"To Market, To Market, To Buy A... Can of SPAM???"

[seoulsearch]

Hey everyone,

* When you go to the grocery store, do you have a game plan and organized list, or do you just wander about, throwing in everything that catches your eye?

* What are the top 5 things you ALWAYS throw into your grocery cart, and why?

* And, what are the top 5 things you would NEVER have in your grocery cart, and why?

(For anyone wondering, the inspiration for the title of this thread was the nursery rhyme that contains lines such as, "To market, to market, to buy a fat pig," or, in NukePooch's case, to buy a case of bacon.)

As for me, I like to go to the store with a bit of a list, but I try to leave a $10 margin for "extras" or any special bargains I might see.

Here's what you WILL see in my grocery cart:
1. Spinach (If it worked for Popeye...)

2. Broccoli (These are 2 of the only veggies I really like so I try to rely on them to keep me somewhat definably healthy.)

3. CHEESE (I can find a way to justify putting cheese on anything, including other cheeses.)

4. Eggs (I can eat omelets every day and be ok with that.)

5. And, just when you thought I was some sort of health nut... I almost always fall off the wagon and buy some kind of candy, often seasonal, like the Pumpkin Spice Marshmallows and Cadbury Screme Eggs I could not resist last week.

What you will NEVER see in my cart:
1. Beer. I'm not against RESPONSIBLE drinking at all, I've just NEVER liked the taste of beer. Though I would buy some if it were required for a recipe I wanted to try or if I were treating a friend to a special meal and knew that's what they liked.

2. Cucumbers--BLEH. Never liked them and can't see that changing.

3. Mountain Dew. I simply cannot drink anything that is Slimer green (think "Ghostbusters" Slimer the ghost, who had that name for a reason--there was even a fruit juice called Ecto Cooler for a while in his honor--sorry, Mr. Green 'N' Nice! ) or neon yellow. I refuse to drink anything that is the color of bodily releases.

4. Canned meat. For whatever reason, I simply can't bring myself to eat mechanically separated, artificially flavored lumps of mystery meat by-product (Solyant Green, anyone???)

5. Hamburger Helper... The poor little mascot will just have to lend his little Helping Hand to someone else. If I am a guest at someone's home, I'll eat anything that's placed in front of me, but I've never found a HH flavor that actually agreed with my taste buds.


If "we are what we eat", then I'd like to know what you all are made of! (Apparently, I would be a Spinach-Flavored Marshmallow... )

 

[iTOREtheSKY]

I pretty much always make a list of the stuff I need,only because if I don't I'm sure to forget something that I really needed.

5 things you'll always see in my cart. - Cranberry Juice,Hazelnut Coffee whitener,Coffee,Bread & some sort of variation on a Japanese noodle.

5 things you'll never see in my cart. - Beets,Radish,Liver,Spam & and any sort of cold cut or luncheon "meat" that ends in the word LOAF!

 

[MissCris]

I used to be a partial-list-shopper; as in, I would make a list of stuff I could use to make a meal, and buy that stuff, and then also whatever else caught my eye.

Now, however, I have to be pretty strict- I make a list, and stick to it. Actually, I've had a couple of family members tell me I'm TOO strict (actually, they said "anal" and "obsessive" and "super weird"). But, I've got to shop for 2 full weeks at a time- 14 dinners, 14 lunches, and 14 days of breakfast (which around here is totally a "grab whatever sounds edible" event). Plus, I have to purchase diapers for 2 kids (though one is close to potty-training), and formula for one (and I'm not being prideful when I say this, but we don't use WIC or foodstamps or anything).

My budget is inflexible here.

So, here's how it goes down:

A few days before I plan to go grocery shopping, I make a list of all the meals. It's painful...because I am fine with eating the same set of meals over and over (my mom used to have a "menu" for a month- we had pizza night once a week, and then different stuff for all the other days of the month), whereas my husband doesn't really like to have the same dinners more than once, maybe twice a month. So the planning part is difficult for me. But, once I have THAT list finished, then I start my grocery list.

This includes every ingredient I need for every meal, plus the breakfast and lunch food, plus snacks, plus diapers and formula and various other baby and child paraphernalia, plus cat junk (food and litter), plus anything I might need to bake with, plus any staples we've run out of (milk, butter, blah blah blah), plus cleaning items, plus any shampoo or deodorant or toilet paper or allergy medicine or first aid stuff...yeah.

My grocery list usually fills an entire sheet of paper- I write it out on printer paper, in 2-3 columns.

