# Does your other half go grocery shopping with you?



## Addie (Apr 1, 2017)

My husband went shopping with me only once. He left halfway before I was finished. That was enough for him. 

So how many of you always shop in twos? When I am at the supermarket I see many couples making decisions over what mayonnaise should they buy. How much milk do they need. Some couple just buy, some really shop and compare. But then at the checkout, it is the woman who pulls out the credit card or cash. 

I make up the grocery list, and I have always been the one to pay at the register. I both "impulse buy" and really shop items that are on sale. But I stick to my list first. If I have only one can of tomatoes on my list, that is what I buy. Then if I think I still have room to spend more, I will go back and get that second can that I really wanted.


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## CraigC (Apr 1, 2017)

99% of the time. We both decide on the menu and we both make the list. Who pays doesn't matter, the money comes from the same account.

Tangents are allowed for both of us.


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## roadfix (Apr 1, 2017)

Never.
I usually shop on the way home from work.   My wife does her shopping while running other errands during the day.    We do not coordinate and we sometimes end up picking up duplicate items.   No harm there.


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## Dawgluver (Apr 1, 2017)

Heavens no.  We'd kill each other.  Any time we go to Costco, DH meanders off and conveniently has his phone turned off, so instead of shopping I spend most of my time looking for him.  Same when we shop together in Mexico.  So here in town it's separate shopping.  Same account.


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## Andy M. (Apr 1, 2017)

We shop together.  We don't argue over what to buy. I pull out my credit card to pay.  We buy to a shopping list that has been prepared with the week's menu in mind.  We also buy things not on the list.


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## CakePoet (Apr 1, 2017)

I go with my neighbor, or we both goes or  by my self or  he goes.  It all up to who has time, if we get to borrow a car and if we both goes we most often have  the kid with us.

How ever we have already set the shopping list and he can choose soda, juice, candy most often otherwise up to me, it could also be I fluent in the language and he isnt.


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## RPCookin (Apr 1, 2017)

We do whatever is convenient at the time.  Sometimes we shop together, and other times we each shop separately.  We even shop together separately - that is we go to Walmart together, then head in different directions and rejoin later.  Whatever is most convenient.


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## Steve Kroll (Apr 1, 2017)

My other half? You mean like my left or my right half? I live alone, so both halves of me are usually on shopping detail together.


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## Kayelle (Apr 1, 2017)

Souschef shops alone at the supermarket and the Mexican market. I shop alone at Trader Joe's, and we shop together at Costco. He does a much better job than I ever did at the supermarket and makes a game out of how much he spent, and how much he saved. It's amazing the tricks he has. He often calls me from the market asking my opinion on something.


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## GotGarlic (Apr 1, 2017)

We use Our Groceries to coordinate the shopping list. Who sometimes we shop together - usually on a weekend when we're out doing other things. Other times, he'll stop on the way home from work, or I'll stop when I'm out running errands. It depends. 

I make most of the decisions on brands and sizes, since I do most of the cooking. We usually get the Kroger store brand, but there are a few branded things we like.


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## roadfix (Apr 1, 2017)

I usually go to Ralph's (Kroger) and mostly buy only sale items.   My wife loves to shop at Gelson's.   I never shop there as they're way too expensive for my taste.


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## tenspeed (Apr 1, 2017)

My wife hasn't seen the inside of a grocery store in years.  I shop and cook, and she happily eats whatever I put on the table.  Works out well for all parties concerned.


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## CakePoet (Apr 1, 2017)

My husband tends to call me if he isnt sure, which happens a lot.  I get calls like this, ( translated from Swedish to English ) Honey did you  mean smoked  gay or  smoked skink?

And I have to pause, not laugh and tell him how to pronounce  shoulder and  ham correctly in Swedish, before people look funny at him.

We are getting there, at least he knows the difference between Swedish kummin and English  cumin.  Kummin is caraway.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Apr 1, 2017)

Not if I can help it!


