Roles of the Sexes: Grocery Shopping
Oct 15th 2007
Julia LondonMy Life As A Plebe
In our house, Mr. London does the grocery shopping. This started several years ago when he became concerned about the price of asparagus–or more accurately, he became concerned that I was not concerned about the price of asparagus. There’d been something in California–earthquake, mudslide, election, who knows–and it was up to about $4.50 a pound. I said, “Who cares? It’s good for you!” He said, “Are you kidding? Seriously, are you kidding? Give me the grocery list. We will eat healthy and we’ll do it a whole lot cheaper than what you spend.” I said, “Oh, honey, no, don’t make me!” and gleefully threw the responsiblity at him.
I hate the grocery store. Loathe it. There are too many choices! I hate looking for stuff and I hate trying to decide what to eat that week. I hate being roped in to new products, too. They never taste as good at home as they do in the store.
Anyhoo, Jack London went after it. I will give him his props–he was bringing in the groceries around $100 a week. Granted, there were a lot of giant cans of Dinty Moore Stew, but I got my chai tea and fruits and veggies, so I didn’t care.
This weekend, we decided to make it “a couple” outing (note: you know you’ve been together a long damn time if grocery shopping is a “couple” outing). We went to one of those fancy-schmancy gourmet grocery stores. I bought wine and lean meats and really strange looking fruits. Plus a new blender. I really need a new blender. Jack London walked around exclaiming loudly that there was no way in hell he’d ever pay $8 a pound for cheese, and he didn’t care if the King of France sh— (I was able to stop him before he completed the sentence, and at the same time, remind him there wasn’t a king of France, to which he asked WHY, but I digress).
We finished up, went to the till and started shoveling our groceries and my new blender onto the belt. I could see the digital display and started to get a little woozy. That bill hit $100 and it didn’t look like the guy had even made a dent. The total, when it was all said and done, was $240. For a week’s worth of groceries. And there isn’t a single teenager in our house.
We sat in the car examining the bill. He was certain we’d been ripped off, much like he is certain the refs are cheating when his team loses. I said, “No, it’s YOUR stuff that costs so much. Look at this Australian beer! And did you have to buy ginormous steaks? And a gallon of ice cream, ha! Plus, look at this! TWO bags of chips?” He snatched the list and and said, “Oh yeah? Well what about all this wine, you wino? $15 a bottle! You know we never go over $10! Chocolate?!? I didn’t see any chocolate! When did you put chocolate in the cart?” I grabbed it back and studied it further. Imagine my horror to see dog food: $52.00 for a bag of premium geriatric dog food. I cannot believe I spent $52 on the those damn dogs!
We went home, defeated. We agreed to go back our respective roles: I make the list, he does the shopping. And we both agreed that maybe our local grocery, with it’s pedestrian wine and cheap ice cream, is more our speed. And the best news was that he’d forgotten about the chocolate by the time we got home and I was able to hide it successfully.
Who does the shopping in your house? What are you big grocery splurge items? Do you have a budget that you won’t go over, or do you pick up the asparagus regardless of cost because it is good for you?
77 Comments »
77 Responses to “Roles of the Sexes: Grocery Shopping”
Julia London on 15 Oct 2007 at 11:21 pm #
P.S. I am sorry for the enormous pic, but I couldn’t get it to post smaller for some reason.
doglady on 15 Oct 2007 at 11:40 pm #
Okay, this was SO worth reading after a horrible day working in the bakery at the great temple of consumerism - Wal Mart. I laughed my butt off! (And trust me, that takes A LOT of laughing!) Why don’t we have a king of France?? I really do wish I could have filmed this little shopping expedition. I’ve been widowed for 14 years, so I am the shopper in residence. Like you, I HATE it when I buy the things I tasted at the store only to discover they taste like sawdust and old shoes at home. My two little house dogs eat an expensive dog food while the outside dogs eat Purina, thank God. The cats don’t care as long as they NEVER see the bottom of the bowl. Of course they are on diet food now because when a cat tips the scales at 23 lbs . . . Frankly I’ll buy generic of a lot of things, BUT not ketchup - Heinz, Mayo - Kraft. I have to have German mustard, which my Mom gets at the base. The trick is to NEVER go shopping when I am hungry. Otherwise I get home and think “Why did I buy this?”
Consumer Ellen on 16 Oct 2007 at 6:44 am #
Big Jim did the grocery shopping in our household for the first fifteen years of marriage, but then his job moved to the city, so the task fell to me. While I am normally a very direct person, grocery shopping has uncovered a decidedly weak decision making streak in me.
I should add that the reason he shopped is that he also cooked. Jim is a VERY fussy eater who would be happy eating steak five nights a week if I let him. He hates fish. Claims a childhood of fish sticks every Friday scarred him for life.