And THEN...I get another piece of paper and organize my list by aisle, so I can start at one end of the store and go from there. It's faster for me, and fast is good when I have one or more kiddos with me who may or may not be having a meltdown before we're finished shopping.

And THEN...I estimate how much it's going to cost. I have a set amount- I'm not going to be able to add more (well, maybe another 10 bucks or so sometimes) if my list is too expensive. So, if I estimate it's going to cost more than 10 bucks over what I've got planned, then I have to adjust.

Aaaannnnnyyyyyway....

Five things I ALWAYS put in the cart (aside from basic staple foods)-
1. Cold-brew iced tea. I don't really like the way it tastes, but my husband does, and hey, it's super easy. It's all he drinks.
2. Fresh French bread. Even if I don't have that planned out to go with a meal...come on, it can go with nearly anything. I can't resist the smell of it, and it costs like...a buck. Or two.
3. Goldfish crackers. My son loves them, and they're good on a salad.
4. Cottage cheese. I usually have a little for lunch most days, and I always use it instead of ricotta cheese if I'm making stuffed shells or lasagna or something (I HATE ricotta).
5. Pepperoni. Because it's delicious. I don't have to explain myself to anyone.
(I was going to put coffee on this list, but A) that's a staple around here, and B) I don't have to buy it EVERY time)

Five things that NEVER go in my cart-
1. Potato chips. I only eat potato chips if I'm at someone else's house for a barbeque. They make my face break out something awful, and then I resemble the pepperoni pizza I so love, and that, friends, is just super weird.
2. Chef Boyardee stuff. Canned pasta. I can make my own less-than-wonderful pasta, thankyouverymuch.
3. Frozen, microwavable breakfast foods. I don't really have anything against them, but...I think I have something against them.
4. Deli food.
5. Soda. We don't drink it all that often. If we want soda pop, we walk over to the store here and buy a can of it.

And now you know more about me than you ever wanted to.

 

[seoulsearch]

MissCris, you would totally be my Mom's Grocery Shopping SoulMate. She has always planned and budgeted EVERYTHING out exactly like you, including listing all the foods in what order and in what aisles they will be located in. She also compares ALL the local flyers from the Sunday paper and chooses the best deals.

It's a huge process that literally takes hours (at least 2 or 3 to write the list, then another 2 or 3 to actually shop) which most of us don't have, but my Dad loves to talk about all the money they save.

I'm kind of in the middle. I organize as best I can but thank goodness for the local store I can run to when I overlook an item (i.e., if I run out of chocolate. )

I always find it interesting to see what foods some people like and others don't or can't eat. For instance, I LOVE Lay's plain potato chips and have made the mistake of buying a FAMILY-sized bag before. I literally had potato chips for dinner every day for a week. I also LOVE frozen microwavable breakfast foods but try to limit myself to once in a blue moon.

And, I humbly admit that The Chef (Boyardee) has been responsible for my dinner entrees on more than one occasion (stuffed cheese ravioli and Beefaroni... how can you go wrong with canned noodles!!)

However, in staying true to my earlier mantra--I pick all the canned meat out. BLEH!!! (When I was little, my dad used to joke that we were eating chicken lips and of course, now that I'm an adult... I now realize there is probably a lot of truth to that.)

As soon as you have your first batch of veggies from your basement, give me a ring... (Any spinach in the mix?)

 

[MissCris]

It does take hours! It's kind of ridiculous, but then, it really does save a lot of money. I don't do the comparing ads thing, because we have 2 choices of places to shop- Walmart, or City Market. But I get the online coupons for my City Market card, soo...

Oh! I also keep track of how much I'm spending at the store as I go- like, for each item I put in the cart, I have to stop and write the amount- rounding up to the nearest dollar- and keep adding. When I've gotten everything on my list, if I have enough money left over, THEN I buy ice cream. Yep. I always feel all warm and fuzzy when I get to the check out and the total comes to less than what I'd estimated.

Don't worry, Seoul- I won't judge you for liking Chef Boyardee or frozen breakfast food I think my issue with it is more because we didn't have that stuff growing up, and I can see why- it's kind of expensive when you're feeding kids. I can feed my family more, and healthier (notice I didn't say "better" because...I can't cook...) by just cooking my own stuff. Yeah.