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## Whiskadoodle (Apr 1, 2017)

Shopping could make me Dizzy if I thought about it, so I will only describe.     While we certainly shop separate, frequently we shop together,  sharing one cart.  Separate house holds, separate grocery lists, this works for us. One person’s purchases on the Left, other on the Right.  Sometimes if it becomes too much stuff, then things just pile up. Oh well, good effort.  At check out if she goes first, I insist unloading / giving to the cashier rather than allow him/ her to remove from the cart.  Stores with conveyor belts work better for item separationbut you can’t have it your way everytime.  After  she pays, I move up to the front and the cashier can have at it for the remainder.   

Now, here’s the kicker.  Just because one person buys something, doesn’t  mean that’s where the groceries are going.   There may have been a BOGO free and we split the item and cost, there may have been a big bag of very ripe bananas on sale, which we split,   or,   She says I’m buying the chicken this time because you bought last time (like I remember) , yet like today we are grilling said chicken at my house.  Etc.   Groceries  get bagged, if by carry out person, then we reconfigure into the right person’s bag when we get to the car.  If it’s self bagging, we can sort as we bag, as long  as we don’t hold up the line.  If it’s a big block of Costco cheese, bag of avocados, whatever,  then it gets cut at home, and shared later.  

When we shop Costco, we each get our own  cart, and may not travel at the same speed although we try to stay within range of each other.  When we shop together, I find we go up and down more aisles than  either of us would do, unless our grocery lists are pretty succinct and coincide (usually so).  Otherwise we do a lot more browsing, which can lead to more than usual impulse buying.  “I forgot” to put this on the list is allowable.


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## Cooking Goddess (Apr 1, 2017)

We rarely shop together. Himself goes to the grocery store only by duress, and only if I'm practically on my death bed. I like to keep to a budget, of which he has no earthly concept when it comes to food. Besides, if he goes he's like a kid: he expects to get a treat (sushi from the in-store sushi chef, or some food we normally don't have in the house) to make up for the pain of being dragged along. The rare times I have him along I should tie bells on his shoes so I can find him easily. If we can get cell service where we're shopping, at least I have the option of texting him to tell him it's time to head to the check-out. And then, on occasion, still have to hunt him down. 

IF we're together at the store, he normally pulls his card out since I'm usually trying vainly to make sure the cashier is keeping the groceries in some sort of order as they go down to the bagger. Then I have to make sure the bagger doesn't go stupid on me and put the fresh fish underneath all the boxes of tissues, not to be found until it's... Needless to say, I check my bags (and receipt) before I leave the store.



Steve Kroll said:


> My other half? You mean like my left or my right half? I live alone, so both halves of me are usually on shopping detail together.


Brillliant!


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## Just Cooking (Apr 1, 2017)

As with most things, we also shop together.. Jeannie likes to search out bargain/sale items, I just shop for what I want to cook for our meals.. I always have a pertinent list... 

We are early shoppers so, we usually have breakfast out and then shop...


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## Cheryl J (Apr 1, 2017)

Steve Kroll said:


> My other half? You mean like my left or my right half? I live alone, so both halves of me are usually on shopping detail together.


 
Same here!


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## Katie H (Apr 1, 2017)

I almost always go solo unless there is a physical reason to have help.  That happened not so long ago when I couldn't walk for close to 6 months.  By the time I was able to go out (using a knee scooter), Glenn accompanied me.  Once I was off the scooter, he scooted, too.

Shopping is done weekly and at Kroger, which is the largest grocery store in our area that ISN'T Walmart.  I basically do not like shopping of any sort and will do nearly anything to stay away from Walmart.  Fortunately, there is only a handful of things that are only available at WM and are not perishable and we use slowly and infrequently.  But...now that they have free 2-day shipping on purchases above $35, I won't have to go anymore.

As for Kroger, it's a beautiful store and more than a couple of steps up from where I shopped when I lived before Glenn and I married.  Even though it's a nice store, I get in and get out.  I put shopping (especially grocery shopping) in the same category as dusting, mowing, doing laundry.  Ya just have to keep doin' the dang things over and over and over and...