So here I am, shopping AND cooking. I rarely look at the price of anything, so I never get out of the store for less than $250. Are red peppers in season, Angus beef a good buy…who the hell knows? I am busy dealing with the dilemma of what to cook that night. God bless pre cooked rotisserie chickens.
All I want to know is what state in the union sells wine in a grocery store…I’m moving!
Consumer Ellen on 16 Oct 2007 at 6:45 am #
Julia…I LOVE how you slather your head all over the place. It always gives me a chuckle.
Keri Ford on 16 Oct 2007 at 7:21 am #
I do all the shopping, and like Ellen, without it plastered on a sign right there in front of me, how am I supposed to know what’s in season? I mean, strawberries I can figure out because that’s ALL the produce section is, is strawberries when their in season. Out of season-two tiny little cartoons shoved off to the side.
With baby formula at a jaw smacking $23. a canister and then add on the expensive huggies for another $20. (Baby would be weird and leak out the others). Why even bother looking? Right there you’re over $40 and you haven’t even gotten the fruit and veggies yet. JUST FOR HIM.
Then there’s the odd-ball hubby who eats funny. So let’s load the buggy up with frozen burritos, frozen pizza, and so he gets a healthy meal–protein bars.
And then it’s my food. Which is usually bread, milk, tuna, cereal, and soup. Since I do all this shopping with an impatient 6 month old, I typically make 2 or 3 trips to wal-mart a week, spending about $100-$150 per trip. ACK!
Sherri Erwin on 16 Oct 2007 at 7:26 am #
Shopping is a couple activity at the Erwin house. I would be happy to go alone, but I get accused of overspending (surprise) so I make him come along. Sending him by himself does not work out, because I would have to make a list to actually get what we need and I do not make lists. I keep a mental list. Good enough for me. And we apparently spend way more than the Londons, but then we do have two teenagers and we splurge on the wine. But aha, wine doesn’t get figured in with the grocery bill usually because our grocery stores do not stock it. It’s a separate trip, separate bill.
Gannon on 16 Oct 2007 at 7:33 am #
I usually do the shopping, and I can’t stand it! My hubby loves to grocery shop, but when we go together we spend WAY too much. Of course, my shopping trips are not cheap, but with 3 kids in the house (15 y/o boy, 11 y/o boy, 8 y/o girl) is it any wonder??! It’s like a plague of locusts have gone through the fridge and pantry!!
Ellen, I thought just about every grocery store sold wine, even here in NC!! Where do you live??
amy1242 on 16 Oct 2007 at 7:46 am #
Just an FYI on the beer, wine and alcohol being sold in grocery stores…not only do they sell it at the grocers, they have taste tables set up on certain days for shoppers to try different brands, but only on the beer and wine. Julia is in Texas and I’m in Wisconsin, so we represent the north and south. As far as shopping goes, dh and I shop seperately. I, for the serious planned meal items and him for the chips, salsa, milk, juice, apples, bananas and bread. It seems to work for us.
SuzyQ on 16 Oct 2007 at 7:46 am #
Gannon - In the NY NJ area we do not have wine in the grocery stores, sadly. But some grocery stores have liquor stores attached to them so you can pick up the wine on the way out. Like Sherri said, separate store, separate bill - that’s how I look at it.
I prefer to do the shopping alone, because I spend less. When the dh and kids come along, the cart gets filled with Yogos, fruit roll ups, chips, kool aid and well, you get the idea. My dh is just as bad as the kids. He throws food in the cart and I’m saying “Stop! What was that you just put in there? Is it on sale?”. There are some things I will buy no matter what - Bumble Bee gold can tuna, Hellmann’s Mayo and Tide detergent. Unfortunately I spend more than you, Julia, but I do have 3 kids (that’s dh and 2 smalls ones).
Love the post Julia, you really had me LOL
Karen Hawkins on 16 Oct 2007 at 8:22 am #
Julia, you are my soul mate. I hate grocery shopping but as my dh works full time, plus teaches college to make some extra money to rent planes so he can buzz our house while I’m working on the patio, I end up doing the shopping most of the time. And there are only three of us here but I never get out for less than $200. It just adds up quickly!
amy! I want to taste test wine while I’m shopping! Where do I go for that?
And yes, Suzy Q, if you take the kids, you add $50 right there. They want every freaking sugared cereal, every flavor of ice cream, and oh, they want gonzola beans because Tiffany said they made your hair shiny and yet everyone knows no one is going to eat those gonzola beans when they get home.
cail on 16 Oct 2007 at 8:47 am #
ah, grocery shopping. something i will be doing this evening.
as a proud resident of NYC i typically eat out/ order in far too often for my own good. that means that my trips to the grocery store consist of picking up milk, eggs and cereal.
when i cook, which is usually when the bf is eating over, which is fairly frequently, i make separate trips to the local butcher/fish market and veggie/fruit store. All within walking distance.
