how far is your drive to the grocery store?

[mskyle]

It's 2 miles to the ones we usually go to, with two more within that 2 miles. Even though we both bike significantly further to work, we still drive to the grocery store every damn week! It would be easy enough for either of us to pick stuff up on the way home from work, but my boyfriend hates not being involved in the shopping and will end up spending more if he goes by himself, so a weekly trip together by car seems to work best.

It might be time for me to do another Secret Aldi Run (~4 miles from home, a few miles out of the way on my commute).

[eostache]

10 minute walk to an Albertsons in my neighborhood. I walk there with a back pack or a tote bag a couple times a week.
They are just breaking ground now for a new City Market (Kroger) a five minute walk away. Can't wait!!

[expectopatronum]

5 min bike ride, 4 min drive...maybe a quarter mile.

[catccc]

5 minutes/ 2 miles.  It's downright shameful that I drive most of the time...

[WingsFan4Life]

5 minute bike ride or 5 minute car ride, depending on the amount needed.

[johnny847]

5 minutes/ 2 miles.  It's downright shameful that I drive most of the time...

I concur. Bike it!

[Villanelle]

5 minute-ish walk.  About half a mile.  I walk.  I'm not a great biker and I live on a hill so I actually find walking back with groceries easier than biking. 

[epipenguin]

I generally don't make separate trips to the grocery store, as I go on the way home from work. The one I go to most of the time doesn't require any deviation from one of my normal routes home. Then there's one that's maybe a 1/4 mile deviation off the route home, so 1/2 mile additional driving. The other one is probably 2 miles out of my way, so adds 4 miles to the trip home.

[Ricky]

So...interesting thread. It looks like the majority are well within ~6 minutes of a grocery store by car at the least (some MUCH closer).

Does it even matter? Has anyone both lived far and close and recognize any real tangible benefit considering one shouldn't be going to the store more than once a week (or two) anyway?

[Rural]

So...interesting thread. It looks like the majority are well within ~6 minutes of a grocery store by car at the least (some MUCH closer).

Does it even matter? Has anyone both lived far and close and recognize any real tangible benefit considering one shouldn't be going to the store more than once a week (or two) anyway?

I spend a hell of a lot less on food now than I did when I lived next to a big natural foods grocery store in the city (local, cheaper than Whole Foods but same idea). That was more than ten years ago and I spend less in absolute terms, not just adjusted for inflation. I plan better, too.

[Villanelle]

So...interesting thread. It looks like the majority are well within ~6 minutes of a grocery store by car at the least (some MUCH closer).

Does it even matter? Has anyone both lived far and close and recognize any real tangible benefit considering one shouldn't be going to the store more than once a week (or two) anyway?

I have a small German fridge.  That makes it much more difficult to stock up on a week's worth of stuff, and certainly not two weeks.  Also, why *shouldn't* I go to the store every day?  It costs the same to by milk, eggs, apples, ground beef, rice, and butter in one trip than it does milk and apples today, eggs and meat on Thursday, and butter and rice on Friday. 

In fact, it saves me money.  When I was trying to buy fresh produce to last a week or more, I often got it wrong.  I thought I'd be cooking all 5 week nights, but DH ended up not being home so I'd make a sandwich, and the asparagus I'd bought for that meal doesn't get used.  It ends up going bad.  Or it turns out we have more leftovers than anticipated, so I cook fewer nights.  Or the avocados ripen faster than expected and since I bought 5, I couldn't use them quickly enough.  When I'm buying produce every few days, I get only when I need.  If the asparagus doesn't get cooked on Monday, I just by for one day instead of two on my next trip to the grocery store on Tuesday.  Shopping more often *saves* me money.

[morning owl]

I've never heard this rule that you should only grocery shop once every week or two. I don't see why that would be a rule!

Like Villanelle I prefer / need to shop twice a week or so. For one, I'm on foot, so can't carry enough food to last a week for two people. And secondly I don't meal plan that far in advance! Thirdly, I eat mostly fresh foods, many of which only last a week or so.

When you grocery shop on foot you have different requirements, I guess. I also don't go to one store (I don't remember the last time I was at a supermarket), but rather three or four small stores... One for produce, one for cheese, one for meats, and a health food store for bulk things (rice, nuts, etc) and pretty much everything else. And a farmers market, which is also a 10 minute walk and has a little bit of everything. So food shopping is a very pleasant experience... Why not do it as often as possible? (While only buying what's needed, of course.)

[FunkyStickman]

I'm 8 miles from the nearest actual grocery store. There's a Dollar General about 2 miles way that we get things like bread and stuff at. Sometimes I'll stop at the grocery on my way home (I work right by it)

[kaposzta]

We are very lucky, because we have a somewhat cheap supermarket 50 meters away.
Tesco, Aldi and Lidl are all within 4-5 bus stops, so we wouldn't drive there even if we had a car :)

[YoungInvestor]

About a 10 minutes walk to mine.

It's about the only activity that makes me want to have a car. Carrying back my groceries really, really blows.

[Villanelle]

About a 10 minutes walk to mine.

