wff_ng_7 wrote:


> "Nancy Young" > wrote:
> > Exactly! I have to make a list because just the sight of all that
> > stuff when I walk in the door makes me forget at least on item I
> > need. Sad, but true.
>
> > I make a list usually in this order: I go through the weekly circular
> > and write down what I want that is on sale. Then I decide on at
> > least a couple of meals and add the ingredients to the list. After
> > that I take a look at what I have to make sure I am not running out of
> > other stuff I expect to be there ... I hate when I find out the hard way
> > I'm out of Worchestershire or something. Grrr.
>
> > When I go shopping, if I feel like it, I wander the aisles and pick up
> > whatever I forgot I needed or just decided I felt like getting. I'm
> > something of an impulse shopper. Like that one time when short ribs
> > looked so good and I suddenly had to find a way to make them. They
> > were coming home with me.
>
> I'm very much like that. I do write things down as I notice I am starting to
> run out of them. I try never to run completely out. On some items
> (nonperishables) I like to keep an "inventory" on hand and only buy them
> when they are on sale.
>
> I then go through the weekly circular and see what sale items I might want
> and add them to the list. If am feeling like having something particular
> that week (which I usually do), I put those items on the list.
>
> When I get to the store, I almost always go up and down every aisle, unless
> I am pressed for time. I'll get the items on the list, but sometimes make
> substitions on the fly. If the chicken looks a lot better than the beef, I
> might change my plans. I also note if there is anything on sale that's not
> in the circular, and pick it up if it's something I'll need and it's a good
> deal.


That is my strategy. I am a slightly OCD list maker [but I don't
suffer from Asperger's AFAIK ;--) ]...

Being single is a big help, I always know what I have and what I
need...



> I also look for things I've never seen or used before to get ideas. If I
> find something interesting that I can use, I'll buy it. One item in that
> class was sour salt. I stopped at the Jewish foods section one day and
> picked a container up to see what it was. Then I realized it was citric
> acid. I had been getting it at the health foods store for a much higher
> price. If I hadn't stopped to look, I wouldn't have made that discovery.


Whenever I visit a new (usually ethnic and cheap) store I'll do what
I'll call "wild card" shopping, I'll get whatever looks interesting
and strikes my fancy. On that first visit I'll generally try to limit
myself to $50.00 or so, and also to what I can carry. I'm the type if
that if I have some spare bux in my pocket I'll spend it on food
shopping...

At my usual Asian place I now strictly limit myself to one small carry
basket, the first time I went I filled up almost two shopping carts,
had to take a taxi home...and I'm single, lol.

I've pretty much done many of the cheap ethnic places, but since you
mention Kosher there are several interesting heavily Jewish - type
places just to the north of me (Devon Ave. here in Chicago, Skokie,
IL...), including apparently some Hungarian and Romanian places. I'll
have to make a trip now that warmer weather is here... :-)


> In spite of the lists, I still forget things. And often enough, it is the
> one item I really needed. A somewhat regular item I forget is the Sunday
> paper. They have them right at the end of the checkout aisles, and I still
> forget as I am unloading my basket right next to them! That happens if
> anything distracts me. So I try to pick up the paper first thing going into
> the store now.


I'll buy a Sunday Chicago Tribune for the coupons and sale ads, even
most of them are online these days. I'll usually buy a Wednesday
paper for the food ads. That's about it for newspapers for me,
everything's online now. I am an inveterate reader and used to spend
tons for newspapers, I was always the first to pick up the Sunday New
York Times from the vendor down on the corner, lol...that was years
ago, I haven't picked up the Sunday Times for ages (isn't it like five
bux or close now?)...and that vendor is now history too.

--
Best
Greg