I look very silly with my big backpack lugging food all over my neighborhood (i carry groceries in the backpack to avoid plastic bags… you should too!)
that being said, even my brief trips to the supermarket end with bills nearing 100. and i live alone! (then again, i don’t get to the supermarket all that often, and frequently just go to pick up some more milk and cereal.)
Nicole Jordan on 16 Oct 2007 at 8:58 am #
LOL, Julia! Thanks for making my day! You oughta be a writer.
My dh does the grocery shopping these days, but I have him pretty well trained. He calls me if there’s a question about brands or variations. I sometimes get 3 phone call per store visit. But it sure beats the alternative — me having to do it myself!
Freshechelle on 16 Oct 2007 at 9:15 am #
Suzy Q, my NJ Kings supermarkets mixes their wine right in with the groceries and God bless ‘em for it!! I worked in an small NJ supermarket that sold hooch but the owner wouldn’t let anyone under 21 hit the “liquor” key on the register because that would be selling it (huh?). We would bellow “LIQUOR” when a customer bought alcohol so an adult employee could come hit the key. The regulars/boozehounds would discretely volunteer to hit the key before we got to the shouting part.
Sorry, Julia for going off topic yet again. Having no SO, I have no issues with grocery shopping. Of course, getting some fool to do it for me would be swell. Especially when he’d come home and I could criticize all his choices. Can’t imagine why someone hasn’t snatched me up.
Kay on 16 Oct 2007 at 9:20 am #
Julia, when my Dh goes to the store unsupervised, he comes home with STRANGE food. I ask for salsa (we have been getting the same salsa for 10 years & both kids like it) and he comes home with Chipolte/corn salsa. WHAT WAS HE THINKING ??? Oldest child hates chipolte & I’m allergic to corn. LOL
SusyQ, I try to shop alone; it’s quiet time for me. I plug into my iPod, take out my list, and enjoy the experience. It becomes torture when the kids are with me. The begging, the whining.. It keeps me motivated to get the shopping done when they are not with me.
Cail, I keep cloth bags in the back of the car/van. (I saved all of the shopping bags that I brought home for one month & could not believe it. I am a reusable bag convert now!)
The reusable bags go with me to the grocery store, co op, mall and bookstore. I love to get a tote bag as a souvenir when I travel, so I have a supply. (Oldest child had a fit when we took reusable bags to the mall for back-to-school shopping.)
Julia London on 16 Oct 2007 at 9:40 am #
First: WHAT?!?!?!?! NO BOOOOZE IN YOUR GROCERY STORE?!?!??! I would definitely move. Amy is right — there’s nothing like shopping and a little wine-tasting to egg you on.
second: You guys are making me feel much better about our bill. There’s just two of us and the dogs, plus rug rats passing through, and our typical bill is about $125. $240 pushed us off the cliff!
Third: It’s so nice to see how many men are actually doing the shopping. For you gals who don’t have a male shopper, you really ought to get one…if you can live with Dinty Moore, corn salsa, and Yogos in addition to all the good stuff.
Sabrina Jeffries on 16 Oct 2007 at 10:16 am #
My dh does SOME of the grocery shopping, but I really can’t trust him. He can never find anything, won’t ask a store person, and then buys some weird thing that he THINKS is a substitute (or, in the case of my just needing some basic thing, doesn’t buy the brand he thinks is the only one I usually buy, and then I have to go back to the store myself). Plus, I do the cooking, and he does most of the housework. So that leaves me having to second-guess what I’ll need … it’s just easier to do it myself.
My son shops for HIS stuff as part of his chores (with his caregiver), so that does help.
As for liquor in the store–we have wine and beer here, but have to go to a liquor store for liquor. Still haven’t gotten used to that. In New Orleans, it’s all in the grocery.
Julia London on 16 Oct 2007 at 10:27 am #
That’s my problem in making a list. I don’t cook very well and I have no imagination. Like Cail, I spent too many years in urban areas where the thinking was done from me via a menu. That’s the way to go!
I had a date once in Houston–between marriages. This guy took me to a restaurant somewhere at the top of a bank building (I think–memory isn’t what it used to be) and it had very few tables. But no menus! You could order whatever you wanted and the chef would prepare it. Steak, PB&J, chicken, fish — whatever. Your wish was his command. How cool was that? What did I order? steak! I have no imagination!
ct009ct on 16 Oct 2007 at 10:31 am #
Great Topic -
*you know you’ve been together a long damn time if grocery shopping is a “couple” outing*
Funny but, true in our case.
We’ve always grocery shopped together (don’t ask me why - who remembers, it’s been 33 years - thou I’m thinking the reason may be the same as Sherri’s - accusations of over-spending), as a matter of fact, when the kids were little it was a “family outing” (again, not sure why - possible because we were a poor army family and it was one of the few things we could afford to do together LOL). But I digress.
