Grocery shopping

[Queen Frugal]

I feel like I've kind of gotten into the rhythm of the New Grocery Shopping Experience!

If I get the local produce box, I can space out grocery curbside order to every 10 days or so.

We're working on a delivery order from the nice plant nursery/garden center.

One thing I've learned is that we don't use as much tp as I would have guess. We had about 10 rolls left from the last megapack when I assessed the situation at the beginning of March. Dh bought a big package of "not the stuff we usually use" at Sams or Target when I sent him out, and we found a megapack in our last crazy trip to the grocery store in Wisconsin.

We have not opened either of those packages yet, and I just put out the last of the old package, so we've used 10 rolls in 6 weeks, despite being home alllll the time.

Unless you're a male couple in a male household, I have NO idea how you managed to use that little TP.

Interestingly, we don't abbreviate toilet paper to tp in nz. I'd never heard 'tp' and had to ask someone what it meant when I started chatting on US sites. In 45 years I've never heard it referred to as tp here. Loo roll or loo paper, yes, tp, never. I have no idea why.....

Yeah, that's pretty astonishing.  I have to get up to pee ~5 times/night (every time I wake up at the end of a sleep cycle), and probably at least that many times or more during the day. It absolutely amazes me that people can sleep through the night without peeing, unless they are utterly physically exhausted. Right now, with tp hard to get, I really envy men not having to wipe after peeing.

Not that surprising. We're a 1M/1F household and are getting about 8days/roll using Scott. I don't know what we were at pre-stay-at-home, so obviously this has made us much more aware of our usage too.

Scotts TP lasts an amazingly long time. It has been my go-to favorite brand for years for that reason.

[Cranky]

I would check places like Dollar General for toilet paper.

We actually are a household of 3 adults, and 2 of us are women, and I personally feel like I have the fastest kidneys on earth - I pee a million times/day!

But we buy the big rolls os Scott. I know a lot of people hate it but dh and I both grew up using it and it goes a long way. I’ve just never kept track of how many rolls we actually used!

And it’s good information, because bu this fall I intend to have a years worth of a lot of things.

[Rural]

We use Scott tissue, and we're on the fourth roll since I last bought paper in early March.


One male, one female, but when I saw the shortage was not going to stop at about the end of the second roll, I switched to an improvised squirt-bottle bidet for myself (the female).  By that point, real bidets were sold out through Amazon and similar.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

I feel like I've kind of gotten into the rhythm of the New Grocery Shopping Experience!

If I get the local produce box, I can space out grocery curbside order to every 10 days or so.

We're working on a delivery order from the nice plant nursery/garden center.

One thing I've learned is that we don't use as much tp as I would have guess. We had about 10 rolls left from the last megapack when I assessed the situation at the beginning of March. Dh bought a big package of "not the stuff we usually use" at Sams or Target when I sent him out, and we found a megapack in our last crazy trip to the grocery store in Wisconsin.

We have not opened either of those packages yet, and I just put out the last of the old package, so we've used 10 rolls in 6 weeks, despite being home alllll the time.

Unless you're a male couple in a male household, I have NO idea how you managed to use that little TP.

Interestingly, we don't abbreviate toilet paper to tp in nz. I'd never heard 'tp' and had to ask someone what it meant when I started chatting on US sites. In 45 years I've never heard it referred to as tp here. Loo roll or loo paper, yes, tp, never. I have no idea why.....

Yeah, that's pretty astonishing.  I have to get up to pee ~5 times/night (every time I wake up at the end of a sleep cycle), and probably at least that many times or more during the day. It absolutely amazes me that people can sleep through the night without peeing, unless they are utterly physically exhausted. Right now, with tp hard to get, I really envy men not having to wipe after peeing.

You and I have the same bladder! I go through so much toilet paper. I also use it as tissues and I have hayfever nose right now. I go through a 12 pack a fortnight at the moment.

[OtherJen]

Most everyone wore masks, but not many were keeping 6 feet apart, and nobody was following the one way directions marked on the aisles. I still don't get why people wear masks pulled down over their mouths so their noses are above the mask. They are unclear on the concept. At least their chins won't get covid. I went when they opened at 9 am. They had somebody sanitizing carts at the front door. Items I couldn't find were vitamins, disinfecting wipes or cleaners of any kind, and larger bottles of shampoo that they usually carry. I was sad to not see my favorite Aldi regular, who I used to see most Wednesday nights when I went more often. I imagine he's a pimp; he wears elaborate colorful zoot suits with matching boots and hat and carries a sparkly scepter with a skull on it. I wonder what his covid-19 outfit looks like.

I do not get why people wear the masks over only their mouths! I did see one or two of those at BJ’s last week. My favorite, though, was the couple casually strolling around with their giant Starbucks sippy cups; they would pull their masks down, take a swig, tug the masks back up, rinse and repeat. It was tempting to pull my own mask down and cough, especially when they were blocking the aisles, but I didn’t want to get kicked out.

Also, your local Aldi sounds way more fun than mine.

[SunnyDays]

I feel like I've kind of gotten into the rhythm of the New Grocery Shopping Experience!

If I get the local produce box, I can space out grocery curbside order to every 10 days or so.

We're working on a delivery order from the nice plant nursery/garden center.

One thing I've learned is that we don't use as much tp as I would have guess. We had about 10 rolls left from the last megapack when I assessed the situation at the beginning of March. Dh bought a big package of "not the stuff we usually use" at Sams or Target when I sent him out, and we found a megapack in our last crazy trip to the grocery store in Wisconsin.

