Grocery shopping

January 10, 2010 by kim.

We all know how much I hate shopping (if you didn’t before, you do now). Well, I hate grocery shopping only slightly less than regular shopping. Only slightly, because with grocery shopping you can at least walk out of the store with a cupcake or some other yummy treat.

Buying groceries for most people is probably not that big of a pain because they likely drive to one store to pick everything up at once. Not so for me and others in the big city. Or maybe it’s just me. I don’t have that data. Anyway, grocery shopping for me in Fort Lee involves four different stores:

1. GooWah/Good Nature Market (this place carries many Asian foods that I have no clue about, but also carries name brand items)
2. Rite Aid (like Walgreens or CVS)
3. Fairview Market (Italian grocery)
4. A&P (regular large grocery store)

GooWah/GoodNature and Rite Aid are steps from my front door. I’m sure I could probably get everything I really needed between the two. However, I have been spoiled living in WI, IL, and NV where HUGE supermarkets are the norm. Therefore, there are certain items that I want that cannot be found in those two stores alone. So begins my trek on foot, as we don’t have a car anymore.

Sure, I could take a bus, but why not get a little exercise while I’m out? Fairview is easy – it is only six blocks away. That is where I get pretty much everything that I can’t get at the other two places. Still, they don’t quite have EVERYTHING. It is a small store, after all.

A&P, on the other hand, is a mile and a half away.

I know, I know. You think I’m crazy. A 25 minute walk just to pick up some Tostitos bite-size chips? Is it really worth it? Yes. Yes it is. It is worth it not to have me obsess for three days about how I couldn’t get those dang chips.

Mmmm … I guess that does make me a little crazy …

I haven’t even included Whole Foods in that list above, because that is a very special trip in itself. I try to go only when I’m already in NYC and near a Whole Foods to begin with. Then I buy duplicates of everything to tide me over until the next time I’m in the area. Shopping there is a whole different issue, as each store is a little different and not every store carries exactly the same thing. I like to buy an organic Cheetos snack called Crunchitos and they keep changing the brand that I like. First it was Garden of Eatin’, then it was Little Bear, and now it’s Happy Herbert’s. Why do things have to change so darn fast when I’ve found something I like? Oh, I could go on and on, but I won’t. Not today, anyway.

You’re probably wondering why I don’t just order my groceries online and have them delivered to save all the running around.

I’ll tell you. I’ve ordered once from Peapod and a couple of times from the A&P, and unless you place an order over $100, it just isn’t worth it. They charge for ordering to begin with, and then a delivery fee. You can roughly choose the time you want them to arrive, but you are stuck in the house for that 3-hour window. If you’re lucky, they’ll have everything you want, but if not they’ll make substitutes. Neither place actually has everything that a large store has, either. For instance, we like Ortega Taco Hot Sauce, but neither online store seems to have it. They only have mild and medium. If I want it, have to pick it up at Fairview. Well, if I’m going there anyway, why not pick up the rest of the stuff I need? Plus, I like to look at the meat, fruit, and vegetables that I’m buying, so unless I’m ordering a bunch of heavy generic items – there’s no point.

You see all the things I have to think about for something so seemingly simple as grocery shopping?

No WONDER my brain is mush!

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