In Alabama I always did the grocery shopping every two weeks.  I have found that running to the store more than that causes our budget great harm.   The only way I found to keep the food budget in check was to shop twice per month and always, ALWAYS bring a shopping list.  I am WAY to tempted to buy things that I only think that I need after I see them.

Here in England I first had to spend two weeks just getting the back stock of staples re-established.  I keep large bags of brown rice, pasta, flour, sugar, baking powder, and herbs and spices for cooking.  In the fridge I keep lots of butter, milk and eggs.  That way there is always something with which to cook just about anything. I was a bit concerned how I would get two weeks worth of groceries home without my beloved mighty mini van.  We walk a bit to get get to the Tesco Extra so for the first two weeks I made the whole family come along so that we could each carry several bags home.

One day while poking around in the storage area I came upon a wonderful find!  Tucked up in a corner was an old push chair, in the states we would call this an umbrella stroller.  I was quite happy.  Meg was embarrassed.

Now Meg and I can do the shopping once per week on our own.  She walks five paces in front of me at least so no one thinks she is with me and the babyless push chair.  I tell her it is that or she can carry half the bags home.

Tesco really tries to encourage shoppers to bring reusable bags.  They grant you a credit toward your shopping points if you bring your own bags.  I bring ours and have found that if I pack a large bag first in the seat of the “push chair” and put all of the really heavy items in there then the rest of the bags can hang off the sides without tipping it over.

Brilliant!  A week’s worth of shopping in one push chair.

The other cool thing about a push chair is that I can go in the back door at home and roll the chair right into the kitchen.  That is easier that the 20 or so trips I used to take out to my van and up and down the stairs to bring in the shopping.

Lovely, easy and wow what a dent I am making in my carbon foot print THIS year. Ha

I think when the snow comes I’ll just get a jump rope and a saucer sled.

Meg will

LOVE that.

hum

-Beth