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Well, for some reason, you have hit a point that I have a lot to say about.

I HATE grocery shopping It’s a pain. The reason it is a pain is because I have almost always done it once a week and that is why it is such a terrible chore. During the rare times in my life when I wasn’t overwhelmed with so much to do, I could shop three times or more a week and just buy what was needed - that is so much more enjoyable.

I think the Europeans have it right - they shop daily - it is something they do on the way home from work - it is leisurely and they buy just enough for a meal or two or what they need.... it is so much more enjoyable to pick out a few things and head home.

I do not understand the people who shop at Costco and places and buy enough for a small army. People who live an hour or more from a store and need to shop in bulk - or who have extraordinarily large families - are the exception. However, I have a sister-in-law and they buy huge packages of junk for a family of three. It is wasteful and I don’t think they save money. I think Costco, Sam’s and the other places really don’t offer much savings since I look at price per oz., lb., or by weight.

Sams club is a ripoff. Even if you don’t factor in the yearly membership fee, it’s still a ripoff. With the yearly fee factored in...

I’m lucky enough to live within a couple hundred yards of a really great grocery store. excellent prices, good quality stuff. I’m spoiled now and I don’t think I could live anywhere where I couldn’t just pop in and buy fresh meat or fresh made deli items any time of day. THey even have lunch counter.

Grocery shopping is a miserable task and at 65, stuff is starting to get "heavy".

I decided to look at it differently...

Shopping is now daily exercise"...very safe...small loads to carry and a bit of fresh air.

The store is bout a mile away...closer than our local "Y" or Senior Center.

Bonus...People always let someone with two items "cut".

Wife and I go to Costco 2 times a week to get milk..its usually between .35 and .50 less than the grocery store and is actually more convenient to get to than any of the other grocery stores around. But then we are the type Costco doesn’t like. We go in for a set list of items usually milk, lettuce, cereal and ground beef (we know all of those are less expensive per unit than even wally world) and leave. We don’t browse. All I know is that the membership has been paid for less than 6 months into the year the rest is actual savings

JM2B

I gave up my Costco membership. You can get bulk items at the grocery store now, so I don’t think it makes much sense. I always used to go into Costco and buy a lot things I didn’t need.

It seems like I do 1 big grocery shopping trip every week and get things like milk, eggs, etc. Then I do little grocery shopping trips throughout the week to buy what I need for dinner.

My husband thinks I should only need to go once a week. However, he doesn’t cook, so I don’t think he knows what he is talking about.

re: I do not understand the people who shop at Costco and places and buy enough for a small army. People who live an hour or more from a store and need to shop in bulk - or who have extraordinarily large families - are the exception. However, I have a sister-in-law and they buy huge packages of junk for a family of three. It is wasteful and I don’t think they save money. I think Costco, Sam’s and the other places really don’t offer much savings since I look at price per oz., lb., or by weight.)))

This seems to be one of those either-or. I make a trip to the big-boxes about once a month, though lately I've been able to stretch it out to six weeks. I keep a running "Sam's" list of cat food, dog food, TP and other paper products. I save HUGE by storing stuff like Swiffers, cleansers from Sam's. Plus, I love to see shelves in the basement with stored canned goods. Just satisfies the "root cellar" impulse in me. I like the feeling of being provided for over the long haul. I could prepare pantry recipes for months out of my store. When the kids come home, they go "shopping" in my basement.

If you manage well, you'll save hundreds a year by storing and shopping in bulk. I also order some kinds of food in quantity. I was surprised to find out that some places will ship for free if you buy in quantity.

The kind of lifestyle you describe where you pick up food everyday is only for city dwellers, and only for city dwelling that is convenient and comfortable. I always hear people talk enviously of how those in German villages just walk to their market and then go home and cook.

How much does that food cost per serving? Might surprise you. What do their homes look like? To Americans, their apartments seem like walk-in closets.

But, the fresh ingredients do appeal to me.

While I am in a rural area, the resort up the road put in a luxury Fresh Mart-type place and now I can do European-style shopping out here in the boonies, using my bulk-purchased canned tomatoes from Sam's.

However, their fresh meat and produce is EXPENSIVE, which would be like European sidewalk markets.

It's a trade-off. So, I love Sam's.

I do the shopping for the family, since I pass a couple of supermarkets and a produce store on the way home from work. Two or three times a week I stop, wander in, see what looks good or is on sale in the meat and produce departments, and go home with it.

For non-perishables, I generally stock up at Costco once a month (which is a small detour coming home from work).

I hate every other type of shopping other than grocery shopping. I often thought of doing peoples' shopping for them as a business, however local stores now offer delivery for on line orders at a very modest fee, so I don't think I would be able to compete. I use cosco for mainly paper and plastic goods and other non perishables. I have another store for meat, another for produce etc. I am grocery shopping several times a week. And what's more...I ask my neighbors if I can pick anything up for them while I am out. = )