Grocery shopping tips

Hello all.  I'm sorry it has been so long since I have posted.  Frankly, the week has just gotten away from me. I've been busy, busy, busy and somehow the dishes and laundry are still not done;)  Although I haven't blogged online I have thought of you all often and blogged many times in my head while driving from football to shopping, from choir to home, from home to a funeral, to hiking from home......well, you get the picture.  If only my blogs could type themselves as I think of the many things I would like to say.  I guess I should get to the point and say it then.

I was grocery shopping the other day and was looking at the chocolate covered pretzels.  The kids were looking for snacks for themselves so I thought it would be a nice snack for me.  Then I asked myself, "Why would I bring that food into my house?  I have access to plenty of yummy foods regularly without bringing it into my house where I have fight the urge to eat the whole bag in one sitting."  This is an intriguing thought to me. Another WW friend once said to me, "You know this week I realized that I don't have to eat all of the groceries when I bring them home.  They will still be there tomorrow if I don't eat them."  That was such a wise statement and I understood it completely.  I understood just the feeling that she was having when she returned home from the grocery store and wanted to eat all of those yummy groceries that she just bought.  I have that urge many times and have given in many times too.  Thankfully, I have also resisted the urge more times.

Specifically speaking to the grocery shopping trip, I know you are not supposed to go shopping hungry.  That is the old adage.  It's wise but not always possible.  I lead a busy life.  Sometimes I need to grocery shopping when the time avails itself.  Most times I arrange my shopping trips around other errands I am running the same neighborhood as my local Woodman's.  Woodman's is my favorite place to grocery shop. I have found that I can find everything I need because of their incredibly large selection.  When I am looking for fat-free, low-fat, low-sodium, rare brands, Weight Watchers brands and different flavors I a can always count on my Woodman's to have what I need.  I also like them because their prices are incredible and they accept coupons.  I'm a big coupon clipper and use them as often as they will make my purchases cheap.  My Woodman's is about a 15 minute drive from my house though so I try to link it with other things I am doing that day in that neighborhood.  It's not hard to do, it just takes a little planning.

Because of this, sometimes I end up at the grocery store hungry.  I have found this to be tricky because everything looks good but my main trick is to make a list and stick to it.  I never go grocery shopping without a list.  The concept is quite foreign to me actually.  I think I would just stand there in a daze if I attempted it:) In fact today I went grocery shopping.  Before we left I was frantically looking for my list on the kitchen counter.  I remember writing on it just an hour before but couldn't find it anywhere.  I asked the kids and they didn't know.  After searching for several minutes I found it in the shorts I was wearing earlier in the day. (Samuel peed on them - the shorts, not the list.  Too much information?  Oh, well, this is my life.)

Finding the list was so important and it wasn't even complete.  I keep a little pad of paper on my counter.  As I live in my kitchen from day to day I remember things I want to pick up at the store.  This isn't just grocery items; I had an air vent and an air filter on my list today.  Only one of those things was purchased but I keep my lists in my wallet until I've gotten everything on them. If I didn't write everything down there is no way I would remember what I needed to get.  I don't the time or energy to go to the store any more than once per week so it's important to me that I get everything that I need.  This also gives me the chance to think about what I write down.  Sometimes I look at what I've written and then decide in the store that I don't really need to spend the money on that item at this time.

After I have my list of things from my counter I go through a cookbook to decide what I am cooking for the next week.  I have a list on my fridge with the cookbook, page number and recipe written on my list of meals.  This may sound time consuming but it only takes me a few minutes.  I add to my grocery list what I need for my weekly menu and off I go.

When we are done shopping I am always hungry.  I don't eat the samples.  I don't need to waste points in the grocery store.  I can think of better places to use points.  I always buy bananas.  I eat 2 a day, Bryan eats one or two a day, Sammy eats one a day and the rest of my kids eat them pretty regularly too. After I have unloaded my groceries into my car I break out the bananas.  I eat one to subside the hunger.  This way I am not famished when I get home because when I get home and have to put the groceries away I am tempted to eat anything that looks good.  This is also not a good way to use points.

It works for me.  I hope this has given you some ideas too.  Please feel free to share them with us all in the comment section. Why don't people comment?  I see that many of you read it but no one comments?  No biggie, just wondering.

Have a great day everyone.  I'll try to blog again tomorrow after my weigh-in.

Corinna

"Keep your lives free from the love of money, and be content with what you have; for he has said, 'I will never leave you or forsake you.' So we can say with confidence, 'The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can anyone do to me?'" -Hebrews 13:5-6