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Grocery shopping - choices and habits

Irina

Veteran

Although I’ve been in Canada for more than 20 years, I suspect my grocery shopping habits are not exactly North American.

If I had the time, I would shop for groceries a few times a week. But I don’t.

I shop once a week. We drive to 3 different grocery store. In one we buy basics, the second one has the best selection of fish. I buy croissants and special tomatoes, gelato in the summer from a third one. Also, I buy flowers there. We drive to these stores, it’s about 10 minute drive. We walk to a green grocer in our neighborhood weekly to buy fruits. I do not shop at Costco or Walmart.

I know it’s a privilege to have an easy access to so many stores. But we have our challenges, too. We don’t eat meat, I also avoid most of fish and dairy. Searching for options is an interesting journey in itself. For example, we discovered the best fake meat meatballs are sold by IKEA We also love their gluten free cakes.

Those meatballs and IKEA cakes, frozen forest mushrooms from a specialty store, pierogi (like any decent Eastern European) are the only things I keep in our freezer. Plus, ice and sometimes an ice cream. I do not buy frozen veggies, fruits or precooked meals. I cook from scratch once a day. Not because I enjoy it on a daily basis but I’m a picky eater and do not like leftovers much. I cook 3 portions - 2 for dinner and one for my DH’s lunch next day. We eat out or buy takeout on weekends to give me a break and to experience other foods.

I often ask people at work how they cook meals and buy groceries. I find it so interesting. What are your habits? Are they different from how your parents shopped? Or from your friends? Most of my friends appreciate Costco even if there are only two people in their household.

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41 replies

Latest reply was from Irina

Helena

Veteran

I spent many years to trying to please a rather picky audience, with a lot of frustration ... Now I please myself and everyone is happier *shrugs*. I tend to make a loose meal plan for the weeknights and shop accordingly, Friday is takeout, Saturday depends, and Sunday my husband generally cooks. I shop at Farm boy for most of my fresh stuff, a bigger-box store for stuff like cleaners and larger pantry stock up items, and then there are a few small local grocers that might have a wonderful pasta sauce or bread or whatever that I will pop in for. Generally I shop once a week for a bigger shop, but then pop out a couple of times during the week to replenish certain things. In the summer I will be stocking up more frequently to feed the bands of marauding teenagers that make their way through the house (which I love!!)

I have to admit I'm a Costco hater ... The size, selection and busy-ness gives me anxiety!! There are a couple of things that are worth the trouble there, such as our protein powder, but DH loves Costco so that's his job

I feel very grateful every time I go into the grocery store, with so many people struggling with rising costs. I am happy that prices seem to be stabilizing and the stores seem to feel a bit of pressure to be more competitive.

Sal

Veteran

I do a variety of things Irina - we don't have the superstores like the USA/Canada but we do have well stocked large supermarkets.

- I mostly do one larger shop a week from a supermarket (either in person or click and collect)
- I often buy cheese and bread from specialty stores
- I top up fruit and vege as needed from a local greengrocer

I have subscriptions for coffee beans, toilet paper, cleaning supplies and avocadoes which are delivered. We also buy fruit for work so don't buy a lot for our home. I am still in a state of flux with my younger son being in and out of home with college (mostly away but home regularly).

We do meal boxes maybe three days a month.

We entertain or eat at others homes once a week or fortnight. We have takeaways about once a fortnight. We dine out for dinner about once or twice a month. I mostly eat breakfast at home and lunch at work.

I am lucky too. Having a secure food supply is a privilege.

Irina

Veteran

Helena, your shopping habits are similar to mine. And a Farm Boy is a third store on my shopping run.

