Thursday, March 15, 2012

thursday


Today is grocery shopping day. We have a new Whole Foods Market in the next town. I am pretty excited to check it out. I buy 90% of my staples in bulk. In my quest to reduce waste, I use cotton drawstring bags, mesh bags, and glass bottles. I shop once a month for bulk, because I have to drive about 15 miles round trip to get to my regular market. This new WF is not any closer, but I am hoping that they have amped up their bulk section a bit. I find that at WF they have a great selection in their meat department. This store can be very expensive, as can be any store that you purchase a lot of processed foods. I am into buying organic bulk ingredients, so I don't worry much about it as those prices don't vary too much.
I have my system down. I use a black washable marker to clearly mark the bin #,  and the tare weight of the bag is marked in sharpie. This makes weighing super easy for the grocery checker. My glass jars are preweighed and I write the bin # and tare weight on the bottom of the jar in sharpie. I use an large, round woven basket to carry all of my supplies. I keep a running list of the items I need to buy, I have been doing this long enough now that my list is second nature.
When I get home I will put the food away into my glass pantry jars and wash the cotton bags that need it. I love seeing all of the jars filled, ready to be made into something nourishing and delicious.
Soon, I will don my rainboots and winter coat and head out into the March wetness. I will probably get a big cup of coffee (hard to completely give up in March) to keep my hands warm (it is unseasonably cold here right now), and make a day of grocery shopping. Enjoy your day!

Tami

2 comments:

  1. You really do have a great system going! We've been going to the Trader Joe's (also about 15 miles away) twice a month for a while now and I am finding that my purchases are healthier and costs are down overall. LOVE WF's, too but they are a bit further away. This month (inspired by your no spend March) I am going to skip my second trip and fill in locally with a little bit of fresh produce (must have our cabbage and carrots for St. Paddy's Day!) and milk. More baking, too. ou are setting such a good example! ;) Have fun!

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  2. Have fun at whole foods. We do not have one anywhere near here....maybe two to three hour drive one way? So sad for me but wonderful for you. We are having warm weather right now!!

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