We have not opened either of those packages yet, and I just put out the last of the old package, so we've used 10 rolls in 6 weeks, despite being home alllll the time.

Unless you're a male couple in a male household, I have NO idea how you managed to use that little TP.

Interestingly, we don't abbreviate toilet paper to tp in nz. I'd never heard 'tp' and had to ask someone what it meant when I started chatting on US sites. In 45 years I've never heard it referred to as tp here. Loo roll or loo paper, yes, tp, never. I have no idea why.....

Yeah, that's pretty astonishing.  I have to get up to pee ~5 times/night (every time I wake up at the end of a sleep cycle), and probably at least that many times or more during the day. It absolutely amazes me that people can sleep through the night without peeing, unless they are utterly physically exhausted. Right now, with tp hard to get, I really envy men not having to wipe after peeing.

You and I have the same bladder! I go through so much toilet paper. I also use it as tissues and I have hayfever nose right now. I go through a 12 pack a fortnight at the moment.

I feel sorry for you guys!  I can’t imagine getting up multiple times a night.  Do you ever feel rested?  I’m a 59 year old female and never get up to go to the bathroom.  Never have.  Even when I wake up for some reason, I just lay there until I fall asleep again.  You have my sympathy!

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

I feel like I've kind of gotten into the rhythm of the New Grocery Shopping Experience!

If I get the local produce box, I can space out grocery curbside order to every 10 days or so.

We're working on a delivery order from the nice plant nursery/garden center.

One thing I've learned is that we don't use as much tp as I would have guess. We had about 10 rolls left from the last megapack when I assessed the situation at the beginning of March. Dh bought a big package of "not the stuff we usually use" at Sams or Target when I sent him out, and we found a megapack in our last crazy trip to the grocery store in Wisconsin.

We have not opened either of those packages yet, and I just put out the last of the old package, so we've used 10 rolls in 6 weeks, despite being home alllll the time.

Unless you're a male couple in a male household, I have NO idea how you managed to use that little TP.

Interestingly, we don't abbreviate toilet paper to tp in nz. I'd never heard 'tp' and had to ask someone what it meant when I started chatting on US sites. In 45 years I've never heard it referred to as tp here. Loo roll or loo paper, yes, tp, never. I have no idea why.....

Yeah, that's pretty astonishing.  I have to get up to pee ~5 times/night (every time I wake up at the end of a sleep cycle), and probably at least that many times or more during the day. It absolutely amazes me that people can sleep through the night without peeing, unless they are utterly physically exhausted. Right now, with tp hard to get, I really envy men not having to wipe after peeing.

You and I have the same bladder! I go through so much toilet paper. I also use it as tissues and I have hayfever nose right now. I go through a 12 pack a fortnight at the moment.

I feel sorry for you guys!  I can’t imagine getting up multiple times a night.  Do you ever feel rested?  I’m a 59 year old female and never get up to go to the bathroom.  Never have.  Even when I wake up for some reason, I just lay there until I fall asleep again.  You have my sympathy!

For me, I kind of wake up a bit at the end of the sleep cycle. It's the wakefulness that makes me want to pee, not the full bladder waking me. It's not like being woken unexpectedly, more of natural waking. Most of the time I get enough sleep. Sometimes it's not too great. I'm good at napping anywhere, though, so I sometimes grab a full sleep cycle (90 minutes) between getting home and sorting dinner.

[wenchsenior]

I feel like I've kind of gotten into the rhythm of the New Grocery Shopping Experience!

If I get the local produce box, I can space out grocery curbside order to every 10 days or so.

We're working on a delivery order from the nice plant nursery/garden center.

One thing I've learned is that we don't use as much tp as I would have guess. We had about 10 rolls left from the last megapack when I assessed the situation at the beginning of March. Dh bought a big package of "not the stuff we usually use" at Sams or Target when I sent him out, and we found a megapack in our last crazy trip to the grocery store in Wisconsin.

We have not opened either of those packages yet, and I just put out the last of the old package, so we've used 10 rolls in 6 weeks, despite being home alllll the time.

Unless you're a male couple in a male household, I have NO idea how you managed to use that little TP.

Interestingly, we don't abbreviate toilet paper to tp in nz. I'd never heard 'tp' and had to ask someone what it meant when I started chatting on US sites. In 45 years I've never heard it referred to as tp here. Loo roll or loo paper, yes, tp, never. I have no idea why.....

Yeah, that's pretty astonishing.  I have to get up to pee ~5 times/night (every time I wake up at the end of a sleep cycle), and probably at least that many times or more during the day. It absolutely amazes me that people can sleep through the night without peeing, unless they are utterly physically exhausted. Right now, with tp hard to get, I really envy men not having to wipe after peeing.

You and I have the same bladder! I go through so much toilet paper. I also use it as tissues and I have hayfever nose right now. I go through a 12 pack a fortnight at the moment.

I feel sorry for you guys!  I can’t imagine getting up multiple times a night.  Do you ever feel rested?  I’m a 59 year old female and never get up to go to the bathroom.  Never have.  Even when I wake up for some reason, I just lay there until I fall asleep again.  You have my sympathy!

