Three very full hours from the minute I drove out of the driveway, until all of the groceries were put away. Gosh that is exhausting. I made myself some lunch then went to sit down for an hour and work on some writing.
What I noticed --
- not as many deals as last year
- orange juice, peanut butter, and soy milk prices are high
- meat is still largely unaffordable
- egg prices are slowly rising
- no butter deals (yet),
- almonds are a bargain this year
- Fred Meyer is carrying more and more whole grain versions of traditional, house-brand favorites, such as hot dog buns and saltine crackers, and at the same price as the non-whole grain
I thought about not making a list (I know, stupid, stupid, stupid), because I didn't want to spare the time writing stuff down. Then, I played the tape to the end (a mental thing where you envision the whole process and what will likely happen). In my mental tape I realized that not having a list would mean that I would wander aimlessly throughout the store and my shopping would likely take twice as long, and I would be more exhausted because I would be making choices on the spot for the whole grocery trip. So, I went online and loaded coupons to my card, read the sale flyer, and made my list.
I spent a lot, but I got a lot. The above photo is what I bought (minus a bundle of bananas, and a bag of zucchini that I left on the counter). I filled the trunk, then added a few bags to the back seat of my tiny car. I went early (thank you, change back to standard time), and that was a big help. The store was not terribly crowded, and I had pick of the markdown produce. I passed by the markdown stand twice, once at the beginning, and a second time just before leaving. I was able to score additional produce by making the second pass. Between sales, mark downs, coupons and the Senior 10% Discount, I saved a lot.
My family will be very happy that we are so well-stocked. As mentioned in comments the other day, managing the kitchen is a big job. It's not something that we just do in our free time, or as a hobby. I think we forget just how time-consuming and exhausting this job is.