It’s not my favorite thing to do, but I don’t mind shopping. I make lists to help remind me of what we need - but I have never managed to leave the store with only what’s on my shopping list. And, yes, we are anal in our shopping - only use Era Plus, only eat Oscar Mayer hot dogs, etc. - no matter what’s on sale.
SuzyQ on 16 Oct 2007 at 10:39 am #
Fresh - I have to say Kings is a whole different shopping experience, but the closest one to us still has no liquor. (Stomping foot) It’s just not fair!!!! I want to taste some wine while shopping!
Kay - good idea on the iPod, I’ll have to bring mine on the next trip. But I’m afraid I’ll break out into song while picking out meats.
Freshechelle on 16 Oct 2007 at 10:44 am #
SuzyQ - drinking while shopping, now I’m not a big drinker but mmm, you have really hit on something there…. sweet. And of course, a hostess suzy q snack cake to go with the wine would be a nice way to honor your brilliant marketing scheme. I don’t think I’ll be getting much work done today…thanks for the worthy distraction.
Ronlyn on 16 Oct 2007 at 10:49 am #
LOL! I love it.
PLUS, I almost always have fresh flowers on my table as a result of him doing the shopping. I love it.
My DH and I sort of switched rolls when our oldest was born. He became the stay-at-home parent and took over the grocery shopping. He’s great at it, even though, like you said, there are a lot of things I would never buy that now live in my pantry. But, he clips coupons, he shops sales, he buys everything I put on the list (plus some, but beggers can’t be choosers…or so my mom always said.)
Now, in those rare instances I go to the grocery store I’ll get everything I need…I’m lucky if I remember to use the coupons he sent with me. I don’t blink if the peppers cost $5 each. If I need them for dinner, I buy them. Plus, I stop and buy a latte first, so I can drink it while I shop.
I get home, but everything away…and then I hear the complaint that “there’s nothing to eat here! Didn’t you just go to the store? Where’s all the food??” LOL
KatHarris on 16 Oct 2007 at 10:51 am #
I too do not do the grocery shopping. My husband does it because he’s cheap. I never remember to cut coupons or look at sales ads. If I want chicken, I want chicken — and I dont want it just because it’s on sale. Our biggest issue was when I was pregnant and had strawberry cravings…in December. It was hard for him to fuel my pound a day at $5 a pop habit
It’s somewhat ironic that as a stay at home mom, I don’t do much domestic stuff. I don’t clean, do laundry, grocery shop, garden — but I actually do like to cook!
Keri Ford on 16 Oct 2007 at 11:06 am #
Ronlyn, I never remember the coupons. I had to make myself a sticky note and put it on the front of my debit card so I remember!
We have alcohol in our grocery store, but I’ve never seen them serve it. mostly they give tiny pieces of pizza in a cupcake wrapper here. When I want liquor, I hit the drive-thru liquor store!
Ronlyn on 16 Oct 2007 at 11:14 am #
Keri, what a good idea to leave a note for yourself! LOL…I never thought of that either. You can tell I’m not coupon savy at all.
I was in college the first time I saw a drive thru liquor store and I just about PIMP laughing. Sort of shoots the “no drinking and driving” in the foot.
Susan K on 16 Oct 2007 at 11:19 am #
My fiance does most of the grocery shopping in our house. Everytime I go he complains that I didn’t get anything good. Which translates to “You didn’t buy me any junk food.” So I let him deal with it. I will make the occasional trip if I need something specific. But mostly he goes.
Consumer Ellen on 16 Oct 2007 at 11:20 am #
Okay…now you are just toying with me. A drive thru liquor store!!! “Pack the bags, honey. We’re outta here!”
Jami Alden on 16 Oct 2007 at 11:31 am #
Your post cracked me up! I do all the grocery shopping in our house. if I try to give my husband a list, I have to be super specific and then provide like 5 alternatives to each item, and it becomes too much of a pain in the ass.
I’m embarrassed to say what our bill is. If I’m on ball and can do a big safeway.com order, it’s not too bad (plus, I get my groceries delivered yay!).
I am a fellow wino, my husband likes his cocktails, so we have a rather generous liquor budget. And Ellen, I have a bunch of family in Wyoming, where they have a drive through window at nearly every bar. I’m not sure, but I think you can even order a single drink to go. Every time I go visit, I’m so tempted by the drive through. But then I look in the rearview mirror and see the 2 year old and 4 month old strapped in their carseats and think maybe it’s not such a good idea.
Consumer Ellen on 16 Oct 2007 at 11:40 am #
Maybe, just maybe, no wine or liquor in the grocery store is divine intervention. I have a very low tolerance for alcohol. So, even though I try to train myself with more dedication than an Olympiad, a wine tasting could bring impulse buying to a whole new level.
“Honey, this wasn’t on our list,” Jim says, with the all too familiar look of confusion on his face.