I've never had a problem feeling rested, as long as I get 7 hours or more total. I'm awake for ~1 minute each time (and as I said, I wake naturally at the end of every sleep cycle).  Those of you who 'sleep through the night' are likely waking up multiple times as well at the end of every cycle, but it's so brief you are likely not even aware of it.  It's not my bladder being full that wakes me up, it's just that once I'm awake, if I have to pee even a tiny bit, it will keep me awake until I do. 

[terran]

Scotts TP lasts an amazingly long time. It has been my go-to favorite brand for years for that reason.

We've got one more roll then we'll be switching to Walmart's "same as Scott" version since that's the closest they had to our usual when we got it. If that works out well then we'll probably switch as it's a bit cheaper, if not then it's back to Scott.

[Cranky]

I feel like I've kind of gotten into the rhythm of the New Grocery Shopping Experience!

If I get the local produce box, I can space out grocery curbside order to every 10 days or so.

We're working on a delivery order from the nice plant nursery/garden center.

One thing I've learned is that we don't use as much tp as I would have guess. We had about 10 rolls left from the last megapack when I assessed the situation at the beginning of March. Dh bought a big package of "not the stuff we usually use" at Sams or Target when I sent him out, and we found a megapack in our last crazy trip to the grocery store in Wisconsin.

We have not opened either of those packages yet, and I just put out the last of the old package, so we've used 10 rolls in 6 weeks, despite being home alllll the time.

Unless you're a male couple in a male household, I have NO idea how you managed to use that little TP.

Interestingly, we don't abbreviate toilet paper to tp in nz. I'd never heard 'tp' and had to ask someone what it meant when I started chatting on US sites. In 45 years I've never heard it referred to as tp here. Loo roll or loo paper, yes, tp, never. I have no idea why.....

Yeah, that's pretty astonishing.  I have to get up to pee ~5 times/night (every time I wake up at the end of a sleep cycle), and probably at least that many times or more during the day. It absolutely amazes me that people can sleep through the night without peeing, unless they are utterly physically exhausted. Right now, with tp hard to get, I really envy men not having to wipe after peeing.

You and I have the same bladder! I go through so much toilet paper. I also use it as tissues and I have hayfever nose right now. I go through a 12 pack a fortnight at the moment.

I feel sorry for you guys!  I can’t imagine getting up multiple times a night.  Do you ever feel rested?  I’m a 59 year old female and never get up to go to the bathroom.  Never have.  Even when I wake up for some reason, I just lay there until I fall asleep again.  You have my sympathy!

I’m curious - do you have kids? Because I blame it all on childbearing. All those years I thought “Oh, if only I could sleep all night!” And then eventually I could have but  I never again did.

And... it’s fine. I get up at 2 am and go to the bathroom and I’m fine. I fall back asleep, or sometimes I don’t. I’m rested. Indeed, right now I’m sleeping better than usual.

It’s more likely to be the cats waking me up at night than anything else.

[SunnyDays]

No kids.  Are you thinking you’ve become conditioned to waking at night due to them even if you no longer have to?  That can be a thing.  I do have pets, but the dog only rarely wakes me if she needs to go out and sometimes the cats if they get trapped in the bedroom.

[Trudie]

I was sad to not see my favorite Aldi regular, who I used to see most Wednesday nights when I went more often. I imagine he's a pimp; he wears elaborate colorful zoot suits with matching boots and hat and carries a sparkly scepter with a skull on it. I wonder what his covid-19 outfit looks like.

Always great to see the local characters out and about! We had one worker at our store, a real stoner-type--gentle but always seemed high, who liked to make elaborate guesses about what you were cooking for dinner based on what you were buying :)

I just realized that this is one of the things I really miss right now — being able to be out among the characters, the stoners on the bus, the chatty workers at the store...  seriously.  Makes the world go round.

[dresden]

I haven't actually been in the stores so I don't know what the shelves look like.

We've been relying on a combination of delivery from various grocers (shipt and instacart) and aldi pickup (instart I believe).  None of the other places ever have curbside pickup slots open.

We always stocked up on things like toilet paper long before the pandemic but were much lower than usual when the shortages started - mostly due to lack of recent sales at the time.  We always stock on things like toilet paper when on sale in the pre-pandemic world.

We've included toilet paper on every order and managed to get some on a few orders - mostly aldi's.    We aren't up to our normal supply but are closer than before, but you have to watch price on replacements as there are some really high priced options in stock sometimes and you have to instruct your shopper to not replace with high priced options.

One thing we had a hard time finding was yeast after running out 2 weeks ago.  We were able to get some today form Gordon food service store (Shipt) that primarily services retail eating establishments.   They only had the 16 oz size available (SAF instant red) which is bigger than we wanted, but at least we got some and it was under $5.  We found options to freeze some once we open it so it will work out fine.   They also had lentils which we were getting low on.

[Cranky]

No kids.  Are you thinking you’ve become conditioned to waking at night due to them even if you no longer have to?  That can be a thing.  I do have pets, but the dog only rarely wakes me if she needs to go out and sometimes the cats if they get trapped in the bedroom.

I’m thinking that after giving birth 3 times, my pelvic floor has never quite been the same.

Plus, I got up at night with kids for about 10 years straight, and I just learned to need a bit less sleep. I’m actually not at all bothered by getting up at night at this point.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

No kids.  Are you thinking you’ve become conditioned to waking at night due to them even if you no longer have to?  That can be a thing.  I do have pets, but the dog only rarely wakes me if she needs to go out and sometimes the cats if they get trapped in the bedroom.

