Who likes going to the grocery store ?

I sure do . I go pretty much every day. I could see the other side . Long lines at checkout, or other. Love it or hate it ? Inspired from reading another topic .

6 Likes

I donā€™t love grocery shopping. But I donā€™t hate it either. Put me down for tolerates it.

2 Likes

Supermarket shopping is, for me, just another of lifeā€™s necessities - like RedJim, just something to be got on with.

Now, ask me about visits to specialist shops, like cheesemongers, or the local South Asian or Middle Eastern shops, and Iā€™ll give you the full 30 minute set about how much I always enjoy them.

10 Likes

These days, I fall in the kid in a candy store category and I am a label reader. I can easily spend half a day in half a dozen food shops of all kinds and then go many days without needing to buy anything other than eggs.

BUT, because I consume a decent amt of produce which requires more frequent shopping, I try to enjoy shoppingā€¦why spend time disliking the process when the reward is deliciousšŸ˜‰. If my wife goes or my siblings want to share a store buy all the better. Then I hang in the wine shop looking at the vast array of enjoyment found therešŸ‘

6 Likes

I love it but I go at off hours so I donā€™t deal with lines, etc. Iā€™m not sure why I do, but Iā€™d really rather go and pick out my own stuff than trust a pea pod or whatever. But I do like it. I do one big one on the weekend and usually end up in some kind of market for something else every day, And different markets. We have one where I live that is great for take out stuff, they have store made cold cut items like fresh turkey, roast beef and ham, a wonderful cheese section, so I try to get there once a week now too. Each store has something else to offer. Yes, I have a bit too much time on my hands at the moment!!

7 Likes

Iā€™ve been thinking the same thing, John. I really like stopping in at the Butcher Shop we patronize, and our local bakery, too.

4 Likes

My twist: The dream is to get as close to the producer as possible. Which means I tend to favor farmstands, CSAs, and small businesses that sell direct-to-consumer.

Thatā€™s hardly practical year-round living in New England so off to the grocery store I go. I do like supermarket shopping more if I find well-priced, high-quailty items I didnā€™t expect. (Looking at you, marcona almonds at Market Basket.)

And Iā€™ve been known to swoon at specialist shops anywhere and at grocery stores in other countries. Learning or finding something new is happiness.

4 Likes

I enjoy going when I donā€™t really ā€œneedā€ anything. Then it is an activity I chose and enjoy. And if the lines are too long or the store is too crowded, I just leave because Iā€™m not enjoying it.

So over all, I like going to the grocery store because when I donā€™t like it, I donā€™t go.

4 Likes

I usually enjoy it, except Trader Joeā€™s. More often than not, TJā€™s makes me dislike humanity. (To be fair, I went yesterday and it was easy-breezy, usually the parking lot is a nightmare and people are wandering aimlessly with children and parking their carts in the middles of the aisles with zero sense of how much space they take up.)

7 Likes

Copy and paste from another thread.

Many folks who know me think Iā€™m a ā€œgoodā€ cook (not sure they would think in terms of ā€œseriousā€, but I only like grocery shopping when I donā€™t really have to.

Thank goodness my husband does the ā€œhave toā€ grocery shopping, with a list, and I go where I want, off and on, to see what looks interesting and inspirational. No list.

I DO love checking out food places in other countries, but usually with no need to buy.

Airport in Rome. I SO wanted that guianciale, but learned my lesson when I bought that jamon iberico in the airport in Barcelona.

6 Likes

What happened to that jamon? Donā€™t tell me it had to go into the trash can!

1 Like

Supposedly Iberico de bellota!
:sweat:
Didnā€™t see it going in the garbage.
Sort of hope the folks who took it, got to eat it.

2 Likes

Well put! I donā€™t go to TJā€™s as much as I would like. The parking lot is the size of a postage stamp. Zombies pushing carts without a licence turn shopping into a nightmare obstacle course. By the time I make it to the register I have to bite my lip to keep from screaming ā€œjust shut the F up and ring!ā€ Iā€™m fine with chatty but sheesh, it is possible to ring an order and talk simultaneously.

4 Likes

"I do like supermarket shopping more if I find well-priced, high-quailty items I didnā€™t expect. "

Yes! Looking at you, various ā€œfatty meatsā€ (as my husband calls them) at Lucky Market in Vacaville. You will not find these moreā€¦ā€œethnicā€ choices at the otherwise amazing Nugget Market, and I almost always find something at Lucky that I am happy to play around with.

A week ago I got ground lamb for $1.99/ pound, and sometimes they have the ā€œpointā€ of a brisket.

1 Like

I so agree! Everything you said!! I kind of feel the same way about Whole Foods.

2 Likes

My wife finds it stressful, I find it relaxing

I never go into either of those places. Way too trendy for me.

I go to the grocery store often & I like it. I donā€™t buy much there - I buy most of my stuff in bulk or at farmers markets & specialty stores (which I also love). However, my local large grocery store has some stuff I like. Near the deli there is a ā€˜Butts & Cutsā€™ cooler where they sell the ends of the cheeses & cold cuts. I buy stuff like American Cheese, Cheddar cheese, Provolone & that stuff for $1.99 per pound rather than whatever theyā€™re selling it for at the deli counter. Thereā€™s a "Managerā€™s Specialā€™ bin in the meat cooler which has also great deals. For example - one day they had one pound packages of free-range, local ground beef for $0.99. I bought 10. Yes - I do have a big freezer. Then they had individual Smithfield ham slices - about a half pound each for $0.30 each. I bought a stack of those too. Up by the checkout they have a couple coolers of managerā€™s specials where they have the end of the day baked goods, prepared foods & often their 8 pc fried chicken packs for half price. Thatā€™s really one of my guilty pleasure foods. So - the grocery store is kind of like a treasure hunt for me. Of course some days they have nothing. That I want to eat anyway.

6 Likes

I love specialty markets, and i love nothing more than visiting grocery stores while traveling. Just going to safeway in california is an amazing wonderful thing i really enjoy.
However- grocery shopping in manhattan generally sucks. A lot. The produce can be hit or miss or stupid expensive, sales often include lots of fine print or theyā€™re just out of stock of what is on sale, and the employees are apathetic at best and at other times just not helpful or downright rude.
I brave going to trader joeā€™s on a regular basis but itā€™s a very stressful experience- if there was a shop online delivery option for trader joeā€™s i would be VERY into it.

5 Likes

I do too! I love the little shops, but the big markets in different states are so different! In Maine we stop at Hannaford. Iā€™m from NY, so I am always amazed by the obvious cleanliness and the friendliness of staff. Even their cold cuts taste better than Stop and Shop!!! And they have these weird ā€œredā€ hot dogs!

5 Likes

I think you live uptown, but the Trader Joeā€™s that just opened on Grand & Clinton is like a giant, half- deserted suburban supermarket. You could drive an SUV through the aisles. The longest Iā€™ve waited on line is about 45 seconds. If all other Trader Joes are Soul Cycle, this one is Yin Yoga.

2 Likes