Adventures in Grocery Shopping

Each week I approach grocery shopping with much dread and trepidation. After more years than I care to remember, I am tired of making menus, creating lists and then having to brave the chaos of the stores. This truly is a shame as I love to cook, and create delicious meals for family and friends.

As a working mother I always made sure to have a menu since prep time was limited after work. The menu also made shopping a bit easier as you knew what you would need for the week.  I never could understand how anyone could wing it when it came to family dinners. I would have to assume the cost to do things this way would be far greater in the end.

Anyway, back to the shopping part of this task. I don’t know about anyone else, but from my perspective the grocery store has become a nightmare to maneuver. The cost of food rose quickly with the price of gas, however, once gas prices came down do you think the food cost would be reduced? Of course not – it just seems to keep rising.

Then you have the aisles crowded with displays which make it difficult to get through. I know they want to bring your attention to certain food items to entice you to buy, but please keep them to the end cap of the aisle. At least there you are less likely to run your cart into them.

Ahh….this brings me to the inconsiderate, cell phone user. What can you possibly need to say to someone that cannot wait until you are out of the store? And they sit right in the middle of the aisle making it almost impossible to get to the items you want to purchase, and look at you with a disgusted look like you are the rude one!

Or there are the ones who use the grocery store as a social gathering to catch up with anyone they know who happens to be there. They also stand with 2 carts side by side making everyone request permission to pass by. I say if you want to socialize then you need to call them up and meet at a coffee shop where you can sit and chat.

Finally, you have managed to maneuver your way through the aisles, and hopefully have not forgotten anything with all the obstacles you have endured. Then comes the check-out – and if you are lucky there are more than one or two registers open. You carefully put your purchases on the conveyor belt – like items together, request that the bagger keep these like items together, and please do not pack the bags too heavy. And what happens? You guessed it – you get home and find frozen with dry, paper with produce, eggs in with something that it was a miracle did not smash them, and the bags need the strength of a weightlifter to carry them up the stairs. I have no doubt the stores must have training in bagging groceries, the bagger just don’t seem to care.

Okay – now that I have aired my frustrations, I guess it is once again time to start the grocery shopping ritual for the week. May your adventures in shopping be much less stressful than this.