It's about the only activity that makes me want to have a car. Carrying back my groceries really, really blows.

Do you have a cart of some kind?  It makes it a heck of a lot easier.  Not that I shop so often (and do an occasional large shop at our commissary, to which I must drive), I only use a hand basket, but in a former location when I tended up buy more at a time, I had a small cart that I brought and left parked (folded) near the door of the store while I shopped.  Mine was given to me but I'm sure they are cheap. 

[nereo]

according to Google Maps...
210 meters to the IGA (large grocery store)
240 meters to the Metro (another large grocery chain)
300 meters to neighborhood bakery #1
320 meters to neighborhood bakery #2
400 meters to the local green grocer
400 meters to the wine & spirits store (you can't buy distilled spirits in the grocery stores here)
450 meters to the mostly organic upscale grocery store
500 meters to the best cheese store in town

I walk or bike to all of these (never drive - as parking would take longer than the walk).

[Ricky]

I've never heard this rule that you should only grocery shop once every week or two. I don't see why that would be a rule!

It's not...I just read a lot of people's thoughts on here about meal planning and only shopping once a week or once every two weeks for groceries. Do what works for you, obviously. I personally dislike grocery stores or any type of store and will avoid them as much as possible. But either way, planning your meals and stocking up as much as you can per trip will ultimately lead to more time to focus on more important matters. I'd love to live in a place where I could get my groceries delivered - I'd gladly pay for it.

[OttoVonBisquick]

1 mile from my Safeway, and I drive it... I would walk, but I can't carry all the groceries I don't think, and I don't have a bike nor trailer for it.

Any other suggestions?

[nereo]

I've never heard this rule that you should only grocery shop once every week or two. I don't see why that would be a rule!

It's not...I just read a lot of people's thoughts on here about meal planning and only shopping once a week or once every two weeks for groceries. Do what works for you, obviously. I personally dislike grocery stores or any type of store and will avoid them as much as possible. But either way, planning your meals and stocking up as much as you can per trip will ultimately lead to more time to focus on more important matters. I'd love to live in a place where I could get my groceries delivered - I'd gladly pay for it.

I'm the complete opposite of you here - I love going into grocery stores and sometimes will go to three different stores on the same trip to get the best cost and/or highest quality (see above for how many options are near me).  I probably buy groceries ~3x/week, but rarely do I spend more than $20 per trip.  Two of the grocery stores near me offer delivery service, but I only used it once when I was very sick.

[nereo]

1 mile from my Safeway, and I drive it... I would walk, but I can't carry all the groceries I don't think, and I don't have a bike nor trailer for it.

Any other suggestions?

a stroller-type cart?  buy a bike? a large backpacker's back-pack?  an old suitcase with wheels?  I've seen women in mexico carry six reusable bags on a large stick (3 per side).
honestly there are so many options available that any reason not to do it boils down to you just not wanting to.

[MoneyCat]

1 mile to the supermarket, which takes only a few minutes by bicycle. 

[OttoVonBisquick]

1 mile from my Safeway, and I drive it... I would walk, but I can't carry all the groceries I don't think, and I don't have a bike nor trailer for it.

Any other suggestions?

a stroller-type cart?  buy a bike? a large backpacker's back-pack?  an old suitcase with wheels?  I've seen women in mexico carry six reusable bags on a large stick (3 per side).
honestly there are so many options available that any reason not to do it boils down to you just not wanting to.

Well... Yeah. I suppose you're right, I'm not 100% keen on the idea of 40 minutes or so of walking round trip and hauling it all. I even own a bike, but it's up in Boulder (I'm in Denver for the next 1.5 months), and I don't have a real way of getting it back down here since it won't fit in/on my car :/

Maybe I'll just use a giant suitcase and look like a lost traveller lol. That all being said, the round trip is costing me maybe ~$0.20 to drive, and I'll be back on a bike in 1.5 months, and I shop only about ever 1.5 weeks, so I'll wait until then to get started with that.

[Jack]

For me, there are grocery stores in each of the four cardinal directions (and I live literally as far away as it's possible to be from them, while still being between them).

• Publix 1.6 miles east
• "good" Kroger 2.1 miles north
• "ghetto" Kroger 2.2 miles south
• new Kroger under construction 1.5 miles west

There's also an Aldi 3.3 miles to the south and a Family Dollar about 0.5 miles north (but I don't consider the latter to be a grocery store, or shop there).

Finally, there's a one-day-a-week farmer's market 0.9 miles west in the historic commercial area. There used to be a grocery store there too, up until the '70s (or whenever it was that "grocery stores" turned into "supermarkets"). I wish it were still there.

[James]

2 miles for two grocery stores, 3 miles to a third. But one is a Super Walmart so only the other 2 count to us :D

[vhalros]

I even own a bike, but it's up in Boulder (I'm in Denver for the next 1.5 months), and I don't have a real way of getting it back down here since it won't fit in/on my car :/

What kind of car? My experience has been that a bicycle will fit in most compact cars if you take one or both wheels off.