We have a set amount of cash that is set aside for our weekly groceries and I stick to that, usually come in under.  When I have spare money, it goes in a pot to use for something that might not be within our budget or for special occasion grocery purchases.  I always have a list and stick to it like glue.  I rarely stray.  The end cap "come ons" are wasted on me.

I'm a sale shopper and use coupons only for items we use.  I never saw a point in buying something because there was a coupon in the pile.  The only exception I make is if there is something we have wanted to try.  The coupon makes it more enticing and, if we discover it wasn't what we thought it might be, the coupon makes the purchase less of a waste.

Let's face it, I'm cheap.  Buck used to say I could make a penny scream.  Glenn says something similar.  He's always surprised at how many bags of groceries I bring in after a shopping trip.

I will say, though, that one of the things that makes shopping for groceries now is that the store is only about 15-20 minutes from our house.  When I shopped for Buck and me, it was nearly an hour-long drive.


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## Cheryl J (Apr 1, 2017)

Just Cooking said:


> As with most things, we also shop together.. Jeannie likes to search out bargain/sale items, I just shop for what I want to cook for our meals.. I always have a pertinent list...
> 
> We are early shoppers so,* we usually have breakfast out and then shop...*


 
I try to avoid shopping until after I've had a meal, but sometimes I fall short of that.  And we all know where that leads.


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## buckytom (Apr 1, 2017)

No. I spend an hour getting a few things, dreaming of the possibilities I go.

DW gets it done with extreme prejudice.

"Move it, move it! Get the lunchmeat and report back here ASAP, maggot!" is often my orders when we go together.

So I go alone, and plan great things...

and sometimes cook them. Well, good enough to eat, anyway.


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## Addie (Apr 1, 2017)

Spike picks me up at 7:30 a.m. and we head off. I already have the grocery list cut in half. I go over his half while we are on our way. Market Basket where I shop is HUGE. So he takes one half and I the other. Otherwise even using the electric cart, it could easily take me two or more hours to cover the whole store. I skip the two ethnic aisles. Even the signs are in Spanish. Fine by me. 

Unfortunately, I go to the aisle that has all the dairy products. But because the half and half along with the gallon of milk, are too heavy for my hands to pick up, he gets them first. 

We usually head for checkout #6. I don't know why, but that always has the shortest line. Home by 9:00, he gets the big shopping cart inside the trash room and loads up from the car. I head upstairs and make sure there is room for the cart to get in and near to the kitchen as possible. He unpacks and puts all the groceries away. I stay out of his way. I would only be a hindrance. 

He keeps my food stamps card, and throughout the month will notice I need something. He will pick it up for me. I tell you, that kid is better than having a husband. The hardest part of shopping for me is making up the list.


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## jabbur (Apr 3, 2017)

I generally shop alone.  The times when DH is with me, he will skedaddle off to the magazines and browse through them while I shop. He doesn't cook or plan meals so it's all on me to plan, shop and cook.  He will go and pick up stuff if I need it or will stop for something on the way from work if I ask.  I find it humorous that when I shop, I tend to go for generic, off-brand things but he buys name brand all the time.  He's the penny pincher too! If I send him out while I'm cooking, I make sure I have specifics written down for him (2 cans Hunts petite diced tomatoes 16 oz.) or he'll come home with something totally off. When we go to Sam's Club, generally we go in different directions.  He'll get the non-food items while I get the grocery things.


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## Dawgluver (Apr 3, 2017)

I think Whiska's idea of having separate shopping carts on our thrice-yearly forays to Costco is brilliant.  That way DH can pick out wine, cheese, browse the menswear at his leisure, and I can get food, cosmetics, and other important stuff.  I'll just have to check his phone to make sure he has it turned on.


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## Cheryl J (Apr 3, 2017)

My ex was notorious for wandering off, and this was before cell phones.  If I couldn't find him after a certain amount of time, I'd check the courtesy desk to see if someone turned him in.  If not, I'd have him paged. He used to hate that. 

Things have changed - now when I go shopping with my daughters, it's me who wanders off. haha


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## CakePoet (Apr 3, 2017)

Mine wasnt with me today so I bought Easter candy 1½ kilo and then ate some  on the way home, oh yeah I had a hot dog too.  He miss all those treats when he isnt with me.