I hadn't planned to grow spinach, but hey, I could give it a shot

 

[NodMyHeadLikeYeah]

Always buy

Cucumbers
Peaches
Strawberrys
Blueberrys

Never buy

Alcohol
Peanuts
Cottage Cheese
Frozen Pizza
Soda

 

[ServantStrike]

What you'll see:

Fruit - all kinds of berries, none of the sweet stuff, not even apples or bananas, just berries
Nuts - Well, you didn't expect any less from yours truly did you?
Vegetables - again, not the super sweet stuff. mostly green things or squash etc
Meat - real meat. Poultry, pork, and some beef


What you'll never see
Soda
Crackers, breads, etc (unless I'm cheating on my diet)
Processed cheeses, or processed food in general
Chips


What you'll see if I'm on a bender
Canned meats - yes, I said it.
Vienna sausages - although, I really have to be interested in scraping the bottom of the barrel for that one
Spam - the light kind, with less salt. Always pan sear it or it's awful.
Noodles and such of various kinds (but a spinach or wheat pasta would still be preferred)
Bread - pumpernickel


And... Why so much hatred for spam? I now need to spam this thread


WITH CUPCAKES!!!

I want to try making those sometime. I might even ignore my better judgment and deep fry one. I'd probably die, but it might be a tasty way to go.

 

[Grace-Like-Rain]

I think I must use up all of my creativity before getting around to the grocery shopping. Ugh. I usually have a list of things I KNOW I need (like toilet paper or bread) and then I wing it on the rest.

I always buy:

1. Multi-grain bars
2. Pudding
3. Salmon
4. Veggies
5. A jar of pickles

I never buy

1. Koolaid
2. Beer
3. Potato chips
4. Okra
5. Pears

 

[Liamson]

In my cart:

Tortillas- Goes with everything ^_^

Eggs- Needed in mostly everything, but to be honest I always seem to have too many.

Frozen Pizzas- I'm a single guy, what can I say

Skirt Steak or Shredded Chicken or Tilapia- because... it fits my diet.

Oranges, Tomatoes, Pineapples, Cool whip, Bananas, grapes- for snacking

Things you won't see:

Pork Products- not a fan really.

Apples- I almost never eat apples

Chocolate(s), sweets or candy- not for me.

Milk- I'm lactose intolerant and coincidentally so are all of my best buds. I keep cans of it for cooking.

Potatoes and Corn- I don't really like them so much and I never cook with them.

 

[BananaPie]

Well, taboo stuff for my household is anything containing:

1. artificial flavor, artificial color or artificial sweetener
2. MSG or yeast extract or mushrooms
3. pork, processed "meats" or processed cheese
4. preservatives, antibiotics or added hormones
5. coffee, sodas or alcohol ...well, except for the occasional Chardonnay for chicken, sweet red wine for salmon or vermouth for spaghetti and asparagus soup.

What's left that's eatable and digestible by a 3rd-grader will make it to the check-out counter, like, bottled water, stuff for peanut butter & honey sandwiches, carrots, bananas...

 

[iTOREtheSKY]

Always buy

Cucumbers
Peaches
Strawberrys
Blueberrys

Never buy

Alcohol
Peanuts
Cottage Cheese
Frozen Pizza
Soda

Impressed by the Cucumbers..a bit sad by the no alcohol. laffin!

 

[Jullianna]

* When you go to the grocery store, do you have a game plan and organized list, or do you just wander about, throwing in everything that catches your eye?

I usually have a list, but I normally throw in extra stuff, like gummybears and strawberry PopTarts. I have the aisles in the store where I shop memorized, so I make my list in order of appearance. Part of my OCD tendencies.

* What are the top 5 things you ALWAYS throw into your grocery cart, and why?

Strawberries (best fruit ever), pineapple (2nd best fruit ever), a loaf of fresh French bread (hate sliced white bread), cheddar cheese (few things it can't make better ) and Froot Loops

* And, what are the top 5 things you would NEVER have in your grocery cart, and why?

Brussel sprouts, asparagus, turnips, black olives or eggplant. *blech*

 

[Misty77]

I don't make an exact list, but I make note of the categories of food that we need. Then I look for the cheapest and closest to organic version of it.

I always buy:
1. Roasted seaweed-my son's favorite snack.
2. Bananas- cheap and freeze well for smoothies.
3. Tortillas chips- we are as gluten free as my budget allows, and the chips are good substitutes for crackers.
4. Moscato- a bottle lasts me at least a week, unless my sister is in town.
5. Cheese- yummy, good for the bones, and no carbs.

i never buy:
1. Bread- unless it's for visitors and g-free bread is expensive and not at all like the real thing.
2. Sugary cereals- if I am going to eat that much sugar, I'll just go ahead and eat candy.
3. Anything with a long prep time- single working mom. 'Nuff said.
4. "Diet" anything- the extra processing and chemicals makes those even worse than the originals. Just have less of the real thing.
5. Plastic cheese- no velveeta or Kraft singles. I make an exception in mac'n cheese because, well, just because.