Sal, having a subscription is great! Our kids buy us one for veggies from a local farmer once in a while. And we have a coffee one, too.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

I happen to have the fortune of living two houses down from a well stocked mini-market. Although the prices are a bit higher than at the big supermarkets, we are able to shop for exactly what we need when we need it so have figured out it saves us money in the long run. We also go to a butcher and vegetable store (more like farmer's market) as needed. I should also mention that my husband is a foodie, and an excellent cook, who follows food trends like a follow fashion trends. I hardly cook at all.
I am terribly aware of the privilege involved in all of this right now.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Mr. Suz and I are both omnivores (low red meat) and we both like to cook. In our previous marriages, we were each the primary shopper/ cook in the household. Now we share, but these days, since Mr. Suz is retired and I am not, he does most of the shopping and plans what we will have, or at least finds recipes and sends me a few to choose from. We then get together to prepare the stuff together most nights, though again, these days he often does the bulk of it and I tend to act as sous chef.

Our now grown up kids include one omnivore who especially loves Asian food (this one lives and eats with us about 3 nights a week), one pescatarian, one Kosher, one vegan, and now also their partners and kids, who vary in their needs, but these ones don't live with us regularly -- they just visit.

In two of our living situations (small city; large city with "village" area that we could walk to) we tended to shop every day or two, walking to the shops for produce, fish, meat, cheese, etc. We'd go in the car once a week or so to a bigger grocery for cleaning stuff, heavier items like tins, paper goods, condiments, milk, etc.

In our current suburban environment, Mr. Suz drives to the stores several times a week. He is less efficient than I am and tends to make way more trips than I would! But he enjoys it. He frequents a small butcher and a particular grocer for fish and a different grocer for produce and on and on.

We also grow some herbs and veggies, and we get a box of veggies most every week from our community supported agriculture (local farmers). We use our freezer a lot for fruit, some breads, certain veggies (peas , edamame) leftovers, and soups that I often make with whatever veggies/ legumes we happen to have in the fridge and pantry and freeze for later use.

We do eat leftovers, especially as lunches. We rarely eat prepared foods, though once in a while we'll buy a quiche or similar. We *do* love to go out, but we don't do it all that often in our current city. Much more often when we are travelling.

My mother did all the shopping and cooking when I was growing up. I don't think my father knew how to boil an egg! Though he did do some BBQing. Anyway -- we are different from them, for sure!

My friends' habits vary enormously because I have friends at all stages of life (from those with little kids, to singles without kids, to older singles to couples with varying types of work/ hours/ and living arrangements, not to mention income etc.) so it's impossible to generalize.

Suntiger

Putting it mildly, I hate grocery shopping with the power of a thousand suns!

Once a month to every 6 weeks, we do our big Trader Joes shop for us and dear mum. It's an Event 2 carts and color coded bags so we know who's is who's. We do buy a lot of frozen produce and easy microwavable things when there's nothing in season in my area. In general my meals are very small and very simple. Ideally we would use everything up every month, clean the fridge, and start over. But.....

DH will go to a local grocery about weekly, generally to get stuff like chips and cookies :/ Occasionally I have him get things like bread and cheese or Beyond burgers/Morningstar Farms.

In season, I go to the farm every week. I'll pick berries by the flatfull I eat a lot of fresh produce in summer!

ETA- I'm vegetarian, DH isn't but just eats preprepared meat.

Helena

Veteran

Irina, if you like bagels, Kettleman's Bagels at Farmboy are amazing (I think they are from Montréal)!! Yes I am evangelizing for bagels lol ...

RobinF

Veteran

Interesting question! I am lucky, my DH likes to cook so he does most of the cooking and shopping. We go together sometimes too.

We do a big shop about once a week, at two stores, Aldi and the regular grocery store. We don't have a Costco membership, for only two of us we don't need the large quantities (all our kids have moved out) and the few times we have gone we overspend so no incentive to get a membership. We eat lots of fruits and salads so sometimes have to get more of that in between shops.

I usually bring my breakfast and lunch to work so those have to be portable, lunch is usually soup of some sort or leftovers. We eat out maybe once a week at the most.

