This week, I wanted to talk about adapting to change.
I’ve always been a couponer, a lover of great deals.
I was raised by a mom who grocery shopped once a month, making lists for different stores. We would leave the house with a cooler and ice packs and a coupon box in hand. We spent all day shopping for the best deals.
I’m sure my mom had a plan, though I don’t remember exactly what we ate each day. I do recall roast chicken on Sundays. Pizza on Saturdays. But we never talked about her system.
So, when I moved out, I tried to emulate her methods. I checked all the grocery ads, clipped coupons, and chased the deals.
I adapted my menu and cooked with whatever the deals were.
I guess I figured this was “the way to do it” if I wanted to maximize our grocery budget.
Then, an Aldi came to my area and competitors’ coupons were mostly not worth clipping. I had a neighborhood store with consistently lower prices on most of my staple items.
Plus, as the years passed by, I had more children and lugging them around from store to store just didn’t feel worth it. (No idea how my mom did it for so many years!)
Crying babies and homeschooling took priority over chasing the grocery deals. A little part of me felt like I was sacrificing somehow or not doing it “right” because I wasn’t sticking to the routine my mom had followed.
But that’s the point. Things change. We adapt.
Grocery delivery and pick-up options became more prevalent, and life changed.
Going to the grocery store seemed less efficient. I often found that the tip and the delivery fees were worth saving the trip out of the house. Or free grocery pick-up was even better! No unbuckling car seats or dragging kids out in the rain and snow.
Then, in recent months, things have changed again.
My kids are a little older and can generally control themselves in the stores. Sometimes they are even helpful, reading the grocery list or keeping a tally of our expenses (practical life lessons!).
The delivery apps have gotten complacent as their businesses have grown and I’ve found myself frustrated by their customer service at times. So we make it into the physical stores more often nowadays.
So what is my grocery routine now?
Lately, I use a mixture of pick-up, delivery, and in-store shopping. I do love stumbling upon the reduced produce cart or hitting the motherload at a grocery outlet.
But when life is busy, I don’t guilt myself for utilizing the great delivery and pick-up services. I appreciate the convenience of rotisseries chicken delivered to my house for the days swamped by church or other activities or appointments for my kids. It’s still way cheaper than takeout for my family of six!
I don’t know if I’ll ever go back to couponing, but there are several rebate apps I do use.
At the end of the day, find grocery savings and schedule your shopping in the way that works best for you. Whether that’s placing an order via an app while you walk on the treadmill or stopping by the grocery store before or after work, there’s no “wrong” way to do it.
Shifting, or trying something different, isn’t bad or wrong. It’s just different!