In the Bag: Grocery Tips
Pre-coronavirus, I loved grocery shopping. I like to cook and I like to wander the aisles and fill my cart with delicious and healthy food for my family. The clerks at my neighborhood Safeway are the best, and I definitely have some favorites that I always seek out when I’m ready to check out. Katie Kirby (author/illustrator of Hurrah for Gin and other books) noted that for parents, a trip to the grocery store without kids feel can like a trip to the spa. I couldn’t agree more. Grocery shopping was high on my list of pleasures in life.
Grocery shopping started to be less fun in February. Suddenly, I was shopping less for pleasure and with more urgency. What could I buy that could stretch over weeks and months? Already, dried goods were starting to disappear from shelves. How could I feed my family? What food would sustain us if I got sick and couldn’t cook for them? What could we eat if there were severe shortages, or if we couldn’t go to the grocery store at all?
In the era of coronavirus, grocery shopping continues to be stressful as social distancing and hygienic requirements evolve. Here are a few ways that I’ve tried to bring back some of the joy, or, at least, make grocery shopping tolerable:
Consider delivery.
Lots of grocery stores offer delivery and pickup services. While I haven’t quite converted to delivery for all of our food, I know plenty of friends who do and it’s a great option. My family has been getting produce delivered through Full Circle and dairy deliveries from Smith Brothers Farms for a few years, and it’s been helpful to lean on these deliveries during this time to cut down on grocery trips. Plus, it’s fun to peruse their offerings online from the comfort of my home.
Plan meals, plan the route.
Despite delivery and maintaining a decent supply of dry goods and frozen food, there are times I still need to go to the grocery store. I’ve generally been able to keep it to once a week or less, and when I go, I make sure I have a plan. We do a meal plan every week that includes all three meals plus snacks. For items we don’t already have and don’t get through our regular produce or dairy delivery, I make a list. I’ll then rewrite the list in order of where I’ll find it in the grocery store. That way I can be as efficient as possible and won’t have to backtrack through the store.
Be flexible.
While many of the shortages of early days seem to have been addressed, inventory can just be plain weird some days. Buying habits have changed and stores are scrambling to catch up, plus coronavirus outbreaks have affected supply lines. Plan ahead, but go with an open mind. Give yourself plenty of time when you go so you don’t feel the pressure to make compulsive decisions, and so you can be patient with other customers who might be similarly overwhelmed with the challenges of grocery shopping in this era. If the store looks packed when you arrive, consider whether it’s critical to go at that moment or if you can wait until another time.
Don’t go with an empty stomach or full bladder.
While this is generally good advice anyway, it’s even more important now. Make your trip more enjoyable and avoid panic buying by going after you’ve had a meal or a snack. Use the restroom at your house before you head to the store so you don’t need to use the bathroom that’s shared by other customers.
Smile behind your mask.
I live in Thurston County and about half of the customers I see in stores are wearing masks right now. Two counties to the north, in King County, all residents have been directed to wear masks in public settings. I miss smiling at people and I hate how hot and uncomfortable masks can be, but I’ve chosen to wear a mask when shopping to protect myself and other people. So, I bought some cute handmade masks off of Etsy and I smile even though people can’t see my full face. I figure there’s something people can sense about a smile, and that the smile can at least show up in my eyes.
Be kind and grateful to grocery workers.
While many of us have been sheltering in the safety of our homes, grocery workers have been showing up to work, constantly surrounded by potentially virus-carrying customers. It must be awfully stressful. I like to ask how they are doing and let them know how much they are appreciated. We talk, and I smile extra hard behind my mask. My mom is the world’s leading expert in cheering up random strangers and store clerks. I’m not quite to her level, but I’m trying. I hope in some small way that it lightens their day, and it makes me feel better, too.
Bonus! Make it a mission of love.
If you’re up to it, including an act of kindness with your shopping trip can be truly energizing. Ask a neighbor if you can pick up something for them. Buy a special treat or a bunch of flowers and leave it on a friend’s porch on the way home. Buy enough ingredients to double up a meal and bring food to someone who might be struggling with cooking for themselves or who are isolated. Many grocery stores offer ways to donate to families in need, so consider adding a few extra dollars to your total. Even the smallest acts can have big impacts in people’s lives, and can help make your shopping experience a bit brighter.
Of course, be sure to use all of the other safety precautions that we’re familiar with by now: bring hand sanitizer, keep your distance from other customers, wash your hands when you get home, and follow any other guidelines that your local health department has provided. Grocery shopping might not feel “normal” again for a while, but if it’s a necessary part of your routine, I hope these tips reduce stress and bring back at least an inkling of pleasure. And hey, if it’s still stressful and you just need to have a good cry after your shopping trip, go for it. No judgement here. I cry only one out of three times that I go to the grocery store, which is an improvement over the first several weeks.
May you be nourished, and may you be well.
Writer: Joy Johnston
Joy Johnston is the founder of Life Wants to Live and CEO of Mojo Strategies. Her inner Public Information Officer would like to remind everyone to always refer to the Centers for Disease Control and state and local health departments for the most current and accurate information about COVID-19.