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Yesterday was a "first" for me. It was the first time I took all four of my girls to the grocery store to do a week's worth of shopping. I've taken them to run in for a few things, but this was different. I often take one with me to the store. The most I had previously taken was three, which was easy. I used one of those "car" shopping carts, put two in the car and one in the cart seat and it was easy. This time, though, I knew all four of them would have to.... walk.
It actually wasn't a bad experience. I don't know if it's something I want to repeat any time soon, but at least I know it's doable. They (mostly) stayed with me. They helped put things in the cart. We only ran into a handful of cranky shoppers who didn't want to wait for our parade to pass by. For the most part, the other shoppers were friendly and accommodating.
I ran into a minor crisis going back to the car. On the way into the store, we could all hold hands in the parking lot. On the way out I was suddenly burdened by a shopping cart full of groceries. I instantly regretted not accepting the bagger's offer to help me out to the car. I had each of the girls hold onto the cart and we slowly made our way to the car. Somehow we managed to make the journey without a single car driving by.
Like I said, I don't know if I'll do it again anytime soon, but at least I know it can be done!
About two years ago, after being constantly asked if I watch Jon and Kate Plus 8, I finally broke down and rented the first season through Netflix. Hubby would have been happy to call it quits after the first disc, but I made him sit through the whole season. It's the only season we watched. Lots of scenes stand out in my mind and occasionally still make me roll my eyes. One scene in particular was hard for me to grasp... until now. The family went to Sam's Club and left with a flat bed full of groceries. A flat bed. We're not talking about a month's worth of groceries here or a food for a party or something along those lines. This was a typical Sam's Club outing for the family. Yes, they were a family of 10 at the time, but I just couldn't wrap my brain around it.
Then, a few weeks ago, Hubby and I compared our grocery store receipt to the online prices advertised by Sam's Club. We immediately took note of the items we need to buy at Sam's. Chicken nuggets, fish sticks, three packs of frozen pizza... OK, just writing that makes me realize we rely a lot on convenience foods. But last week I decided to take a stroll through Sam's by myself and realized even milk is cheaper there.
We haven't reached flat bed level, yet. But we're definitely buying more in bulk than we used to. It may seem like a no-brainer, but Sam's used to simply be the place we ran into for a month's supply of diapers and baby wipes. When we stopped using diapers, our trips diminished. I've never had time to do much comparison shopping. I'm all about saving a buck, though, and I'm already seeing a difference in our grocery bills (yes, I'm combining the grocery store AND Sam's bills to come to this conclusion). So, Jon and Kate, I may not have enjoyed the show, but apparently I learned a valuable lesson from you: buy in bulk!
As a member of My Blog Spark, I recently had the opportunity to receive a VIP coupon for a free four pack of Fiber One yogurt from Safeway and Fiber One. I took my coupon to my local Safeway (more on the Safeway connection in a moment) and tried the strawberry flavor.
Our refrigerator is full of yogurt. My daughters like it. I like it because it curbs my sweet tooth after a meal. I'll be honest. To me, yogurt is yogurt. The Fiber One variety was delicious, but I don't know if I would say it is more delicious than any other brand I've tried. Still, it is the only leading nonfat yogurt with 50 calories and 5 grams of fiber, which is a nice bonus. It's also a good source of calcium and Vitamins A and D. When the price is right, I'm happy to put this yogurt in my cart.
Today and tomorrow you can purchase two Fiber One 4-packs for only $4 at your local Safeway family of stores. Definitely worth checking out if you're at the grocery store on these days.
So, the bad news is that I don't have any VIP coupons to giveaway. The good news is that Safeway gave me a $50 gift card to use while I shopped... putting a nice dent in my grocery bill. The better news: one lucky Buried in Laundry reader will win a $50 Safeway gift card, which can also be used at Dominick's, Tom Thumb, Randalls, Vons and Genuardi's. You can use the card to try Fiber One and stock up on other grocery essentials.
To enter the giveaway: (A valid email address is required to enter)
- leave a comment telling me your favorite healthy snack; remember to include your email address
- Earn an additional entry if you become a follower of Buried in Laundry, or if you already follow this blog (PLEASE leave a SEPARATE comment for any additional entries)
- Earn an additional entry by blogging about this giveaway and including a link to this post (again, leave a separate comment if you do this)
The deadline to enter is 9 a.m. MST, February 14, 2010. The winner will be chosen via Random.org. The contest is open to U.S. and Canada residents only. The winner will be notified by email and will have 48 hours after notification to provide me with a delivery address or a new winner will be chosen.
I have to admit, I am burned out on grocery shopping. I feel like every week I leave with a cart full of food and yet by mid-week I'm tapped out on meal ideas. I keep a list and add to it throughout the week, so I'm fairly prepared when I go to the store. But we end up eating the same thing every week. If I have a coupon for something new, I'll give it a try. I'm not one who can sit down and think about meals a week in advance. In the morning I'll look through the pantry and fridge to determine what we're having. I don't have all day to do my shopping, so I rely on my favorite store. If it's not there, I'm not buying it. I go after work,which is likely a mistake, but the most convenient time to go. I pop in the ear plugs to my IPOD and can somewhat enjoy my shopping experience since I'm listening only to music I like and not the music some corporate grocery store employee selected.
So, here's your chance to help me out. Grocery shopping day this week is Saturday. What are your go-to meals? What do you buy that ALWAYS helps you out in a pinch? Ideas please!!!!
