Robbi writes: I
have fibromyalgia and a host of other ailments, most of them chronic.
There are days when I just want to grab the first things I see and get
out of the store and back home to rest. How do you get your shopping
done for the week without killing yourself and destroying your budget
in the process?
Jill: I
know it can be very hard to go to the grocery store when you are sick.
My daughter Tawra and I both have Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and once
went, parked in the store parking lot and had to turn around and drive
right back home because we were too exhausted after just making the
short drive to get there. Boy, did we feel dumb. Here are a couple of
ideas that may help a little.
First, always keep a list.
That may be hard because for me, by the time I find a pencil, I usually
forget what I was going to write down. HA!HA! The list helps you not
only to remember things, but also helps you decide what to buy. I am
usually so sick at the store that nothing sounds good, so making myself
buy just what is on my list helps.
I also go to the smallest grocery store in my area. Walking up and down long isles just kills me. I like Aldi's because it not only helps me save money but is smaller.
You may find it easier to buy a month's worth of staples all at once.
Then, just go once a week to buy the fresh items. The fresh items are
on the outside wall of most grocery stores so I can sometimes walk that
distance if I don't have to go up and down each isle where the staples
are.
Make a floor plan of your store.
When you buy items that always seem hard to find (for me it is syrup),
make a note of the location on your floor plan. Then you don't have to
wear yourself out wandering the isles aimlessly.
Price Match- Some superstores will match the prices of their competitors ads. I take my ads in and purchase all my loss leader sale items at one store. Then
I don’t have to go from store to store purchasing the exceptional
deals. I can get the sale price all at one store. Ask if your store
will do this and it can save time and money.
To help save money, ask your butcher when he marks down the meat.
The same goes for produce and bakery items. That way you can plan to do
your shopping when the bargains are right there. You don't have to go
hunting for them.
Keep you meals simple.
Don't feel guilty if you get to the grocery store and only have the
energy to buy milk and cereal. Guilt drains you. Once I stopped
fighting and feeling guilty about what I couldn't do and what other people would think about what I wasn't doing, I actually started having some good days.