“I know, I know,” said Ellen trying to focus on the can of garbanzo beans. “Someone said they would make my hiney shair. I mean my hair shiny”
“And these? What about these?”
“Oh them…I just like saying “Koo Koo for Cocoa Puffs.” Her short laugh sounds like a pig snorting at feeding time. “Maybe you and I can get a liddle Koo Koo later on,” she tries to purr while resting her forehead on the cool granite counter top.
“Ellen, stay on point here. I sent you to the store with a list and you show up bombed with all this stuff. For Gawd’s sake woman, there are six containers of Cool Whip in this bag!”
“I though we could get a liddle naughty later, Jimmy. Look at us; do you really think one container would be enough?” Ellen starts crying, without lifting her head from the counter top.
Right before she slid to the floor in an unconscious heap, she added, “At least I remembered the wine!”
Ronlyn on 16 Oct 2007 at 12:04 pm #
LMAO Ellen!
amy1242 on 16 Oct 2007 at 12:08 pm #
LOL, Ellen, you hear voices in your head, don’t you? Too Funny!!
emmiebee on 16 Oct 2007 at 12:10 pm #
DH is the grocery shopper and the cook in my house. I work much longer hours, and hate it to boot. When ever I have to choose, I end up saying “well, Wendy’s is just around the corner”, and my husband’s eyes bug out of his head. So, no shopping for me! But, I do have to unload and put the stuff away. And I’m not allowed to comment on the varied and unusual forms of spiced/BBQ products or the dried meat bits that come along with my cereal and shampoo and Healthy Choice stuff.
-Emmiebee, not complaining one bit
Consumer Ellen on 16 Oct 2007 at 12:28 pm #
“I hate these drive up windows! They always short us on the order. Can’t we just go inside?” whines Jim, counting one last car in front of them.
“We’ll check the order before we drive off. Stop whining, you’re worse than that tween at home.” Ellen drives up to the plastic cocktail waitress and calls her order into the microphone strategically set in its boobs.
A strongly-accented, static, male voice coming from the waitress’ boobs says “¿Quiere usted esto Super Sized?
“What did he say?” Ellen asks frantically.
“He wants to know if you want that Super Sized.”
“How do I say ‘UH DUH’ in Spanish?”
Lisa H on 16 Oct 2007 at 12:30 pm #
Ellen, you need your own show! Thursday nights, 8:00 on NBC!
Okay, I do the shopping because my life is so lame, I like going out without the kids. I have a budget of $125.00, but for a family of five, I seldom nail it.
My husband always thinks I overspend, so he tries to go shopping, but alas he only gets whats on the list. Like if I forget to write bread down because, its a no brainer—he will come home sans bread.
He always sticks to the budget, in fact, he carries a little calculator around, but we always run out of stuff two or three days later!
I wish there were some magical solution to staying on a budget and feeding the children three meals a day plus snacks, but I have yet to discover it!
Keri Ford on 16 Oct 2007 at 12:30 pm #
Ellen, you’re too funny. in my home town we’ve got two drive-thru liquor stores…one each side of town for convience! They’re the buy the closed bottle kind. But there is a store about 45 minutes from me where you can order drinks. Never been there, but I hear they make a great margarita. And they serve them in BIG CUPS.
And you’re right, Ronlyn, that does defeat the driving while drinking thing.
Julia London on 16 Oct 2007 at 12:31 pm #
Ronlyn, we have the same problem. We drop big bucks at the grocery store and two days later you’d think we hadn’t eaten in days the way we go through saltines. We consciously don’t buy a lot of junk food…but end up stopping off at CVS to pick up a few munchies.
Now there is a hideous store. A Pharmacy/toy store/junk food store. You can end up spending some dough in there!
cail on 16 Oct 2007 at 12:32 pm #
Ellen, i think i just snorted my V8 out of my nose. not good…
city living is great, what with all the menus, but one of my fav things to do is cook for more than just me. thank goodness the bf is around a lot, since he too is an excellent cook. if its not an evening that i have class, we go to the store together. that is always quite fun.
Julia London on 16 Oct 2007 at 12:33 pm #
Oh, p.s. — do your groceries have a points card? YOu know, you buy so many groceries and you get points towards grocery shopping? Do you know how many groceries you have to buy to get enough to even make a dent in your grocery bill? Its an insidiious little cycle!
colinfirthfan on 16 Oct 2007 at 12:44 pm #
Julia, that sounds exactly like the conversations my DH and I frequently have.
I’ll put something in the cart. He will say - How much was it?
I say- I don’t know. 3 or 4 bucks.
He says - You never check the price of anything.
I say - Yeah but we have to buy this fruit anyway, the kids like it! So if I am going to buy it anyway, why do I have to remember how much it is?
Unfortunately he doesn’t do all the grocery shopping.
We have no grocery budget at all. I do more of the grocery shopping since I am the one who packs lunch. We shop at Safeway, Costco and Trader Joe’s!!