[nereo]

I even own a bike, but it's up in Boulder (I'm in Denver for the next 1.5 months), and I don't have a real way of getting it back down here since it won't fit in/on my car :/

What kind of car? My experience has been that a bicycle will fit in most compact cars if you take one or both wheels off.

yeah, i was wondering the same.  Maybe a µ˜˙ car? at 6'5" i tend to ride the largest stock frames available, but i've been able to get them into a civic, jetta and a Saturn Ion just be taking off the wheels.  Not ideal, but about 5 minutes of work to transport.

[OttoVonBisquick]

What kind of car? My experience has been that a bicycle will fit in most compact cars if you take one or both wheels off.

yeah, i was wondering the same.  Maybe a µ˜˙ car? at 6'5" i tend to ride the largest stock frames available, but i've been able to get them into a civic, jetta and a Saturn Ion just be taking off the wheels.  Not ideal, but about 5 minutes of work to transport.

EDIT: I drive a 2002 Hyundai Accent (freshly DIY part-replaced except for a few expensive repairs)

My bike was a gift from a German tutor of mine and I don't know what kind it is, but those are damn good ideas. I'm headed up to the area this weekend for a tennis tournament and to spend an evening or two with friends, so I will definitely check it out.

Is youtubing a video good enough for learning how to remove the back wheel with all those moving parts on it, or is it a simple pop-off pop-on type thing?

[nereo]

Is youtubing a video good enough for learning how to remove the back wheel with all those moving parts on it, or is it a simple pop-off pop-on type thing?

Youtube should be fine.  Assuming your bike is like 98% of all other bikes both wheels will come off easily without any tools other than your hands.  The only 'trick' with the rear wheel will be moving the chain over the deraileur, but once seen it done on a video it should take a novice about 2 minutes.  A pro can do it in 10 seconds. Tip:  Have a rag handy as you'll probably get chain grease on your hands.  Use the rag to prevent grease from getting on your car upholstery.
2nd tip: even in an Accent you may find that removing your front wheel is all you need to do to get the bike in the back seat or in the trunk.

FWIW, I've just started learning bike repairs, and this is something that anyone should be able to do.

[JessEsq]

With the new opening in our neighborhood, we are very, very lucky!

We are:

Two blocks from locally-owned organic grocery (with a cute café and outdoor seating too!)

Two blocks from the weekly farmers market

Half a mile from our weekly food co-op pickup

Two miles to a specialty grocery (fancy cheeses... I can't give those up) They are closing at the end of the year though

Approx. 3 miles to a bargain grocery (rarely go here)

Approx. 6 miles to a large grocery a step-up from bargain but not as expensive as our closes grocery - we go here when the chicken is on sale and combine the trip with the pet supplies store on the way ... less than once a month.

About 8 miles in another direction (and down a biiiigggggg hill) is a great farm that has a store in the summer and fall. Maybe I'll work up the courage to bike :) Hubby and I do stop there if we are heading to the trails/hiking down that ways or for some other reason are driving through there.

[Jack]

What kind of car? My experience has been that a bicycle will fit in most compact cars if you take one or both wheels off.

yeah, i was wondering the same.  Maybe a µ˜˙ car? at 6'5" i tend to ride the largest stock frames available, but i've been able to get them into a civic, jetta and a Saturn Ion just be taking off the wheels.  Not ideal, but about 5 minutes of work to transport.

EDIT: I drive a 2002 Hyundai Accent (freshly DIY part-replaced except for a few expensive repairs)

My bike was a gift from a German tutor of mine and I don't know what kind it is, but those are damn good ideas. I'm headed up to the area this weekend for a tennis tournament and to spend an evening or two with friends, so I will definitely check it out.

Is youtubing a video good enough for learning how to remove the back wheel with all those moving parts on it, or is it a simple pop-off pop-on type thing?

I used to own a 2003 Hyundai Accent hatchback (which is the same as a 2002, except with edgier styling) and know for a fact at least two bikes fit in it with the rear seat folded and only the front wheels of each bike removed. Accents are actually pretty gigantic for their size.

Also, knowing how to remove the rear wheel from a bike is important, since it's something you have to do in order to fix common things like flat tires.

[Tester]

I don't drive to grocery stores as I did not buy a car.
So I chose a place where I have a 10 minute walk to several sources of grocery.
Safeway 2 minutes.
Trader Joe's 5 minutes.
QFC 10 minutes.
Fred Meyer 10 minutes.
Marketplace on Sundays - 5 minutes.

When I rent a car I also go to Costco if I need some stuff from them - I will go next week.
Also, next week I plan to go to a u-pick blueberry farm - 1.5 USD/LB seems worth it for one hour of fun with the family, I hope 10 LB will fit in my freezer (if not I will just have to eat a lot of blueberries for one week : )).
Plus there are some nice trails right around the farm.

@OttoVonBisquick
Regarding taking out the rear wheel for a bicycle - if it is quick release just pull the release, then try to pull the wheel out while you get the chain out of the way with your other hand.
You will very quickly understand what you have to do. And it is really really easy.
If you don't have a quick release rear wheel, unscrew the "things" and then again try to pull the wheel out - same as above.