I’m thinking that after giving birth 3 times, my pelvic floor has never quite been the same.

Plus, I got up at night with kids for about 10 years straight, and I just learned to need a bit less sleep. I’m actually not at all bothered by getting up at night at this point.

I don't think it's kid related for me, but I did work night shift for a good decade or so. I think it's probably that. I have no trouble falling asleep in daylight, so that's a plus because I love napping. There's nothing like a weekend afternoon nap.

[Retire-Canada]

When COVID-19 started I half-jokingly said when I can buy TP and hand sanitizer the worst will be over. Well that momentous day is here. And beyond TP & HS my local grocery store is well stocked in all areas. Even better stuff I want to buy has been going on sale again regularly. My little neck of the woods has fared well during this first phase of the pandemic. Minimal illness or direct COVID-19 impacts. I expect we've got another 12-24 months ahead of us to navigate so now is not the time to declare victory and think the crisis has passed, but I am glad it's not been as bad as I personally feared it could be here.

[wenchsenior]

I feel like I've kind of gotten into the rhythm of the New Grocery Shopping Experience!

If I get the local produce box, I can space out grocery curbside order to every 10 days or so.

We're working on a delivery order from the nice plant nursery/garden center.

One thing I've learned is that we don't use as much tp as I would have guess. We had about 10 rolls left from the last megapack when I assessed the situation at the beginning of March. Dh bought a big package of "not the stuff we usually use" at Sams or Target when I sent him out, and we found a megapack in our last crazy trip to the grocery store in Wisconsin.

We have not opened either of those packages yet, and I just put out the last of the old package, so we've used 10 rolls in 6 weeks, despite being home alllll the time.

Unless you're a male couple in a male household, I have NO idea how you managed to use that little TP.

Interestingly, we don't abbreviate toilet paper to tp in nz. I'd never heard 'tp' and had to ask someone what it meant when I started chatting on US sites. In 45 years I've never heard it referred to as tp here. Loo roll or loo paper, yes, tp, never. I have no idea why.....

Yeah, that's pretty astonishing.  I have to get up to pee ~5 times/night (every time I wake up at the end of a sleep cycle), and probably at least that many times or more during the day. It absolutely amazes me that people can sleep through the night without peeing, unless they are utterly physically exhausted. Right now, with tp hard to get, I really envy men not having to wipe after peeing.

You and I have the same bladder! I go through so much toilet paper. I also use it as tissues and I have hayfever nose right now. I go through a 12 pack a fortnight at the moment.

I feel sorry for you guys!  I can’t imagine getting up multiple times a night.  Do you ever feel rested?  I’m a 59 year old female and never get up to go to the bathroom.  Never have.  Even when I wake up for some reason, I just lay there until I fall asleep again.  You have my sympathy!

I’m curious - do you have kids? Because I blame it all on childbearing. All those years I thought “Oh, if only I could sleep all night!” And then eventually I could have but  I never again did.

And... it’s fine. I get up at 2 am and go to the bathroom and I’m fine. I fall back asleep, or sometimes I don’t. I’m rested. Indeed, right now I’m sleeping better than usual.

It’s more likely to be the cats waking me up at night than anything else.

No kids here.  [Edited for clarity] I've always been like this, prone to waking up many times per night, and it doesn't affect my sense of having a good night's sleep at all.  Hard physical exercise, esp in very hot conditions (which I've commonly had to do) will sometimes spur me to take a short nap during the day, but not my standard sleeping habits. 

[Milizard]

You know, when I was pregnant, I felt like I woke up every 5 minutes to pee.  I was so exhausted.  I seriously wished I could have a catheter so that I could get some sleep!  Then MMM wrote that post about the catheter, and it went over like a lead balloon with me.  Being short of sleep for months on end is torture.
After that time, I got used to peeing more/too frequently, and had to start purposely holding it more for more health.

[SunnyDays]

Your body actually produces Anti-Diuretic Hormone at night so you should have to pee less, all things being equal.  I think when you wake up at night, there's less to focus on than during the day, so you notice your bladder more.  Daytime distractions mean you can feel the need to pee less often than at night, even while drinking more fluid.  That's my theory, anyway.

[sui generis]

You know, when I was pregnant, I felt like I woke up every 5 minutes to pee.  I was so exhausted.  I seriously wished I could have a catheter so that I could get some sleep!  Then MMM wrote that post about the catheter, and it went over like a lead balloon with me.  Being short of sleep for months on end is torture.
After that time, I got used to peeing more/too frequently, and had to start purposely holding it more for more health.

Yeah, I've had trouble sleeping sometimes and I got into a habit of getting up to pee as a way to reset myself to fall back asleep... Which was not a good plan because I feel like it taught my body to want and need to go in the middle of the night. Now there's hardly a night that I don't get up to go and it's a catch 22 training yourself out of it! If you wake up and try to hold it, it's that much harder to fall back asleep... So I usually give in and just go so I can get back to sleep faster.

[AnnaGrowsAMustache]

You know, when I was pregnant, I felt like I woke up every 5 minutes to pee.  I was so exhausted.  I seriously wished I could have a catheter so that I could get some sleep!  Then MMM wrote that post about the catheter, and it went over like a lead balloon with me.  Being short of sleep for months on end is torture.
After that time, I got used to peeing more/too frequently, and had to start purposely holding it more for more health.