I clip coupons occasionally and they live in my purse until they expire at which point I trash them.
He’s a better shopper than me!!
Ronlyn on 16 Oct 2007 at 12:53 pm #
Oh god, there’s a drug store downstairs from my office (conveniently located right next to the Starbucks) and I just about fell over when I tallied how much I spend at the drug store for just grabbing a coke, or a snickers or whatever. Craziness.
we do have those points cards. My DH is always so excited to get the coupons that says $10 off meat when you buy $75 or more as a result of those little cards. I hesitate to point out that we probably spent $500 of burger in order to get that little $10 off. Why spoil his fun? LOL
claudia dain on 16 Oct 2007 at 12:58 pm #
I do it. He does it. We do it alone. We do it together. Any way you slice it, I hate grocery shopping.
I try to make myself go in little trips, just a few bags worth at a time. The smack in the face at the till is almost negligible. The lugging of bags into the house barely noticeable. This “system” has helped a lot. It’s such a quickie outing that an hour after it’s over I can almost convince myself I never went at all.
If only I never had to actually go at all. Sigh.
colinfirthfan on 16 Oct 2007 at 1:03 pm #
My big bills come form all the stuff I buy at Target. Practically every time I am in there I spend at least $100.00 or $200.00. I love that store.
Ronlyn on 16 Oct 2007 at 1:08 pm #
oh gosh, Target is a killer when it comes to the “little things add up” for me. I try not to go more than once a month for that reason.
colinfirthfan on 16 Oct 2007 at 1:08 pm #
I meant to say FROM not form!
colinfirthfan on 16 Oct 2007 at 1:11 pm #
On Saturday I went and bought 3 games for 3 different birthday parties my kids have to go to. So I also bought a game for my son (Boggle) and some drawing pads and a toothbrush and all sorts of things I don’t need. I try not to go too often. I am finally down to once in 2 weeks!
Julia London on 16 Oct 2007 at 1:12 pm #
Ellen, you are too funny!
Colinfirthfan, one of my earliest posts on this blog was an ode to Target. that store has everything! Alas, we do not food shop there as my husband prefers the HEB brands and not Target. Or so he thinks. He’s never tried Target brands, but he’s convinced HEB is better because its a TExas owned and operated company. Loyal when convenient, that one
colinfirthfan on 16 Oct 2007 at 1:59 pm #
Oh yeah - I remember that post Julia!
Freshechelle on 16 Oct 2007 at 2:00 pm #
Colinfirthfan, you too? Man, Target is a money vortex. Unseen forces make you spend a minimum of $100 per visit and leave you itching to return for more.
SuzyQ on 16 Oct 2007 at 2:13 pm #
Ellen - you are just waaayyy too funny!!!!
The cards for my supermarkets entitle you to extra savings for club members. The only points you earn is at Thanksgiving (and sometimes Easter) where you spend $300.00 between a certain period and you get a free turkey. Last year I got 3 turkeys - 1 at each market. Oh yeah, one of the markets does have a partnership with the airlines so I earn miles for buying groceries.
cail on 16 Oct 2007 at 2:14 pm #
its craft stores that really do me in. Going to Michaels is probably one of the most expensive errands i go on.
Book stores are also really bad for me, although yesterday i was able to get in and out of borders while only purchasing ONE book.
i was so proud of myself.
Santa on 16 Oct 2007 at 2:45 pm #
Budget? What budget? We don’t grocery shop like ‘normal’ people in our house because my family owns a gourmet shop. As the daughter and sister of butchers - I’m sorry - meat fabricators, I’ve never had to pay retail or wholesale or money for meats, cheeses or imported items. I pay with sweat equity. Am I spoiled rotten? You betcha! Is my DH spoiled rotten? Without a doubt. If we ever decided to sell the business, I wouldn’t know how to purchase meat from a reach in merchandiser or how to order cold cuts from the deli thug across the counter. I always feel like jumping the counter because I know I could do it better and faster. Besides, I have my own legion of deli thugs and they are very, very good to me.
Consumer Ellen on 16 Oct 2007 at 2:55 pm #
I am like a junkie on crack when I shop in “Chef Central.” It’s this specialized store that has every cookbook and cooking gizmo known to the world. I can spend hours there…I can also spend a fortune there.
Just bought a homemade pasta making machine. It will have to sit in the box until Jenny Craig is done with my fat ass.
colinfirthfan on 16 Oct 2007 at 3:17 pm #
I think we need to start having Target Annonymous meetings!!
or someone needs to do a Target intervention for me!!
Santa, you are lucky!!
Ellen, you are killing me. I keep bursting out laughing will have to shut my office door before reading your comments.