 

[iTOREtheSKY]

I don't make an exact list, but I make note of the categories of food that we need. Then I look for the cheapest and closest to organic version of it.

I always buy:
1. Roasted seaweed-my son's favorite snack.
2. Bananas- cheap and freeze well for smoothies.
3. Tortillas chips- we are as gluten free as my budget allows, and the chips are good substitutes for crackers.
4. Moscato- a bottle lasts me at least a week, unless my sister is in town.
5. Cheese- yummy, good for the bones, and no carbs.

i never buy:
1. Bread- unless it's for visitors and g-free bread is expensive and not at all like the real thing.
2. Sugary cereals- if I am going to eat that much sugar, I'll just go ahead and eat candy.
3. Anything with a long prep time- single working mom. 'Nuff said.
4. "Diet" anything- the extra processing and chemicals makes those even worse than the originals. Just have less of the real thing.
5. Plastic cheese- no velveeta or Kraft singles. I make an exception in mac'n cheese because, well, just because.

​I am giving you a Rep point on the fact you don't buy either of these things ever!!!! You So ROCK!

 

[ServantStrike]

[/COLOR]


​I am giving you a Rep point on the fact you don't buy either of these things ever!!!! You So ROCK!

I'm now reminding myself I was a rep point away from this. If it weren't for my occasional obsession with meat in cans.

But... look, that came from a can

Usually I don't class it up like that though. I usually just, eat that stuff straight out of the can with a spoon.

Don't look at me, I'm a monster!!

 

[KJV15John11]

I think I must use up all of my creativity before getting around to the grocery shopping. Ugh. I usually have a list of things I KNOW I need (like toilet paper or bread) and then I wing it on the rest.

I always buy:

1. Multi-grain bars
2. Pudding
3. Salmon
4. Veggies
5. A jar of pickles

I never buy

1. Koolaid
2. Beer
3. Potato chips
4. Okra
5. Pears

WHAT? NO PICKLED OKRA? THE JAR I GET HAS THE STATE OF TEXAS RIGHT ON IT!

 

[KJV15John11]

Always buy:

bananas
carrots
cilantro
parsley
lettuce
(My housemate has an indoor bunny, Zoe, who makes out the grocery list. Her writing is hard to read, since rabbits don't have opposable thumbs. Bananas are like crack to bunnies! If she doesn't get her morning banana bite, WATCH OUT!)

Never buy:

tofu (it's just wrong)
turkey bacon
turkey hot dogs
turkey pepperoni
turkey

 

[KJV15John11]

Still getting the hang of the picture posting.

 

[rachelsedge]

I make a list, but I usually buy things around it impulsively. "Hmmm, I need bread *grabs bread* but oooh, look at these bagels! *Also grabs bagels*" I hate meandering around though, so I never go into a store without at least one thing in mind or a general list. I like going in, getting what I need, and leaving. It's not often that I browse, that usually only happens when I'm with someone else who is shopping and I don't need that much. .

5 things I always get:
- Milk. Which surprises no one on here.
- Cereal. Cereal is good at any time of the day (especially at night). Life is my favorite.
- Eggs. You can do so much with them!
- Some fruits and veggies (kiwis are the best, as well as fresh pineapple!)
- Bread. Because I love grilled cheese and french toast
- I'm cheating by adding a 6th, but cheese with crackers is one of my favorite snacks. Real cheese, the sharper cheddar the better!

5 things I would never get:
- Soda. Because I don't really like it.
- Canned ravioli. Canned pasta with meat just sounds gross. Meat shouldn't be canned. That's called dog food.
- Alcohol. It's not that I'm against it, I just feel kinda weird buying it.
- Tofu. Ick.
- Iceberg lettuce. No flavor at all, just crispy water.

 

[Catlynn]

I used to be a partial-list-shopper; as in, I would make a list of stuff I could use to make a meal, and buy that stuff, and then also whatever else caught my eye.

Now, however, I have to be pretty strict- I make a list, and stick to it. Actually, I've had a couple of family members tell me I'm TOO strict (actually, they said "anal" and "obsessive" and "super weird"). But, I've got to shop for 2 full weeks at a time- 14 dinners, 14 lunches, and 14 days of breakfast (which around here is totally a "grab whatever sounds edible" event). Plus, I have to purchase diapers for 2 kids (though one is close to potty-training), and formula for one (and I'm not being prideful when I say this, but we don't use WIC or foodstamps or anything).