Yeah, I've had trouble sleeping sometimes and I got into a habit of getting up to pee as a way to reset myself to fall back asleep... Which was not a good plan because I feel like it taught my body to want and need to go in the middle of the night. Now there's hardly a night that I don't get up to go and it's a catch 22 training yourself out of it! If you wake up and try to hold it, it's that much harder to fall back asleep... So I usually give in and just go so I can get back to sleep faster.

I used to work in a urology ward. Learned more than I wanted to know about incontinence and prostate cancer. The bladder is a muscle. If you always go as soon as you need to, you don't make it work. On the other hand, if you're prone to urinary infections you shouldn't hold onto it when you need to pee. On the other, other hand, it's possible to have an overactive bladder that goes into spasms and makes you feel like you need to pee when you don't really.... Fuck it, if it's normal for you, it's normal.

[bluebelle]

man, this took a left turn, from groceries to urology.....

I think I got used to less crowded stores, even if I had to wait in line to get in.....Saturday, the wait to get in was shorter, but it felt like more people in the aisles.   It feels like the new normal - line up to get in to stores, lots of empty shelves.

I am thankful that I have the space to shop sales, and laundry soap and toilet paper happened to be on sale in the weeks before all hell broke loose.....I'm starting to see toilet paper on shelves, but the shelves for dish soap, laundry soap and most cleaning supplies are still pretty empty.....And well the bakery aisles is still decimated.   I keep hoping that all the first time home bakers will get bored or stocked and it won't be such a scavenger hunt to buy flour.  On the plus side, it's driven me to buy more 'fancy' flour at the upscale bulk store.....having fun with experimenting with different flours.

I fear it's the new normal, but the weight of line ups and empty shelves is weighing on me.   I'm struggling a bit.

[PoutineLover]

I finally managed to get yeast! Someone posted in my trading group that they had some to give away, and it turns out their dad works at the yeast factory and gets to take home whatever yeast is rejected for being out of spec (package size, not quality). It was so nice of them to share the bounty.
In other grocery news, I got lucky with no line at the store, but it's so much more annoying to go up and down directional aisles. Also, passing people brings you within six feet but it's ridiculous to just plod along behind people while they examine every shelf. They're now using movable shelves to block off the ends of aisles to enforce the route, so you have to keep track of the list and try not to go backwards if you miss something. I understand why, but I hate it and it makes an otherwise simple errand a lot more inefficient and irritating.

[frugalnacho]

Despite what BJs and Kroger have said about limiting people in the store they have yet to actually implement that procedure.  There is no one keeping a head count at the door, and they aren't limiting customers at all.  Costco and Home Depot are the only 2 stores that have actually implemented that like they said they were.

[bluebelle]

Despite what BJs and Kroger have said about limiting people in the store they have yet to actually implement that procedure.  There is no one keeping a head count at the door, and they aren't limiting customers at all.  Costco and Home Depot are the only 2 stores that have actually implemented that like they said they were.

Wow, here in Ontario (or at least Toronto where I shop), every store has a paid security guard with counters in their hands....(granted, I've only been to a handful of different stores).   Most of our non-grocery/pharmacy stores have been forced to go to curb-side pickup or online.

[DadJokes]

Despite what BJs and Kroger have said about limiting people in the store they have yet to actually implement that procedure.  There is no one keeping a head count at the door, and they aren't limiting customers at all.  Costco and Home Depot are the only 2 stores that have actually implemented that like they said they were.

Aldi has someone at the door cleaning carts. They also have a sign stating the limit of people in the store and that there should be no more than one person per cart (aka leave your family at home). I'd hope that the person out front would enforce that, but no. There were fewer than 60 people in the store, but there were families all over the place. Why people would want to shop as a family right now is beyond my understanding.

[OtherJen]

Despite what BJs and Kroger have said about limiting people in the store they have yet to actually implement that procedure.  There is no one keeping a head count at the door, and they aren't limiting customers at all.  Costco and Home Depot are the only 2 stores that have actually implemented that like they said they were.

Aldi has someone at the door cleaning carts. They also have a sign stating the limit of people in the store and that there should be no more than one person per cart (aka leave your family at home). I'd hope that the person out front would enforce that, but no. There were fewer than 60 people in the store, but there were families all over the place. Why people would want to shop as a family right now is beyond my understanding.

I don’t know why anyone would want to shop as a family ever. It’s one thing if you don’t have someone to watch your kids, but I always see families at Costco with a mom, dad, at least 4 kids, Grandma, maybe a neighbor...I don’t even like shopping with my husband. It takes twice as long.

[GreenSheep]

In other grocery news, I got lucky with no line at the store, but it's so much more annoying to go up and down directional aisles. Also, passing people brings you within six feet but it's ridiculous to just plod along behind people while they examine every shelf. They're now using movable shelves to block off the ends of aisles to enforce the route, so you have to keep track of the list and try not to go backwards if you miss something. I understand why, but I hate it and it makes an otherwise simple errand a lot more inefficient and irritating.

I agree with the "necessary but annoying" assessment. I wonder how this is going to go when/if stores are busier. Just one other shopper in the wrong spot can really slow down your travels through a store. Yesterday I went to the pharmacy within a grocery store to pick up a prescription and some contact solution for my husband. Not being a regular shopper there, I had to go up and down the one-way aisles a few times before I found the contact solution. Inefficient, but they were mostly empty (the store was oddly quiet), so no big deal. But some (un-masked, of course) guy walked back and forth past me in one of those aisles several times, and when I finally found what I wanted, there was a woman about 3 feet ahead of it examining (I'm not kidding) all the anti-diarrhea medicines, so I had to stand there and wait for her to decide and move forward. (And I kinda felt bad for her. Who wants to have someone waiting while you do that?!)