Cookiedough on 16 Oct 2007 at 3:26 pm #
I must be an anomoly! I have no Target store and since I live alone, I do all my own shopping. I used to do all the shopping for the families I worked for. Nothing says fun like using someone else debit card and being told go get it all1
Julia London on 16 Oct 2007 at 3:45 pm #
Santa, how cool that you own your own gourmet shop! Do you have cheese that sells for $8 a pound? (Jack London is still talking about that). I would be sooooo spoiled! I would be the size of a house, too. Oh wait….
Ann in IL on 16 Oct 2007 at 3:47 pm #
Come on, Ellen. Confess. You are a writer for a TV sitcom and you’re just testing ideas here with the Goddess audience. Right? If not……….you SHOULD be.
Gotta tell ya, girls………I LOVE grocery shopping. I call my single brothers and ask if they need anything from the store just so I can spend more time there.
I also love laundry and ironing. HATE, hate, hate washing dishes - even loading the dishwasher. I’ll even clean the bathroom before washing dishes. I’d be a great exec chef. All the flunkies could clean up after me.
Julia London on 16 Oct 2007 at 4:19 pm #
Ann, my sister loves ironing, too (don’t know about the laundry). But she irons everything–t-shirts, her husbands undies, sheets. I am lucky to get them out of the dryer before they wrinkle and get them hung up.
It is astounding she and I came from the same gene pool
What is it about shopping that you LOVE??? And how many single brothers do you have??
Jami Alden on 16 Oct 2007 at 4:29 pm #
Julia, Jack would no doubt be horrified that I paid something like $14 for a little 8 oz round of Mt. Tam Triple Cream from the Cowgirl Creamery. But it’s soooooo goooooooood.
But I can afford to splurge because I buy most of my clothes at Target and Old Navy
Jami Alden on 16 Oct 2007 at 4:45 pm #
“Ann, my sister loves ironing, too (don’t know about the laundry). But she irons everything–t-shirts, her husbands undies, sheets. I am lucky to get them out of the dryer before they wrinkle and get them hung up.”
Julia - that totally reminds me of a story about my nephew. when he was like 9 or something, he went to visit my Mom and saw her iron and was like, “What is that thing, Mimi?” He’d seriously never seen one. My son will be the same.
Ann - the woman who babysits my kids often asks if I have any clean laundry for her to fold. Seriously. She gets excited to fold clothes while the kids are napping. I don’t get you people.
Keri Ford on 16 Oct 2007 at 4:52 pm #
” I don’t get you people.”
My thoughts exactly Jami!
Julia London on 16 Oct 2007 at 4:53 pm #
Jami, Jack would faint dead away. Lest you think he is a country boob, he would not think twice about the amount spent on a golf club or tickets to the Texas games. Those items are worth it. But things like cheese and laundry detergent undo him.
Love the story about your nephew, HAHAHAHAAA……well hey, wash and wear!
Consumer Ellen on 16 Oct 2007 at 4:54 pm #
I really wish my family found me to be as amusing as you gals. Even my dog, Phil, rolls his eyes when I tell a joke. I guess you all just bring out the best in me. I see humor in all your postings. Sometimes I am polite and ignore them…other times I can’t help myself.
For instance, Ann, you mentioned that you’d “clean the bathroom before washing dishes.” LOL Might I suggest you change the order of your chores? LOL
I can’t help myself.
Ellen
Consumer Ellen on 16 Oct 2007 at 4:56 pm #
Jami…if I purchased anything with the words “triple cream” in the name, I would not be buying my clothes as Target and Old Navy.
I would be shopping exclusively at “Omar the Tentmaker.”
Jami Alden on 16 Oct 2007 at 5:01 pm #
Julia, send Jack here:
http://www.cowgirlcreamery.com/Buycheese.asp
he will have a freakin’ heart attack. and I don’t think he’s a country boob. I mean, I kind of had a heart attack when I bought the cheese, and not just from the saturated fat content.
Funny how we prioritize money. A very good friend of mine collects Louis Vuitton handbags and buys Christian Louboutain shoes, and i have an anxiety attack when I even imagine spending that kind of money. But then she can’t believe my husband and I will go out to dinner and spend $150 on just the two of us, while she’s perfectly happy with a really good burrito from her favorite taqueria.
Ann in IL on 16 Oct 2007 at 5:09 pm #
I know, I know. MOST people “don’t get me”.
I find ironing very relaxing. I like the outcome, especially the attention to detail. Same with laundry. I like everything to be fresh and crisp. Starch is a word most people associate with food……..for me it means crisp clothing. I’ve always said that if I could make a living by ironing - I would.
Ellen, I don’t always clean the bathroom before doing dishes. It’s just that faced with the choice, I PREFER to clean the bathroom as opposed to washing dishes.
