I went grocery shopping on Friday. I know that some people (Hi Kim!) hate it, but I actually enjoy grocery shopping.
I usually have a shopping list written before I leave (neatly divided lists for each store that I go to – yes, I am a list-person! I don’t function without lists!), but I also like to be inspired when I am actually at the store.
I have a list of things that always find their way into my shopping cart – my basics, so to speak – which would be multi grain-sunflower seed-bread, milk, Coffeemate®, butter, pasta, potatoes, canned corn and diced tomatoes, salad mix, cheese, grape tomatoes.
For hubby there must be meat (!), hash browns, eggs, rice, cereal, sourdough bread, lunch-meat and mayonnaise.
Do you see a clear, cultural difference here?
You could easily tell from our respective shopping lists that I am German and he’s American :)
Albeit, I have to say that we’ve converged on our eating habits and I enjoy some eggs and potatoes for breakfast every now and then, whereas J does enjoy some multi grain bread with jam occasionally. (Hasn’t he come a long way? :)) I love to prepare my home-cooked German dinners for him, while he makes some kick-ass burritos. I think it works out pretty well in the end. We get the best of both worlds :)
Anyways, back to the shopping.
As previously mentioned, I am the proud owner of a Costco membership card now and I spent two whole hours there on Friday.
I just love perusing the aisles, much as if it was a department store, and picking out things that will fill our fridge or freezer.
I really love me a full fridge.
Even though you can practically get anything  at Costco, some of the packaged food is way too much for two people to consume before it expires. What works well are the frozen and non-perishable items. If our kitchen wasn’t so small, I would have really stocked up on some things.
Well, who am I kidding, I did stock up on quite some things… just not as much as I would have liked to :)
There were only a few things left that I had to/wanted to get at Trader Joe’s and/or Safeway and I think I will be making a run to Costco now every other week or so.
Do you have a favorite place to (grocery) shop? Certain items you will buy from only one particular place? Do you shop with a list or without one?
Tell me your grocery shopping habits. I’d love to hear them.
Tanja
February 9, 2009 at 8:51 pmWe had a Costco membership last year. But this year we got a Sams Club membership. I can tell you that they have pretty much the same stuff but some things are cheaper. For example: my husband loves to drink milk (especially with a cookie at the side). We now pay 1.95 Dollar per gallon at the Sams Club – pretty good deal, right?
Trader Joe’s is still one of my favorite grocery stores!
steffisn
February 9, 2009 at 9:24 pmim an impulsive shopper. i never bring lists, i just buy whatever i feel like at the time. i also dont look at prices so i have no clue what a good or bad price for a particular food would be. sometimes people ask me how the cost of groceries in phoenix compares to germany and i honestly have no clue. my favorite places to buy groceries are whole foods and trader joes :)
Steffi
February 9, 2009 at 10:45 pmFirst of all, I am a list shopper too. I need my list, it’s important. But there are always things I buy when I am strolling around which are not on the list.
For the question of a favorite shop: I mainly go to Lidl and Rewe and sometimes to Edeka her in Germany.
Lidl is one of the cheapest right now in our region and I get most of the things I always need. And funny but true: the have the freshest and nicest vegetables and fruits. Rewe is important because there is:
a) a very good butchery in and I just need my Leber- and Kalbskäse. ;-)
b) some bigger options on cheese and yogurt
Edeka is the one I go sometimes too. There are some things, like “Maggi – gekörnte Brühe†which you only get there. Don’t ask me why.
Items which are always one my list are: bread, toast, salad, fruits, yogurt, cheese and Leberkäse. ;-)
Antje
February 9, 2009 at 11:16 pmI’m not really a list shopper except if I plan on trying out new recepies that require particular items that I don’t usually buy. Once a month I’m going to Lidl to buy nonperishables as rice, pasta, canned veggies as well as some German foods like Bratwurst that only Lidl has. Then comes my weekly shopping at a big supermarket that has the widest selection on fresh products, organic stuff and brands. Additionally I sometimes shop things that I forgot at the (otherwise too) expensive supermarket below our office. Every Monday I’m going through the cupons and roughly plan what to cook during the week. Meat is for instance so expensive in Sweden that you basically plan what you cook according to what’s on sale. Fresh fruit and veggies, fresh bread, cheese, ham, frozen chicken breast, milk and freshly sqeezed orange juice are always in my cart.
kim
February 10, 2009 at 1:47 amIKEA. target. oh wait, you said grocery shopping. a favorite place. let me think about that one… uhm, NO!
:) xoxoxo
Maribeth
February 10, 2009 at 7:22 amI went to Costco years ago and was looking at the book section and I noticed some calendars for the New Year. I went over and looked down and our farm was on the cover!!! And inside too. So I bought a dozen and gave them as Christmas gifts!
Anneliese is in Heat! We leave on Friday for Germany!!!
Susanne
February 10, 2009 at 10:11 am@Sandra: You spent 2 hours in the store? haha.
@Antje: you PLAN your weekly meals? Wow.
@Meribeth: It’s on the cover? How cool is that? But shouldn’t they have asked you for permission?
I LOVE to go grocery shopping. I do not have a list. Never. Ever. I just go through e.v.e.r.y single aile and put in the cart what looks good to me. Tell me about impulse buy.
Of course there are some items we always have at home. Like fresh mushrooms, green onion, spinat, lettuce, tomatos, lemons, pasta (lots of it), brown rice.
Bobbi
February 10, 2009 at 1:23 pmTom and I go shopping with a list but we also don’t mind when we see something that isn’t on our list that we want. We’re also big coupon shoppers. Well, let me rephrase that: I am! I cut coupons, print them out from online, and research which stores are having the best sales on meats, produce, etc. We don’t run all around town because there is a point where you don’t save enough money to justify the gas spent driving around, but most of the time it really helps us save money doing it this way.
Stefanie
February 11, 2009 at 4:46 amI also like to make lists. It is better that way. I usually make a meal plan. It doesn’t matter if I stick to it but at least I have about 6-7 meals in my mind and I get groceries for those only, plus essentials like milk, yogurt, butter, pasta, cereal… As for American store, there is only one grocery store here which is the commissary (the military grocery store). I cook mostly American food even though we are living in the land of awesome cheese and bread. Every now and then we are having Brotzeit though. Collin loves it.
Carolina
February 11, 2009 at 9:54 amOMG friend..how did I miss this post??
I don’t really like to cook just for myself.
I just have a few things to say:
1. I am OBSESSED with Trader Joes and am sad beyond belief that there is not one here in Utah. When shopping at Trader Joes I would ALWAYS buy greek yogurt, fresh squeezed OJ, Wine, poppy seed tortilla chips/salsa, California Rolls, and my favorite Trader Joes French Berry Lemonade…yuMmm!!
2. I’m only me…so I don’t shop at Costco, but I do love it there!! The croissants and the books!
3. I hate grocery shopping! I hate warehouse looking stores, I think the only other store I like is the re-vamped Safeway!
I guess I’m kinda a grocery snob or something!!
I’m rambling…sorry!