And what about enforcement? I understand grocery store workers have enough on their hands without also having to become the physical distancing police, and the real police have bigger fish to fry, but why have all these rules if one person, like the guy above, is just going to do what he wants and make it less safe for everyone else?

I'm not saying I want to do away with the rules. I just wish everyone would voluntarily follow them. And learn to be extra considerate of others -- grab a bunch of products and go examine them out of the aisles somewhere, perhaps, then put back the rejects.

[frugalnacho]

directional aisles are bullshit and the concept completely falls apart the minute you have someone that wants to spend 5 minutes contemplating which which loaf of bread they want while the rest of the customers flow around them like a river around a rock.   Grocery stores are filled with dufuses at all times.  Some customers are getting pissed off and pointing out the directional aisle signs to people, but it doesn't always make sense.  I stepped into an aisle to grab something on my last trip, and I had a lady get pissed and point out the directional sign to me.  Like you want me to go down a different aisle with 10 people in it in the correct direction (even though there isn't enough space for me pass anyone without violating the 6ft social distancing),  only to turn around and go down this aisle also with 10 people in, and pass by all those customers within 6ft because I'm just walking through and not staring at the shelves like everyone else, just to grab this one item I need that's only 10 feet away?  It's right there! Just let me grab it and get out of everyone's way!

[Retire-Canada]

Yes I have pretty much given up on the directional aisle concept as have most of the people I see in the store. It sounds great as a concept and then totally doesn't work in practice. I am not fussed getting close to someone for the 0.5 seconds it takes to pass. I have friends that work at grocery stores locally....40hrs a week without masks or anything like that and they are not getting sick and neither are their coworkers so while I am not hanging out next to strangers in the store I am not freaking out about my 15mins a week spent grocery shopping either.

[GuitarStv]

Directional aisles don't work if nobody follows them . . . and it seems to cause big enough problems that nobody in my grocery stores is following them.

[PoutineLover]

I'm not saying I want to do away with the rules. I just wish everyone would voluntarily follow them. And learn to be extra considerate of others -- grab a bunch of products and go examine them out of the aisles somewhere, perhaps, then put back the rejects.

I wish everyone would follow the rules too, but this idea wouldn't really work either, we're supposed to only touch what we want to buy, and at least at my local stores, there isn't really space aside that doesn't block a route. Ironically, I think the extra barriers reduce floor space and make it more difficult to go around people.
There's no perfect solution, but as long as everyone is being reasonably conscious of space, wears a mask, and doesn't purposely get close to others, the risk is generally low. I appreciate that stores are trying to keep their employees safe, and I think making them enforce directions will just put them at a greater risk of exposure if it means they have to argue with non compliant people.

[OtherJen]

I'm not saying I want to do away with the rules. I just wish everyone would voluntarily follow them. And learn to be extra considerate of others -- grab a bunch of products and go examine them out of the aisles somewhere, perhaps, then put back the rejects.

I wish everyone would follow the rules too, but this idea wouldn't really work either, we're supposed to only touch what we want to buy, and at least at my local stores, there isn't really space aside that doesn't block a route. Ironically, I think the extra barriers reduce floor space and make it more difficult to go around people.
There's no perfect solution, but as long as everyone is being reasonably conscious of space, wears a mask, and doesn't purposely get close to others, the risk is generally low. I appreciate that stores are trying to keep their employees safe, and I think making them enforce directions will just put them at a greater risk of exposure if it means they have to argue with non compliant people.

Yeah, that's been my experience as well. Restricting the number of shoppers in the store at one time would probably be more effective.

[Serendip]

And well the bakery aisles is still decimated.   I keep hoping that all the first time home bakers will get bored or stocked and it won't be such a scavenger hunt to buy flour.  On the plus side, it's driven me to buy more 'fancy' flour at the upscale bulk store.....having fun with experimenting with different flours.

I fear it's the new normal, but the weight of line ups and empty shelves is weighing on me.   I'm struggling a bit.

Sorry to hear that things are scarce where you are @bluebelle --this is an odd feeling since we are used to being able to access necessities easily.

As for the store, ours has staff at the front door and it's one in, one out--like a club. Very effective, the small store is easier to navigate with limited people.

 Went to pick up some herbs for the patio garden and the little garden shop is allowing only one person in the greenhouse at a time. I really appreciated that, as long as people are decisive :)

[Zikoris]

Despite what BJs and Kroger have said about limiting people in the store they have yet to actually implement that procedure.  There is no one keeping a head count at the door, and they aren't limiting customers at all.  Costco and Home Depot are the only 2 stores that have actually implemented that like they said they were.

Aldi has someone at the door cleaning carts. They also have a sign stating the limit of people in the store and that there should be no more than one person per cart (aka leave your family at home). I'd hope that the person out front would enforce that, but no. There were fewer than 60 people in the store, but there were families all over the place. Why people would want to shop as a family right now is beyond my understanding.

I don’t know why anyone would want to shop as a family ever. It’s one thing if you don’t have someone to watch your kids, but I always see families at Costco with a mom, dad, at least 4 kids, Grandma, maybe a neighbor...I don’t even like shopping with my husband. It takes twice as long.

