Shopping Made Easy for My Life

Have you ever noticed how much drive thru traveling happens? When I have errands to run, I want to get them done quickly. If you have to deal with chronic pain, then you can relate to this. You might also relate to this if you have a car full of children or other people who need some assistance. It is just easier to be able to order a drink through the drive thru. Because of this, I know pretty much the best places to go and the best routes to get where I need to go. One of my super powers is the ability to navigate an entire shopping trip around convenience, doing my very best not to have to recross paths so I can get done ASAP.

Shopping is one of my least favorite things to do. Online shopping is my choice and I am forever grateful. Sometimes, it’s a fail, especially when something doesn’t fit. Then I either have to send it back for a refund or take to a local store to exchange. Surfing online and picking up at local stores is another option that makes my life easier. I am grateful for the ability to cut the time down a great deal with these resources.

My favorite shopping is grocery shopping. As an avid label reader, it helps me stick to nutritional guidelines. It is also possible to find items of interest online, read the label online and then pick up in the store. Online grocery shopping is something I do for specialty items that are not available in the stores. Shopping for fresh items such as meat, dairy, fruit and vegetables would be challenging, but may become necessary. Wendy writes in her blog “Picnic With Ants” about her experience with online grocery shopping: How I Grocery Shop with Chronic Illness Thank you to Wendy for allowing me to share.

So, there you have it. Now, I will share my sample shopping trip for when I must go out. Starting with the set up, I carry a large container of ice water, much adopting my mother’s taking a jug of ice water and cups for everyone. She spoiled me when we would go places together. How I miss those times. Then, I set out. The first stop is usually/mostly/always the library. As an avid reader and to save a lot of money, using the library system, any book that interests me gets put on hold. Some go to my e-reader, but many are still regular books, usually large print. This is almost always my first stop since the books won’t thaw out. More than likely, there is a weekly trip to a discount store for household products. Then it is on to do returns/exchanges, donations, and anything else that does not involve fresh foods.

If this is a weekend trip, we often plan a meal out and sometimes get a Groupon to try out. Then, if I am energetic, it could mean a trip to the farmer’s market or, if not, to the grocery store. Picky that I am, there are some stores that cater to my needs better than others. Once this is done, I back home. To help make hauling groceries easier, we have a lovely dolly with a crate and bungee cord to roll the beautiful array of goodies inside. That is probably one of the best investments we have made.