I spend a year in Finland as a high school student and my host mom stopped at the local grocery between the bus stop and our condo almost every day. I always thought it was nice to be able to do that instead of the big production of weekly shopping. Not sure she would agree though

LJP

Veteran

Living in a suburb of a medium-sized city, I do all of the stereotypical things like shop at Costco (although that's usually my DH's gig- he loves it and I basically hate people in Costco so ...) , do a Saturday or Sunday big grocery shop at a big supermarket, and supplement with weekend farmers' market trips in the summer and the odd splurge at an Italian mercato nearby. I meal plan in spurts and it helps cut down on shopping trips, and between the 3 of us, we eat well (made from scratch dinners, leftovers for lunches etc ). I still find food prices very high here, and I've cut way back on my $7 a container greek yogurts for example. Living in a suburb means there are no mini markets nearby, and no green grocers either (that's what the farmers' market is for in the summer). I don't visit meat markets and only occasionally visit a special seafood store. I'm very basic, lol.

Bijou

Veteran

My DH does the cooking and shopping too. He does a daily shop at an independent local supermarket that prioritises on sourcing local produce, bread is from a local baker bought every 2-3 days and a weekly shop at Woolworths for cleaning products and other essentials. I catch up with friends for a weekly coffee and eat out at a local restaurant about once a month, socialising with friends.

Irina

Veteran

Jaime, oh how wonderful to shop when you need it! And have someone to cook for the whole family My husband only cooks fish that he eats
Suz, at one point my DH and I agreed to share cooking and he did it a couple of days a week. But then complained that I don't like his cooking. I think he wasn't trying too hard and secretly hoping I will ask hi to stop. And I did. But he does BBQ, veggies mostly and sometimes shrimps or fish.
Suntiger, my DH likes grocery shopping way more than I do and he doesn't cook! I do love berries, too. It is a must for my breakfast.
Helena, I do love them and buy bagels from a Kettlemans store that is in too blocks from my office. I buy cream cheese there, too.
RobinF, I think it comes down to time - shopping often during a week takes time. it also a habit. I buy croissants from a local place. These are the best croissants in the city! At the store they always suggest to eat their baked goods in less than 24 hours, so buy for a day and eat only fresh. BTW, during pandemic, waiting in line outside of the store was up to 40 minutes.

Irina

Veteran

LJP, well life in suburbs is like that everywhere. One of the reasons we never moved and stayed in our small house

downtown for more than 20 years that outside of the city one need to drive everywhere. I agree that food prices are way up. In our family I find as we age, we eat less and buy less food but we spend probably more due to inflation.
Bijou, I seriously envy you and others who were smart enough to marry a guy who can cook! If my DH goes grocery shopping by himself, he has a list from me and then text me questions with photos from a grocery stores!

ChristelJ

Veteran

Irina, it's so worth it to drive to get fish, croissants and so on. Our home is in a small town with very limited food options, so I shop once a week at home and I drive to the big city once a month to Trader Joe's for staples like olive oil and cheese, and to Whole foods or Natural Grocers for fish, good bread, etc. We don't shop at Costco or Walmart but my friends do. I don't cook meat and find that limited choices in my town make me more creative.

I do most of the cooking, and DH is helping me chop sometimes. He can make grilled meat but since I don't eat it he is learning to roast vegetables!

Currently we are staying for months in a big city with lots of options for food, and it is fun but expensive and overwhelming. I must stick to my list and put blinders on when I go out!

MsMary

Veteran

We have been getting Blue Apron meal boxes for 10 years now and love it. We generally eat leftovers from dinner for our lunches. To fill in, we go to Trader Joe's once a week or so, and I also do an online order with the local supermarket and they bring it out to me in the parking lot. That was something that started in the pandemic and I love it SO MUCH! I never set foot in the supermarket any more and it's great. We do a Costco run a few times a year but mostly for non-food items. Oh, and since the pandemic I do all our baking so that's been fun.

