Mom2Mom Tips: Grocery Shopping

I don't enjoy cooking. Therefore, it makes some sense that grocery shopping is not high on my list, either. But it is a chore necessary to anyone who eats, so let's make it simpler!

"Grocery Shopping"

• Create a store-specific list - I got this idea from my sister's partner, Nancy. I have made up a spreadsheet detailing the regular items that we buy by aisle number for my favorite grocery store. I keep copies in my kitchen, and when we run out of an item, I simply circle it on the list [if it is not on the list yet, I write it in for the proper aisle]. I save A LOT of time in the store by knowing exactly which aisles I need to go down (and skipping the ones I don't!) I then take a highlighter and mark any items I have a coupon for, so I can recheck the coupon once I get to that aisle. I staple any coupons I will be using directly to the list, so I don't lose them.
  
• Leave the kids at home - This is sometimes my best option, but I usually don't feel like shopping after they go to bed.
• Take hubby to the store - If we go to the store as a family, we take two carts and split up. Since we have a printout of the grocery list by aisle, I simply rip the list in half and Mark takes one half of the store while I take the other. Shopping really goes quickly!
  
• Making many trips - Before the kids were born, I shopped in a two-week cycle: The first week, I made one really big shopping trip and bought all of the non-perishables for two weeks plus any perishables I would need for one week. The next week, I made a second trip limited to the perishables we needed. Now, since I bring the kids to the store with me, I have found that going twice a week for shorter amounts of time makes each trip more manageable. The kids can behave well for 30 minutes, but an hour or more is definitely pushing it!
• Cool carts - our grocery store just got new carts that have TV's built in. For $1, you can rent the cart while you shop. I will not do this every time, but if it is necessary to shop at a time when the kids are really cranky, I won't hesitate to pay up.
• Choose the time wisely - My kids are the most well-behaved early in the morning. Our most successful shopping trips are right after breakfast, when they are full, bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. Our worst shopping trips are right before naps are due, or right before lunch. I make sure to plan a shopping trip the night before so we can be out the door early in the morning.
• Hand it over - In order to keep the kids happy during the trip, I let them hold some of the groceries to "help" me. If they try to open the package, or bite through it [Ethan!], I immediately take it away. They will usually be happy holding the same box of cereal with characters on it for the whole trip.
  
• Rewarding the kids - a.k.a. bribery. We start each trip with, "if you behave while we shop, and stay in the cart, you can have [prize.] If you don't, you won't get to have [prize.]" Our prizes include: a trip to the pet department of the store, where we can look at the fish, hamsters and birds; a ride on the penny horse (our store still has one, if you can believe it!); a donut at the bakery (they split it); and fruit snacks in the check-out aisle (which I bring in my purse). I stick to my guns - if they have not behaved well in the store (like, I have to tell them to sit down and buckle up three or more times, or they just aren't listening to me), they do not get the prize. Sometimes, only one of them gets the prize and the other is carried out of the store crying. In that case, I hold my head high, knowing I'm doing right by my kids in the long run!

So... what are your grocery shopping tips? [I encourage you to write your own post about this topic, or comment on this post.]