Tuesday's Tip - Grocery Lists and Shopping

As much as I love cooking, one of my least favorite things to do is to go to the grocery store. I therefore try to make the process as quick and painless as possible. How?

The quick:

To make it quick, you have to be prepared. Prepared means that you have a list ready. I had once purchased the handy-dandy pad you see in the picture above, it makes it easier to remember what you need. Lately though I've been using the Harris Teeter Express Lane app. I have it on me all the time since it's on my phone. Whenever I find a recipe that tickles my fancy and I decide to make in my meal prep, I add the ingredients to it right away. It also makes it easier whenever I run out of something at home as I just add it to the list. With these apps you don't have to go through and make an online purchase, you can just bring it to the store with you and use it as your list and delete the items as you get them. You can also print it out and use it as a list that way.

Here is where I got the pad if any of you are interested in getting it. It's a good tool to keep in the kitchen and makes it quick to add things to.

The painless:

• NEVER go to the grocery store on an empty stomach, You will be more tempted to purchase items that are unhealthy and that you don't need. 
• Go without the kids. I know, often times it's not possible, but my husband finally came to understand that time I spend at the grocery is my moment of zen when I don't have to deal with the kids driving me insane for a little while.
• Order your groceries and go pick them up. This is the method that I've been using lately. There is a fee of course, $5 where I go, but if you think about it the average coffee in a coffee shop costs about that. To me one less coffee means time that I have gained by not doing something I don't really like to do to begin with. I've timed it so that I pick up the grocery on the way back from my son's soccer game. By noon on Saturday I've taken the kids to soccer and TaeKwonDo, and done my groceries! Hoorray me!