If I go clockwise I'd be picking up the refrigerated and frozen stuff first. Counterclockwise is paper/cleaning stuff first. Much more gooder.

Busterb, Telefunken, try Trader Joe's for veggies. They tend to be in smallish, almost boutique-y looking packages. For an instance, there is their guacamole kit, available in the produce section. Five pounds is their biggest size of potato sacks.

Their philosophy seems to be "small & fresh."

I used to buy milk at the grocery store thinking it was cheaper. It's the same price at the convenience store where I gas up for the week. What I have noticed is the milk I buy at the convenience store is fresher and stays fresher longer than grocery store milk. My theory is that the convenience store's churn rate for milk is higher since they have a smaller inventory.

One of our supermarkets (Tesco) has cottoned on to the fact people like to buy local. They have started selling Local Milk - milk which comes from a farm in your region, so it doesn't travel as far. There has been an outcry because in my region - "The Heart of England" the majority of dairies used are based to the East of the region (in Lincoln). This means the milk labelled local in Hereford in the West has already travelled 150 miles.

Meh. I'd rather buy milk from Lincoln than Scotland or France.

There is currently pressure from shoppers to include the country of origin on food products, which I think can only be a good thing. The supermarkets are waking up to the idea that some customers will pay more to have fresh food produced in their own region. Personally I like the idea of seasonal foods - it makes them more special. Now if I can only find somewhere that sells something other than Santa strawberries (tastless, watery things - grown because they are tougher and transport easier).

Cloud, I have to ask you what you think is wrong with a carbon footprint left by someone who chooses to buy their groceries from 1 store which provides for all their needs rather than going from shop to shop. I do not see the issue with this. I know people who drive all over the joint to buy bargains in bulk. For me, that's not economical, even though we personally do not pay for fuel.

Whoever said something about short shelf life for fresh produce. I'll go along with that. It shits me that the big supermarkets buy inferior products and then use 'special' lighting to make it look much better than it actually is.

I'd rather pay a bit more and get a good quality product which will keep longer than pay tuppence for shit. Mind you, I'd rather pay less if I could, but given the choice, I'd choose quality.

Herbs are easy to grow. I have a bunch of them growing on my front verandah which gets the sun most of the day. I have parsely, thai and sweet basil, mint, chives, rosemary, shallots, coriander and a chilli tree at the moment. All they need is sun and some slow release fertilizer once a month or so. I keep trying to grow oregano but it never works. It likes a damper environment than the rest of the herbs I grow, so I think that's the problem.

Anyway, I like shopping. I'll do it in any direction. I don't think it matters which way I go, I still spend more than I intend to every time.

Me? Nothing. It was Telefunken who expressed concern about this.

Thanks for the tips about herbs. I do have oregano in the pot, so we'll see what happens.

Good luck with the oregano. If it grows, you know I'm gonna have oregano envy right? ;)

(snort)

well, it's Greek oregano. It's dry in Greece, isn't it?

Right. I'm sure there might be one in New Orleans or somewhere in the surrounding 500 miles.

wish we had one where I live!

Sundae, you'd love it here on the Oxnard plain. Strawberries are our specialty, the number one earner crop. We get an early crop about early February and the main crop lateish June.

Strawberries recently beat out citrus, which was our used-to-be. In World War Two we alleviated a labor shortage during harvesting -- a long season -- by employing German POWs to harvest the lemons and oranges. I've seen the German-language manual of instructions in the county museum.

My only rule for grocery shopping -- which I violate frequently -- is don't go when you're hungry. Everything looks good when when my stomach is empty.

Oh, yeah, barefoot. Get some kind of sticks-with-you complex-carb-n-cheese snack in you first. A solid power bar kind of thing -- not the gussied-up Rice Krispies with goop kind of bar -- works about as well and is cheaper than ordering a personal pan pizza. Fits better in a purse, too.

The closest Trader Joe's to me are in the Twin Cities and near Chicago, either way, at least 2.5 hours away. They are supposed to be putting 2 in Iowa, but the website hasn't said where yet.

When they do, I will definately do a LOT of my shopping there. Last month I went with my SIL and 2 other women to the Mall of America for a girls weekend. I spent $30 at MOA, about $120 at Trader Joe's. And that was without any perishables or wine!! (we all spent over $100 each)

Here's a shot of our trunk: *cues Low Rider*

I hate shopping. I keep time and cost to a minimum by having a list on the fridge that people must add to if they want something. If it isn't on the list, it doesn't go in the cart. Period. And if I can't read what's on the list, I'm not wasting time interpreting. Ask beest -his handwriting has improved no end :D