Hmm... I get not bringing the family, but I had to shop alone a couple of times when my boyfriend was sick, and it was honestly really tough getting a week's supply of food for two people bought, packed up, and carried home myself. Maybe if you have a clown car instead of walking/biking it's less of an issue.

[slappy]

Re: Grocery shopping as a family-I usually bring my kids with me, but I am lucky that I can leave them at home. I did bring my son grocery shopping early on, just to get him out of the house. He is super social and he actually loves grocery shopping (he's almost 6). I made him sit in the back of the cart so he wasn't too close to people or wandering around touching things. He loved it actually. He said hi to everyone there. I would consider doing it again if I needed to do or if he just gets too stir crazy, but this time he will have to wear a mask. It's not ideal by any means, but he is just so social in general, I don't know what else to do for him. Luckily with the nicer weather, we have been able to walk around the neighborhood and he can greet everyone as he walks by from a safe distance.

Re: grocery shopping with families in general-again, I typically do bring my kids. They enjoy it, because they are very social, and because it's uninterrupted 1:1 time with me. It's getting a little much to bring them shopping now, and I'm getting used to the convenience of grocery pick up. But isn't there some value in having them come shopping? In talking to them about purchasing decisions, pricing, etc? Plus the practice of avoiding all the grocery store temptations. I feel like overall it's kind of like life training. Seems like a mustachian thing to do.

[Metalcat]

Directional aisles don't work if nobody follows them . . . and it seems to cause big enough problems that nobody in my grocery stores is following them.

I live in a particularly rule following city, we love our rules, and the directional aisles are taken pretty seriously at my grocer. Granted, they're also very wide, so passing is easily done while distancing a fair amount.

[DadJokes]

Re: Grocery shopping as a family-I usually bring my kids with me, but I am lucky that I can leave them at home. I did bring my son grocery shopping early on, just to get him out of the house. He is super social and he actually loves grocery shopping (he's almost 6). I made him sit in the back of the cart so he wasn't too close to people or wandering around touching things. He loved it actually. He said hi to everyone there. I would consider doing it again if I needed to do or if he just gets too stir crazy, but this time he will have to wear a mask. It's not ideal by any means, but he is just so social in general, I don't know what else to do for him. Luckily with the nicer weather, we have been able to walk around the neighborhood and he can greet everyone as he walks by from a safe distance.

Re: grocery shopping with families in general-again, I typically do bring my kids. They enjoy it, because they are very social, and because it's uninterrupted 1:1 time with me. It's getting a little much to bring them shopping now, and I'm getting used to the convenience of grocery pick up. But isn't there some value in having them come shopping? In talking to them about purchasing decisions, pricing, etc? Plus the practice of avoiding all the grocery store temptations. I feel like overall it's kind of like life training. Seems like a mustachian thing to do.

I agree regarding bringing the kid to the store during non-pandemic times. My kid is very social as well, and I like having him with me. I simply wouldn't do it right now though.

[OtherJen]

Despite what BJs and Kroger have said about limiting people in the store they have yet to actually implement that procedure.  There is no one keeping a head count at the door, and they aren't limiting customers at all.  Costco and Home Depot are the only 2 stores that have actually implemented that like they said they were.

Aldi has someone at the door cleaning carts. They also have a sign stating the limit of people in the store and that there should be no more than one person per cart (aka leave your family at home). I'd hope that the person out front would enforce that, but no. There were fewer than 60 people in the store, but there were families all over the place. Why people would want to shop as a family right now is beyond my understanding.

I don’t know why anyone would want to shop as a family ever. It’s one thing if you don’t have someone to watch your kids, but I always see families at Costco with a mom, dad, at least 4 kids, Grandma, maybe a neighbor...I don’t even like shopping with my husband. It takes twice as long.

Hmm... I get not bringing the family, but I had to shop alone a couple of times when my boyfriend was sick, and it was honestly really tough getting a week's supply of food for two people bought, packed up, and carried home myself. Maybe if you have a clown car instead of walking/biking it's less of an issue.

Yeah, an extra pair of hands is definitely helpful when you're sick or otherwise hindered. My comment was on those who insist on making it a family outing. Although I'm really thinking about Costco because those are also the groups that clog up the ends of aisles to eat all the free samples (which to be fair is not an issue right now).

And why yes, I do have a clown car.

[OtherJen]

Re: grocery shopping with families in general-again, I typically do bring my kids. They enjoy it, because they are very social, and because it's uninterrupted 1:1 time with me. It's getting a little much to bring them shopping now, and I'm getting used to the convenience of grocery pick up. But isn't there some value in having them come shopping? In talking to them about purchasing decisions, pricing, etc? Plus the practice of avoiding all the grocery store temptations. I feel like overall it's kind of like life training. Seems like a mustachian thing to do.

Fair enough. If I were raising small humans, I would certainly want them to have this life skill. But, like you, I think I'd make it a 1:1 thing if possible.

[RetiredAt63]

I find the arrows help with passing, at least I am only passing one person and cart facing the same way I am going.  Previously I would be navigating carts going both directions, with almost no passing room and sometimes totally blocking the aisle.

I think I am actually faster getting in and out than I used to be.  And I'm not really in a rush, it is my only outing entertainment these days.

[Arbitrage]

Grocery shopping has been exclusively online (Instacart, with some non-perishable products ordered via Amazon or otherwise) since the end of March.  We had enough TP to get through early June or so before it became scarce, and managed to score a second order through Amazon, so we're good until the fall on that end. 