My budget is inflexible here.

So, here's how it goes down:

A few days before I plan to go grocery shopping, I make a list of all the meals. It's painful...because I am fine with eating the same set of meals over and over (my mom used to have a "menu" for a month- we had pizza night once a week, and then different stuff for all the other days of the month), whereas my husband doesn't really like to have the same dinners more than once, maybe twice a month. So the planning part is difficult for me. But, once I have THAT list finished, then I start my grocery list.

This includes every ingredient I need for every meal, plus the breakfast and lunch food, plus snacks, plus diapers and formula and various other baby and child paraphernalia, plus cat junk (food and litter), plus anything I might need to bake with, plus any staples we've run out of (milk, butter, blah blah blah), plus cleaning items, plus any shampoo or deodorant or toilet paper or allergy medicine or first aid stuff...yeah.

My grocery list usually fills an entire sheet of paper- I write it out on printer paper, in 2-3 columns.

And THEN...I get another piece of paper and organize my list by aisle, so I can start at one end of the store and go from there. It's faster for me, and fast is good when I have one or more kiddos with me who may or may not be having a meltdown before we're finished shopping.

And THEN...I estimate how much it's going to cost. I have a set amount- I'm not going to be able to add more (well, maybe another 10 bucks or so sometimes) if my list is too expensive. So, if I estimate it's going to cost more than 10 bucks over what I've got planned, then I have to adjust.

Aaaannnnnyyyyyway....

Five things I ALWAYS put in the cart (aside from basic staple foods)-
1. Cold-brew iced tea. I don't really like the way it tastes, but my husband does, and hey, it's super easy. It's all he drinks.
2. Fresh French bread. Even if I don't have that planned out to go with a meal...come on, it can go with nearly anything. I can't resist the smell of it, and it costs like...a buck. Or two.
3. Goldfish crackers. My son loves them, and they're good on a salad.
4. Cottage cheese. I usually have a little for lunch most days, and I always use it instead of ricotta cheese if I'm making stuffed shells or lasagna or something (I HATE ricotta).
5. Pepperoni. Because it's delicious. I don't have to explain myself to anyone.
(I was going to put coffee on this list, but A) that's a staple around here, and B) I don't have to buy it EVERY time)

Five things that NEVER go in my cart-
1. Potato chips. I only eat potato chips if I'm at someone else's house for a barbeque. They make my face break out something awful, and then I resemble the pepperoni pizza I so love, and that, friends, is just super weird.
2. Chef Boyardee stuff. Canned pasta. I can make my own less-than-wonderful pasta, thankyouverymuch.
3. Frozen, microwavable breakfast foods. I don't really have anything against them, but...I think I have something against them.
4. Deli food.
5. Soda. We don't drink it all that often. If we want soda pop, we walk over to the store here and buy a can of it.

And now you know more about me than you ever wanted to.

It does take hours! It's kind of ridiculous, but then, it really does save a lot of money. I don't do the comparing ads thing, because we have 2 choices of places to shop- Walmart, or City Market. But I get the online coupons for my City Market card, soo...

Oh! I also keep track of how much I'm spending at the store as I go- like, for each item I put in the cart, I have to stop and write the amount- rounding up to the nearest dollar- and keep adding. When I've gotten everything on my list, if I have enough money left over, THEN I buy ice cream. Yep. I always feel all warm and fuzzy when I get to the check out and the total comes to less than what I'd estimated.

Don't worry, Seoul- I won't judge you for liking Chef Boyardee or frozen breakfast food I think my issue with it is more because we didn't have that stuff growing up, and I can see why- it's kind of expensive when you're feeding kids. I can feed my family more, and healthier (notice I didn't say "better" because...I can't cook...) by just cooking my own stuff. Yeah.

I hadn't planned to grow spinach, but hey, I could give it a shot

All of this...is exactly what I do. Minus the diapers, formula, and cat junk.

Top 5

1. Fruit - includes whatever is in season and lots of it. Fruit makes for the majority of the kids' snacks.
2. Veggies - again, what's in season and goes with my meal plan. We have veggies with every dinner and salads alone several times a week.
3. Eggs. These are in sooooo many things that I make. Hoping to get chickens soon after moving into the new place.
4. Old fashioned oats - used for more than just oatmeal
5. Meat - what kinds depend on the meal plan.

5 things you'll never see in my cart

1. Soda
2. Frozen dinners of any sort
3. Any sort of ready made foods, like soups and such.
4. American cheese
5. I avoid most processed/boxed/convenience foods