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## Dawgluver (Apr 3, 2017)

Cheryl J said:


> My ex was notorious for wandering off, and this was before cell phones.  If I couldn't find him after a certain amount of time, I'd check the courtesy desk to see if someone turned him in.  If not, I'd have him paged. He used to hate that.
> 
> Things have changed - now when I go shopping with my daughters, it's me who wanders off. haha




We were in AZ visiting my dad years ago.  Dad's place was across a field to a Walmart.  DH and I walked there while it was light out.  Then he left, without bothering to tell me.  I had him paged at least 6 times.  OK, fine.  Now it was dark, and I had to navigate the field, in the middle of the desert, and my night vision sucks.  Pitch black, no guiding lights.  Let me tell you, hell had no fury like mine.


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## bethzaring (Apr 3, 2017)

For the most part I do the shopping.  When possible, like on the weekends, I will wait for DH to accompany me.  Being a small town; 6000 population, and DH living here most of his life, it is a social event for him to go.


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## Addie (Apr 3, 2017)

CakePoet said:


> Mine wasnt with me today so I bought Easter candy 1½ kilo and then ate some  on the way home, oh yeah I had a hot dog too.  He miss all those treats when he isnt with me.



It is time for Easter Peeps. My downfall in this world. I have always loved them. I have a friend who every year buys a package for me. Last year my son told her I simply can not eat Peeps. I am a diabetic. So she bought me a big stuffed on instead.


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## Cheryl J (Apr 3, 2017)

Dawgluver said:


> We were in AZ visiting my dad years ago. Dad's place was across a field to a Walmart. DH and I walked there while it was light out. Then *he left, without bothering to tell me.* I had him paged at least 6 times. OK, fine. Now it was dark, and I had to navigate the field, in the middle of the desert, and my night vision sucks. Pitch black, no guiding lights. Let me tell you, hell had no fury like mine.


 
 Oh man....I'd have been fit to be tied, too!


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## CakePoet (Apr 3, 2017)

Last year a candy company tried to get us to eat Peeps,  they taste  weird to us and they had a lot left, this year they have made a  Swedish version named  Foamy  /  weird/ Shady hens , yeah Swedish is weird language.  Taste really yummy.


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## Addie (Apr 3, 2017)

My sister and I always have had different interests in life. Anytime we would go to BJ's, we would agree to meet at a certain time while we wandered our own way. But I still prefer to shop alone. I don't like having pressure on me to hurry while shopping. I read labels, front and back. That takes time.


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## PrincessFiona60 (Apr 4, 2017)

I lost Shrek in Wal-Mart one trip.  It was totally possible he had wandered out of the store, forgetting where he was.  Scared me to death.  Finally found him in the automotive aisle, after searching the whole store from front to back.  I have him wear neon t-shirts so I can see him easily.  I also had a bracelet made for him with his name, address, telephone, my parents telephone and police chief numbers.


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## caseydog (Apr 4, 2017)

It is just me and psycho-poodle. He used to go with me to Pet's Mart, until he pooped on the floor. Pet's Mart is cool about that. Kroger, I'm guessing, not so much.

When I was married, my wife and I often went grocery shopping together. No problems. We actually rather enjoyed it. 

Now, if I needed some "alone time," all I had to do is go to Home Depot or Lowe's. She hated those places. Then again, I couldn't handle clothes shopping with her -- especially if shoes were involved. 

CD


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## caseydog (Apr 4, 2017)

BTW, if you are married or in a serious relationship, try to find Rob Becker's *Defending the Caveman* playing somewhere near you. 

It is a one-man play that both men and women love. I've seen it twice, and laughed the whole time. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NSxO0ivq0KI

http://defendingthecaveman.com

CD


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## ixamnis (Apr 21, 2017)

In my family I do more of the shopping and cooking than my wife does. Yes, she sometimes goes with me. Sometimes I go by myself. She has no interest in cooking beyond TV dinners, frozen pizzas, cereal, and bologna sandwiches. I think this is why I got started cooking.


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