Tuesday, September 10, 2013

The Grocery Shopping Blues

September has arrived and around here that means we're gearing up for our Fall Works. I've got some much anticipated company arriving on Friday for 5 days and then 5 days after that, the crew will be rolling in. So I am in menu making mode.

It is 5 am on Monday morning and I am heading out the door to wrangle up some groceries. I hope to miss the crowds. We have a new grocery store in town - well it's actually just remodeled and they doubled the size. They have great sales all the time like 10# of meat for $10 and 10 apples, oranges, any produce for $1. With the exception of your run of the mill big box store, we don't have a lot of options. Hard to beat a nice, local, hometown store.



 I hate grocery shopping. Hate is a strong word, but it fits. I moan about having to go. I gripe about it for days on end. I procrastinate. DH says, "So, you're going to town today?" More often than not, my reply is, "Well, I was planning on it, but no. I think I can get by for another day or two."

DH always tells me to have fun when I head to town and my reply is always a withering glare. He knows how much I detest it. I am a woman on a mission and I tear through the store as quickly as possible. Often people will say, "Oh, I saw you at the grocery store last week, but you didn't see me." My apologies. I have only one thought on my mind when I am in there, "How fast can I cross everything off of my list and get out of here and how much is it going to cost me. "

I have no idea where this distaste for grocery stores comes from. I do not recall any harrowing experience in a grocery store when I was a child. My children, however, will be scarred for life. When we lived in Texas, we were almost 3 hours from the grocery store although there was a little one just over an hour away. They always came with me and the poor things were little troopers. I always had 2 overflowing baskets, and on occasion, I would have 3 baskets. Pushing one with a baby in it. Pulling one. And a 3-yr old trudging along side, pushing a third, that he could not even see over, for all he was worth. I'm telling you, those kids cowboyed up when we went to town. It was always after 9 pm when we finally pulled out of town and they fell asleep before we left that last parking lot. They slept the entire way home, a 25# sack of flour for a pillow between them and a ketchup bottle sticking them in the ribs. Rarely were we home before midnight and DH would come out and help carry them and the groceries into the house. I hauled 3 big coolers in the back of the pickup too. I still shudder when I think about those trips. Needless to say, those trips only took place every 4-6 weeks.

However, the last time I was in Farmer's Country Market I felt like I had been transported. It was clean.


It was nice.
               
                             
       
I meandered.

                                  

I smiled at people.

                                  

I told the manager what a pleasant place it was.

                                  

It was still expensive, but it didn't hurt so much and for the first time ever in my life...I am looking forward to grocery shopping and this time, when DH tells me to have fun, I will smile and say, "Thank you - I will!" :) So, thank you Farmers for making my trips to town just a little less painful.

13 comments:

Deborah Hamilton said...

That looks like a really nice store. I don't like grocery shopping much. I just make lists and try to stick to them to make the process a little easier.

Kristie said...

Oh you sound so much like me! I so dislike grocery shopping or even going to town for anything! :( My sister works in town so most of the time I ask her to pick things up for me so that I don't have to go. LOL!
Kristie

Dorian said...

LOL Karin, those harrowing trips when the kids were little would throw anyone off of grocery shopping! Glad you like your new store.

Unknown said...

I can relate to this!! I only live 35 minutes from a big box grocery store, but I also Hate going, and I don't say hate lightly! It's only my husband and I at home, but it's the worst job in the world for me. I retired at 50 two years ago and since then it has become even more of my least favorite thing to do! The longest I've gone is 3 weeks, which I'm quite proud of!!! I can't imagine buying enough groceries to feed a family anymore much less a group of ranch hands!!! Oh the $$$$ that must take!!! I'm so glad you have a pleasant store to spend your time!!! I wish I did!

Nancy said...

Love the look of that store - a pleasant place to shop.

How well I remember the trips to town with my mother to shop for groceries - sounds very similar to your previous experiences. From those trips I learned to keep a well-stocked pantry.

Pauline said...

I understand your dislike for grocery shopping. But, that is a nice looking store. Maybe that will compensate some. It takes us a hour to drive the 55 miles to Uvalde and then most of the stores are blah. It's 80 miles to Kerrville and the stores offer more choices (and more crowds) We shop every 2 weeks most of the time. Still, I'd rather be here in the boonies than in town. This is more like the Girl Scout camp I attended as a child.

Michelle said...

I am JEALOUS! We have two grocery stores in town -- one has sky high prices (a dollar a can more for chili?!) and the Safeway just isn't what I've come to expect from Safeway. Crowded aisles, groups of people standing and talking in the middle of those crowded aisles, one checkout lane open... If I'm unlucky enough that what I drove down there for is on sale, they'll be completely out of it. It's a toss up whether I go there or drive an extra 20 miles to Walmart.

Prices are better in the larger towns 50 miles away, so I shop while my daughter is in her karate class. Which means doing it while everyone else is making their after work grocery run. -sigh- It beats making a separate trip, but just barely!

I pout and whine and then, when we're on vacation and I realize that some people ARE hours away from the grocery store, I try to tell myself that I'm lucky after all.

Unknown said...

Great stories. While grocery shopping might not be fun for you, you make reading about it fun for us.

Michigan Gal said...

Were you smiling because you were in the "spirits" aisle?! LOL. That is one huuugggee produce department. Maybe it's just the way they laid it out, but it looks really big. Glad that you were surprised by a little joy in your journey. :)

Anonymous said...

I despise grocery shopping... actually, its the checking out that I despise more than the shopping. If I didn't have to check out, I'd have a lot more fun! ;)
Farmer's IS nice now though! I avoid Walmart like the plague nowadays and do Sam's, Farmer's and Target.

laverne said...

Nice lookin store!The nearby larger town about 30 miles away is so blessed to have United Supermarkets, headquarters in Lubbock,about 50 store scattered around ,so they are like a small local friendly store but big enough for everything and I am not a walmart fan(always want to take my hot shot in with me-all the people standing in the middle of the aisles talking on their I Phone while wearing their pajamas!Even saw 1 gal in a bath robe!)Unfortunatly United has sold to Albertsons,supposed to continue to operate separately but have heard that before! Change of subject when you shared your daughters great post I got to wondering if she has a blog also?Or was it a facebook post,anyway if she does a blog I would love to read it-such a sharp young lady.

Anonymous said...

I am glad I am not the only one to hate grocery shopping and I don't have the milage excuse the others have. I just hate it.

Denise :) said...

Okay. I hate to tell you this, but I *love* to grocery shop! I love meandering the aisles and comparing ingredients and chatting with whoever is in the deli, the produce section, the bakery and the meat department. I generally make two sweeps of the perimeter. Am I sick, or what?!? LOL! :)

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