De-constructing the Grocery Shopping List

Growing up, Mom and Dad were always feeding an "army" of people; and, so there were numerous trips to the grocery store. Mom would say that we need this and that and Dad would say write a list. Mom would say "you need to go to the grocery store" and Dad would say "where's the list". When we got to the grocery store we would all say "who has the list?"

The "list": the plan; the map. Over the years I have discovered that there is an art to constructing the most efficient shopping list. Not only do you need to know what you need from the store, but you need to know where you can find it in the store. Hence, you need to know which store you are going to before preparing the list.

I have tried keeping a list of items as I run out. That list is posted on the fridge and has no particular order. I've tried shopping with that random list, but I have found that I invariably forget something and I wander the store aimlessly with no route to follow. And then I buy things I already have (I now have five bottles of barbecue sauce) or really don't need (cookies and ice cream).

My mission is to create a list with items in the order of the store aisles themselves. I take the random list from the fridge and begin transferring those items onto "the list" as I maintain a mental image of the store's layout.

In the upper left corner of the page I note the produce I need. Off to the right I jot down the bakery items. They moved the bakery on me a couple years back and I keep forgetting to start with those items. And, oh yes, the cheeses are in the front of the store by the deli.

The bottom left corner is reserved for soft drinks, water and snacks. The upper right corner lists the dairy products and juices. Meats follow produce and then pantyhose. While in the soup aisle I remember that the organic broths are now in the new organic section back over by the produce and bakery. I'll go back that way after I make a full swing through the store.

Then we need condiments and marinades and pickles and olives followed by toilet paper and plastic storage bags. I don't need cereal today so I will skip that aisle. I'm in the pasta section before I realize I need to go back to the cereal aisle to get coffee and tea and biscotti.

I know the store stopped carrying the cranberry preserves that I like, but just in case I make my way up that aisle just to stare blankly at the shelves and ask myself once again: why did they stop carrying those preserves?

As I turn the aisle filled with cleaning solutions I note that they have moved things around and rearranged the shelving. It's now a double wide aisle full of seasonal products and the cleaning solutions are now divided into two separate "half-aisles". Do I go left? Do I go right? Why is Halloween candy in the same section as Clorox and Glade Air Freshener? Hmmm, candy. . .

Straight ahead I see the milk; back on track. Milk, yogurt, sour cream, orange juice, cheese. . .Wait, didn't I just get cheese? I need more. Eggs, cream cheese, margarine. (Oh, don't forget to circle back and pick up the Lipitor prescription.)

Then I realize - I haven't checked the list. I stand there with the list in hand and eye my cart and the list. Not bad, so far so good. It looks like I missed petite diced tomatoes; I'll circle back. I return the list to the side pocket of my purse and find the coupons. Of course, I have coupons. Now I realize that I've selected the wrong brands and need to retrace my steps to get the discounts. On the way back to the condiment aisle I see a bin of videos - 2 for $10 - let's have a look.

I get in line for check out. Unload my groceries, hand the cashier my shopper discount card and the coupons. I swipe my debit card and I'm on my way home.

As I unload the groceries I realize that I forgot the Lipitor, the coffee, the petite diced tomatoes and I have four packages of cheese.

I start a new list on the fridge. It is back to the drawing board for me; I am still in search of the most efficient grocery shopping list. Any suggestions?

Long Lines: An Economic Observation

I made some "economic" observations yesterday. I was running errands and had a number of stops to make: Target, PetSmart, pick-up prescriptions, grocery shopping, ATM, make-up at the department store and a quick stop for Starbucks.

Target was pretty empty. I not sure if it was because I was there at mid-day or because it was the day after Labor Day or if it's because the kids have gone back to school. In any case, I breezed through, found an open register and was out of there in 20 minutes.

The same was true in the department store and PetSmart; no one in line at the Starbucks either. In and out; get what I needed and I was on to the next errand. The joys of discretionary spending.

Now, the rest of the errands were a different story. The line at that drive-thru ATM was eight cars deep. I guess we all needed funds after the long weekend. The cars weren't zipping through as usual; each of the transaction seemed to be "thoughtful". I know I changed my mind at least three times while waiting: how much do I want to withdraw?

The line to pick-up prescription was about ten deep. In line were some elderly, people with crying children and those who were visibly "not well". All were complaining about the line. I know the pharmacy had recently changed it's computer system, but that wasn't really the problem. The clerk explained that they had also experienced some "right sizing"; they added pharmacists, but reduced the tech and clerk staff. So, we have more pharmacists moving at the speed of light to keep up with the demands and less staff to pass the product on to the end user. A recessionary evil; not to mention that we are probably an over-medicated society.

The grocery store was buzzing. People running into each other with their carts, blocking lanes and making serious decisions over brand names versus generic. The bread aisle was being restocked and the shoppers were taking the bread off the stock boy's cart. The bulk sale aisle was full of people taking advantage of the "10 for $10" sale. I only had a few things to get, so I maneuvered through the masses, picked up my five items and went to check out. You would have thought it was the evening before Thanksgiving. They had seven registers open including the express lane and the U-scan. Lines formed behind each lane. The U-scan lane, which I chose, had at least twelve people in line and we were snaking out down the seasonal products aisle (which already has Halloween candy and costumes - yikes!). No one, in any lane, had a lot of items; there were just a lot of shoppers and fewer clerks to check them out. All of the managers were manning registers.

These lines are also a recessionary evil. Fewer employees to serve the customers; and those fewer employees are dealing with a heavier work load. No one complains because this is the sign of the times. We are literally standing in "bread lines."

On my drive back to the house I noted yet another business closed down. I started rambling off the names of local establishments that have fallen prey to the economy. My sister, who was accompanying me, chided me for being "such a pessimist". I retorted that I was "a realist". Pessimist, realist or optimist, we are all standing in more and more lines.

Lines for groceries; lines for medicine; lines for unemployment benefits; lines at job fairs; lines at clinics; lines at gas stations; lines at the "dollar store" and discount emporiums.

When a line forms, I ask myself, do I really "need" this item? Do I want to "stimulate the economy" or do I want to save my time and money? And so the cycle continues, I don't stand in line, I don't spend the money and the retailer cuts back on staff and then I have to stand in line the next time I go. Or are the long lines a sign of recovery? I will believe that when I have to stand in line to buy lingerie.

Remember, the line forms in the rear and we're all frustrated.