JAileen

Veteran

My husband retired in 2019, and I gave him my most hated chores - vacuuming and grocery shopping. So I’ve done very little shopping the past few years. He’s very methodical, though, going every four days. He goes to the neighborhood store that is in walking distance, but it’s too far to carry a bunch of bags of groceries, so he drives. There is a Costco in town, but we don’t go, since there are just the two of us.

We plan our meals together, and eat most of our meals at home. We’re not vegetarians but do eat a lot of vegetables. In the summer we have a big vegetable garden and grow tomatoes, squash, eggplant, beans, peas, rhubarb and herbs. We also have a few peach and apple trees, and raspberries. Last year we put in some blackberries. Just this morning we bought seed starter mix to start our tomatoes. Last year we had 18 tomato plants and this year I want a few more. In summer I love a tomato salad.

We’re in a bean club and get a box of interesting beans every quarter. https://www.ranchogordo.com

Unbelievable fact: In my last year of college I shared an apartment with a couple of other women. Our weekly food budget for three meals a day was $10 each.

Pictured: rhubarb pie I made for my husband’s birthday last year, with our homegrown rhubarb.

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anchie

Veteran

I also find this interesting. I have no idea what Costco is
I don’t like grocery shopping, and I especially hate going to huge busy supermarkets where you have to go with car, i find it huge waste of time and stressful. I prefer local supermarkets where I can go on foot with my little shopping trolley. I do it Saturday mornings and I buy ingredients for weekend meals because I cook only over the weekends. Groceries are closed here on Sundays.
My husband is retired and he shops and cooks on weekdays. He combines local supermarkets with big ones because he doesn’t mind driving and this shops are less crowded on weekdays than on Saturdays. He is not very good with meal planning and he shops just for day or two ahead. I also have very nice commissary shop at work with favorite groceries from all over the world and I stop by on my way home almost daily - it has some items that we like and can’t buy anywhere else but since I am using public transport I buy only what I can carry in my bag so I have to be strategic with my shopping. This shop is not open on weekends.
My parents were opposite when I was growing up in former Yugoslavia. They did huge monthly shopping in bulk. Meat was portioned and put in freezer. Vegetables were grown in our huge garden, we had a milkman bringing fresh milk daily and my father was buying hot bread from bakery every morning. Both of my parents were working, and my grandmother was maintaining garden and cooking. She also made homemade pasta and canned leftover vegetables all while being completely blind.

Irina

Veteran

Wrote a big reply and lost it was destructed following the tragic news from Russia.
Will rewrite tomorrow, sorry.

Kate

Veteran

My husband does a big shop once a week at one of our local grocery chains where the usual haul includes household cleaners, paper products, vitamin drinks, cereal and the like. Catfood and litter, a significant part of the grocery bill for our tribe of four, we order from Chewy. Then I shop a couple of times a week from a trio of stores: an organic market for fruit & veg; Trader Joe’s for things like salmon, kefir, buttermilk, bagels, and flowers, and our local historic market, Eastern Market for fresh pasta, seafood, flowers, and anything I can’t find anywhere else. Currently looking for a coffee source, since our beloved Ethiopian cafe, where we also bought our beans, unexpectedly closed. We are so lucky that all of these places are within walking distance, since it’s been 24 years since we last owned a car.

Zaeobi

(website)

Veteran

We are incredibly lucky* here in HK, that we have a shopping mall directly underneath our apartment complex, with two different grocery shops & a bunch of smaller fruits etc shops under direct cover. There's also a Japanese department store across the road.

I've noticed this has enabled MrZ to essentially grocery shop a few times each week, since he doesn't even have to be out in the elements to easily replenish key items (eggs, bananas etc) right after work.

This used to stress me out, because I like planning out a shopping list & going grocery shopping once a week, as my parents do. I take my shopping trolley (& now a flexible woven tote I picked up on my travels) to stock up on fruits & vegetables in one grocery shop, dairy products & household goods in the other (we are pescatarian but don't buy seafood ourselves). Japanese products we grab from across the road occasionally (I like their innovative bath stuff & MrZ likes their hot sauces lol).

