The shopping list has never been more important than it is now. It used to be a minor aggravation when you forgot something because it wasn’t on the list. That’s OK because you’d go to town another day or go to another town another day. You could stroll around unfamiliar grocery stores to see what they have that’s different from the small near-by Foodland.
Now I only go to Foodland. Its never crowded; I’ve shopped as late at 10:30 a.m. with no lines. My list is written in the order of the shopping route. I know where all the arrows are. People would rather drive further and risk crowded places to save a few bucks but I don’t have anyone else to feed so I’m willing to pay those extra few bucks to be somewhere safe, familiar and close to home.
I have taken one venture out to a bigger town and bigger grocery store; SuperStore which I call Stuporstore because I end up in some time warp and spend a lot of money. There’s so many good deals compared to Foodland and they have so much more stuff!
I made my list weeks in advance; the SS list. I needed paneer and they sell 6 foot Christmas trees which I can get in my hatch-back. I tried to think of the things I might need in the future and organized the list in order of the shopping aisle route.
The Christmas tree was my main mission. I knew they were going to go fast this year and I need one more than ever! I was right; still November and they were getting sold out fast.
But this post is not about my tree (got it up Thursday, put the lights on yesterday, decorations today, o boy!) its about the list.
Its almost an hour drive so I have to get up early to have coffee early and give myself enough time to pee or my bladder won’t make it there. (I’m telling you this to highlight the planning that goes into a once simple grocery trip) There are detours now so its a little longer.
I looked in every isle at everything to make sure I would have everything I needed until the new year.
I spent a lot of money.
Two things did not make the list; unbleached coffee filters and underpants. Damn.
Oh well, I have bleached white coffee filters and hope I don’t get in an accident.
Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “list.” Make or talk about a list.
The Friday Reminder and Prompt for #SoCS Dec. 5/2020 | (lindaghill.com)
monicle's chronicles 
Food shopping is traumatic in the age of COVID, isn’t it? I’m still not used to wearing a mask, so I’m not completely comfortable. People aren’t following the arrows, and the store does not seem to be enforcing it. I think it’s great that you order your list by aisle. I write my list as I run out of things, so it’s never in the right order. I keep zig-zagging throughout the store to find items I missed along the way. By the time I get home, I am famished and pretty much spent for the day.
I agree with Gail, covid groceries are no joke. My list is arranged in store order too so I can get through in as short a time as possible. My biggest complaint is when other people won’t be patient and swoop in to hover over me in the meat section. One of these days I’m just gonna throw a package of chicken breasts in their shopping cart and ask if there’s anything else they need. 😳