I've worked through various shortages through persistence, stocking up when I saw the lockdowns coming, and/or substitution, and the latest issues are eggs and flour, as many others have noted.  Also haven't been able to get vanilla extract.  Considering actually going to a store or two to look for eggs if we can't get some soon. 

[SailingOnASmallSailboat]

@Arbitrage Penzey's spices (online) has great vanilla extract, if you still can't find any.

[SunnyDays]

I always buy Mexican blend vanilla from a local South American store.  Waaaaay cheaper than real vanilla, and can't tell the difference in baking.

[geekette]

I always buy Mexican blend vanilla from a local South American store.  Waaaaay cheaper than real vanilla, and can't tell the difference in baking.

If you're not getting real vanilla, I'd be worried about what it actually is.  Old news, perhaps, but some/much has coumarin, which makes it smell good, but isn't exactly good for you (blood thinner).

[bluebelle]

I always buy Mexican blend vanilla from a local South American store.  Waaaaay cheaper than real vanilla, and can't tell the difference in baking.

If you're not getting real vanilla, I'd be worried about what it actually is.  Old news, perhaps, but some/much has coumarin, which makes it smell good, but isn't exactly good for you (blood thinner).

I hadn't looked at the price of real vanilla in a while - holy cow it's gotten expensive....still worth it though

[sui generis]

I also am opposed to the directional signs on the grocery aisles.  As respectful as I believe I am being throughout this, there is no way I am joining some bizarre socially-distanced, super slow conga line at the grocery store, where we all follow each other, but never pass.  I'd be there for hours!  Also, my store isn't every-other-aisle.  Sometimes there are two or three aisles with all the same directional arrows, but sometimes it is every other.  So, it would take like a map and serious advance planning for me to know that, e.g., I have to go down aisle 15 south in order to get into aisle 11 at all, because aisles 12-14 are all northbound only as well. 

It seems like the stock really varies each time I go. The produce was decimated last time, but this time they had some of most things.  Pasta and dried beans and grains were gone for a long time, but this time they had a few bags/boxes of a few items.  In the pasta aisle, they actually had a lot of pasta but...only farfalle!  Haha.  One thing I haven't seen since early March is tofu.  None at all. Though that's just in Safeway, luckily other stores have had it.

[bluebelle]

I also am opposed to the directional signs on the grocery aisles.  As respectful as I believe I am being throughout this, there is no way I am joining some bizarre socially-distanced, super slow conga line at the grocery store, where we all follow each other, but never pass.  I'd be there for hours!  Also, my store isn't every-other-aisle.  Sometimes there are two or three aisles with all the same directional arrows, but sometimes it is every other.  So, it would take like a map and serious advance planning for me to know that, e.g., I have to go down aisle 15 south in order to get into aisle 11 at all, because aisles 12-14 are all northbound only as well. 

It seems like the stock really varies each time I go. The produce was decimated last time, but this time they had some of most things.  Pasta and dried beans and grains were gone for a long time, but this time they had a few bags/boxes of a few items.  In the pasta aisle, they actually had a lot of pasta but...only farfalle!  Haha.  One thing I haven't seen since early March is tofu.  None at all. Though that's just in Safeway, luckily other stores have had it.

that's odd....our produce has been well stocked, okay potatoes were wiped out the first two weeks.....I haven't been buying any produce that won't be cooked.....call me paranoid, but salad is off the table, I can't wash it well enough to suit me.

[OtherJen]

I also am opposed to the directional signs on the grocery aisles.  As respectful as I believe I am being throughout this, there is no way I am joining some bizarre socially-distanced, super slow conga line at the grocery store, where we all follow each other, but never pass.  I'd be there for hours!  Also, my store isn't every-other-aisle.  Sometimes there are two or three aisles with all the same directional arrows, but sometimes it is every other.  So, it would take like a map and serious advance planning for me to know that, e.g., I have to go down aisle 15 south in order to get into aisle 11 at all, because aisles 12-14 are all northbound only as well. 

It seems like the stock really varies each time I go. The produce was decimated last time, but this time they had some of most things.  Pasta and dried beans and grains were gone for a long time, but this time they had a few bags/boxes of a few items.  In the pasta aisle, they actually had a lot of pasta but...only farfalle!  Haha.  One thing I haven't seen since early March is tofu.  None at all. Though that's just in Safeway, luckily other stores have had it.

that's odd....our produce has been well stocked, okay potatoes were wiped out the first two weeks.....I haven't been buying any produce that won't be cooked.....call me paranoid, but salad is off the table, I can't wash it well enough to suit me.

I figure that if I let the raw produce sit for a couple of days and then wash it, it's probably as clean as my hands. We eat a lot of salad and haven't had problems.

So far, produce is one of the few things that hasn't had a shortage here, except maybe potatoes during the first few weeks. We've been really grateful to have a lot of fresh and colorful vegetables, both cooked and raw. Everything else seems to go in cycles. Pasta is plentiful. Beans, not so much. Flour is gone. Beef and pork were abundant at the store I visited last week, while the chicken was almost gone.

[Retire-Canada]

that's odd....our produce has been well stocked, okay potatoes were wiped out the first two weeks.....I haven't been buying any produce that won't be cooked.....call me paranoid, but salad is off the table, I can't wash it well enough to suit me.

Okay. Since you asked. The salad thing ^^^ is being truly paranoid and is not logical.