I then head out further afield once a month to pick up spices & ingredients needed for South Asian cooking (some you can find in the local grocery shops, but for a much smaller quantity & heftier pricetag). Plus I like being able to tell the shopkeeper what I'm planning to cook & they know which ingredients to bring me. Whereas Chinese markets, trying to explain the difference between parsley & coriander nets me blank stares. LOL it's a struggle sometimes!

I now go with the flow a bit more when it comes to grocery shopping - since MrZ likes to do it more spontaneously, he cooks us 'quick' meals (stir fries etc) during the week, whereas I do big batch curries at the weekend (I freeze for months on end without spoiling, because the spices naturally preserve the curry). My mother-in-law is always picking up stuff from the wet market & cannot fathom us being 'fully' vegetarian, so we usually bring home fish dishes from hers (also lives walking distance from us).

Anyway, all that to say I'm sure I'll miss the walking lifestyle & convenience of Hong Kong once I'm gone. Not looking forward to having to drive just to get my groceries (& having to navigate huge grocery stores again, lol).

* Or you could see us 'unlucky' in HK, depending on how much you value your peace & quiet

Runcarla

Veteran

I’m the primary cook and DH BBQ’s. DS#1 is a great cook, and will contribute a meal or two each month. We are a family of 4 adults. We eat a sit down dinner as a family 5 days a week, and a family breakfast/brunch most weekends. We dine out once a month or when travelling, though we frequent coffee/pastry shops 2-3 times a week either in the course of a walk or a drive in the country.

-grocery store - weekly
-pharmacy - twice a month on seniors day (20% off) specialty British items and a favourite ice cream
-health food store for unusual bulk items (steel cut oats, nuts) - twice a month
-specialty cheese store - 4 times a year (have to drive 30 minutes)
-farm market - weekly for produce once open (May to December)
-garden for fresh veg and herbs in summer

Irina

Veteran

ChristelJ, moving a small place after living in big cities comes as a shock, too. Happened to my kids when they had live in a family cottage before buying a place in Toronto. Made them appreciate accessibility even more.

JAileen, embarrassing but true, I didn’t know what rhubarb was and what to do with it until my DIL baked us a pie. Yours looks delicious.

Anchie, wow, your grandma could do all these things while blind! Unbelievable! I grew up with my grandma, too and remember her baking fondly.

Kate, I agree it’s such a privilege to have all the great grocery choices in a walking distance. I see inside a car once a week most of the time when we do a grocery run. My DH’s work has always been outside of a city core and he has to drive but I don’t drive.

Zaeobi, what an awesome variety you have! HK is one of the places you would love to visit!

Irina

Veteran

RunCarla, we buy from a farmer market June to October here. For the last two years our kids gifted us a subscription, once a month delivery of vegetables from a farm from November to April. Nice!

Suz

(website)

Veteran

It is tragic news indeed, Irina, and I hope everyone you love is safe.

I have enjoyed reading all the different habits and routines people have! It's so dependent on where we live, it seems.

April

Veteran

Irina - thought of you immediately when I heard the terrible news.

Here's how we do things.

1. We mail-order things that can't be found locally, e.g., I make tortillas from scratch, which requires a specific brand of canned salsa verde that is not available in our town. Once a week I place an order with Misfits Market. Bodie's dog food comes from Farmer's Dog and hogs a fair amount of freezer space. Frozen smoked fish from my pal Richard Penniman at Stonington Seafood ("fish smoker to the royal family.") Frozen meat from Walden Local for Mr. A, because I won't buy any meat from factory farms.

2. I go to Trader Joe's every couple weeks.

3. I went once to Costco with my FIL and vowed never again.

4. We have a local chain grocery and a local mom and pop grocery, both of which we frequent often.

5. As a special treat, I sometimes go to the next town over which has an excellent small Asian grocery right across the street from an excellent-if-tiny Italian grocery/deli. That town also has abundant Indian and Latin markets, but I have not ventured to them yet. Must go to the Latin markets with my Venezuelan sister-in-law but I don't have a current guide for the Indian shop.

