My wife and I have fallen into the daily trip to the grocery store trap (very dangerous, because you just never figure out how much you are spending until you do your Quarterly Financial Report).
We came up with an idea, that I am pretty sure we can’t live up to, but I throw it out to the folks who might also have fallen into this gas wasting, and money wasting trap.
Premise: You are spending too much money going to shop every day for groceries, and you are wasting gas doing the trip every single day.
Walk !
Yup, if you are going to go to the grocery store every day, you must walk there ( we will accept cycling there or taking the bus, if you have a bus pass). I will allow for if you go shopping on the weekends, you can drive 1 day, to pick up a “weekly order“, however all other times you must walk.
Why walking? Am I a Physical Fitness Wacko? Nope, but let me be more precise:
Benefits
- Exercise (yes, you, the one that is eating that second donut, I mean you). For me the walk is about 1.5 km each way, maybe, I tried it out today, and it is about a 55 minute round trip proposal. Exercise tends to help your appetite get under control as well.
- You will only buy what you can carry home with you. If you are taking the bus, you might want to put a limitation on this, but if you are walking, you aren’t as likely to over buy, because, you know how much you can carry all the way back home.
- There will be days where you go, “We don’t need fennel that much”, and not buy it that day. You will then not buy the donuts, and/or other things that you might impulse buy too.
- You save money on the gas, and now, that is not chump change either. If you cut out 5 trips a week? Over the year that could add up to some serious money.
- If you go with your wife, it gives you time to walk and talk without the kids around too!
Flaws
- It’s pouring, and you just ran out of milk for your toddler, because the teenage locusts drank it all. (sorry dear, the big cajun wife is driving)
- You need your meds and have run out of your prescription (no plan of this kind should be life threatening). Go get your meds, you are allowed to take your car!
- The walk to your grocery store is over 5 Km (one way), then I guess it’s ok, but my bet is, you don’t shop every day if that is the case as well!
As I said, me and Mrs. C8j may try this out, we did on Monday, and it was quite nice, but I was on vacation that day as well.
Planning.
That’s all that’s needed. Decide your menu, and stick to it. Lots of folk who live more distant from the grocery store make only occasional trips.
Combining.
Can you pick up the few necessities (milk, bread, etc.) on the way home from work, instead of making a special trip? Stopping by the store between the office and the bus stop can work.
Slavery.
Can your teenagers be sent on this mission? Just don’t give them a twenty for a gallon of milk!
DAvid
Slavery works well in this concept, however, whether you end up with what you want is another story.
Yes, doing single larger purchases and planning is definitely the answer in the long run, this is more aversion therapy right now.
–C8j