go to the grocery store on Saturday morning at 6:30 a.m. DH & DD are still in bed and there's hardly anyone in the store besides me. I can take my time. Sometimes I have to go after work during the week and DD has to go with me. If my mid-week list has only non-perishables, I'll go on my lunch break to keep from stopping with DD after work. I stick with the list during the month, but the first trip of the month, tomorrow's trip, I am more flexible and will buy extra things that we might like to have. That way I'll have something to take for lunch if I don't have leftovers to take. Now that DD is working on potty training, I can save at least $40/month just on Pull-ups. That doesn't count all the wipes we we're buying. I just bought a case of wipes last month, so we'll have wipes until she goes to kindergarten!! We don't get many coupons in our local Sunday paper, and I have only a few dishes that I prepare, so I don't spend lots of time preparing for the shopping trip. I made a master grocery list on the computer a few months ago. For a few months I bought everything at the first of the month and didn't go back to the store except for milk, bread, water. I don't have lots of room to store extras and I didn't find that I was saving much buy stocking up the small amount I could store. Now I can use any extra money I don't spend on extra groceries to pay down debts. This is what is working for me right now.

One of the local grocery store chains here does actually have online grocery shopping. You place your order online, then drive to the store and pick it up when you're ready.

 

Jill