Julia, shopping is an experience in creativity for me. I have to look at all the different foods and decide how I would prepare them. Meander around, think about it, then make my purchases. I have six brothers. Two are still single. One older than me and one younger. I’m 55 and never married.
colinfirthfan on 16 Oct 2007 at 5:11 pm #
We had a friend staying with us for a couple of months. I told him he needs to make an appt to do the laundry - either the washer or the drier always has clothes in it. I hate ironing. Hate the laundry too. Before I had kids I didn’t mind so much - now I hate it. Kids really go through a lot of clothes.
Ann in IL on 16 Oct 2007 at 5:19 pm #
If there is an event in our family, I always end up ironing everyone’s outfit. My sisters-in-law do not own any irons. I have three.
When my brother’s first baby was born, I stopped at his house every day on my way home from work to pick up their laundry. It was delivered later with a hot meal for supper so they could just sit and play with their beautiful baby girl. I did this for six months and loved every minute.
colinfirthfan on 16 Oct 2007 at 5:35 pm #
Ann - can you adopt me into your family?
Kay on 16 Oct 2007 at 6:42 pm #
Ann, you are a true goddess! When our second child arrived, friends from church set up meals for our family every third night, and we were in heaven! A few years ago, I had surgery and was in the hospital for 10 days (with two little ones and an exchange student) and friends brought dinner EVERY NIGHT until I recovered. OMG I love those people. The first thing I do when a friend has a baby, serious illness, death in the family, etc, is get the oven started and make a decent meal for them. I remember how much it helped my family.
colinfirthfan, I was without a local target until Sunday–it was closed to become a Super Target. The thing’s so big I need a map, LOL, but it sure has lots of stuff I need.
Julia London on 16 Oct 2007 at 7:10 pm #
Ann there are many times I have wished that I was never married, LOL!
Santa on 16 Oct 2007 at 9:43 pm #
Yes, Julia, we have cheeses that cost $24.99 per pound. This is NY but MAN are they delish! We even have balsamic vinegars under lock and key. They cost - make sure your dh is sitting down - $200 a bottle. The taste is fairly orgasmic.
My husband has the same priorities as your husband. He went on a golf outing today and I commented on what a nice bag he had while he was cleaning them last night. He said that it was kinda ratty looking. It was PERFECTLY fine - to my untrained eye. Sigh.
Julia London on 16 Oct 2007 at 10:14 pm #
Santa! I cannot imagine baslamic vinegar at $200 a bottle! or cheese at that price. I can’t tell him that. I just can’t tell him. It would burst his little how-the-world-works bubble, LOL.
Me, on the other hand, wants your address for the next time I am in New York!
Julia London on 16 Oct 2007 at 10:15 pm #
P.S. If my husband cleaned anything in the house the way he cleans those golf clubs, I would not need the services of a professional. HA
Gannon on 16 Oct 2007 at 10:27 pm #
Santa, I work in a wine and cheese store, and we also have very expensive cheeses….some over $30/lb.! But they are so fab!! I have seen balsamic for about that much, but have not tasted it. *sniff* I adore balsamic!
We have a fine wine room where the bottles are all over $100, some over $300! And no, dammit, I haven’t had any of those either! But for that price, they’d better be unfrickinbelievable! Maybe, I’ll splurge for the dh’s and my 20th anniversary next year.
Sherri Erwin on 17 Oct 2007 at 9:15 am #
Julia, yes, our Massachusetts grocery stores do not sell wine, beer, or alcohol of any kind. I can’t believe you didn’t know that! I’m pretty sure we talked about it at a conference. Over wine. (hm, aha, memory cells down). I think CT stores only sell beer, not wine or spirits- anyone? In NJ, I love King’s! We used to shop in one near my husband’s grandfather’s house (in Convent Station NJ). We may be the only state to call our liquor/wine stores Package Stores- is there anyone who doesn’t think that’s weird? You’re probably from around here.
And it pains me to admit that $8 a pound cheese is not rare in our house. The DH is a cheese freak and will gladly spend for cheese, and we have (oh yes we have)– but just see what happens when a $10 lipstick makes it into the cart. Whooo, trouble.
Santa on 17 Oct 2007 at 12:03 pm #
Small world, Sherri. My DH’s family always stopped at that same King’s store whenever they visited their uncle!
Come on up anytime, Julia!
Sherri Erwin on 18 Oct 2007 at 8:20 am #
Really, the same one?! Wow. Small world indeed. I love that neighborhood.
darkshire007 on 21 Oct 2007 at 4:43 pm #
I must be doing something wrong. I go grocery shopping once a MONTH if even that. We had a side of beef delivered for the deep freezer, we get our chickens in bulk from the Colony (which also go in the freezer) and when I do go to the store, I make a list with the amount of that item. Like tuna; I usually buy 5 large cans of it at a time. I also shop Sams for items I use a lot of so I only have to buy it once every six months. This means I only have to go to the store for milk. Did you know that there are grocery stores where you can go online, give them a list of what you need and they will DELIVER it? It’s truly a beautiful thing.