6. We have a nearby organic co-op which we sometimes go to.

7. Our local farmer's market opens on April 20 and we will be there every week for sure. We grow our own herbs and tomatoes in summer.

My word, that is a whole lot of grocery-procurement for two people! I tend to cook in abundance and put the extra into the basement freezer. That is LMA's favorite part of coming home, I think - going to the basement and helping himself from the shelf labeled HOMEMADES.

Yes, I am the sort of person who labels the freezer shelves.

Dee

Veteran

I do all the cooking and grocery shopping, my husband is in charge of clean-up. I live in suburbia and have multiple grocery stores within a 5 minute drive for me. There’s also lots of Asian grocery stores and a fab organic grocery nearby too.
I usually shop twice a week- I frequent the discount/bag-your-own stores first for all the sales using the Flipp app, then hunt for any deals at the more fancier stores.
I’m not really good at meal planning either, I kind of wing it with a lot of my meals. We eat mostly chicken, seafood or vegetarian type meals. I’m also a big soup maker. Hate wasting food too, always a challenge to not do this.
We usually do take-out twice a week to give me a break.

Helena

Veteran

Irina, thinking of you and hoping your friends and family in Russia are ok x

JAileen

Veteran

Irina, I had never tasted rhubarb until I was an adult because my mother didn’t like it. When we bought our house, our next door neighbor gave us a rhubarb plant. I had no idea how to use it, when to pick it, or anything. Since then, we’ve all become huge fans. My husband always requests a rhubarb pie instead of a cake for his birthday.

Irina

Veteran

Suz, thanks!

April, we love Indian food and I tried many times with help from friends. But Indian cuisine is probably the most challenging. I gave up and we buy takeout from the Indian restaurant in our neighborhood. Our 18 months old grandson’s favorite dish is butter chicken
Dee, I’m a big soup fan, too but only cook a few types, had to give up some of our favorites when we went vegetarian.

Helena, thank you. I don’t have any family or friends in Moscow but it is very upsetting to see such a tragedy.

JAileen, rhubarb pie is now one of my favorites, too.

AndiB

Veteran

in the minority here, I really like grocery shopping! I mostly go to Kroger for "outside aisle" shopping - fruit, veg, cheese, yogurt, eggs, cottage cheese. Some middle aisle forays for grains (farrow, quinoa, WW orzo mostly these days, brown rice). We don't eat red meat at home (my husband doesn't eat it at all, I occasionally indulge when eating out). We get our chicken (we eat A LOT of chicken) at a neighborhood butcher shop, noticeably better than super market chicken, even the organic. Fish from the Fish monger a half mile from our home. When the weather is nice enough, my husband on Sunday grills a ton of protein and I roast sheet pans of vegetables in the oven (broccoli, cauliflower, colored peppers and onions, asparagus, CABBAGE! Brussels sprouts, others) Then we eat on that all weak, making different meals from the protein, veggies and grains. We are in Ann Arbor MI, and live an old neighborhood adjacent to town, and the fish market, another fancy shop (honestly don't go there much, SPENDY!) and a coop all within walking distance. I have to drive to Kroger but it is between my office and my home, so easy enough to do.

I DO have a Costco membership, only for about a year now, and I go maybe quarterly. There are some things I really like about Costco, and mostly get produce. I take a container of veggies to work every day for snacking, so I can get my vegetables in, and a big tub of tomatoes (wild wonders, love!), little cukes, little peppers, sugar snap peas are great for that. I'll make my way through a lot of veggies in 7 days. And berries also good at Costco. They have a surprisingly large selection of organic too. Husband does occasional Trader Joe treks. While I love the idea of European style stopping (daily or close) I still work full time (husband retires this summer, maybe he'll take over shopping!) and convenience trumps experience, at least for now. Luckily, once I am retired, we are close enough to do almost all the shopping within walking distance.

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