I avoid taking the kids with me when I grocery shop. Or really anyone else. I create a list of what is needed and use it as a helping guide for what we need, but I go down every aisle. It is very rare that I get things that are not on the list - and usually when I do it should have been on the list but no one told me we needed it. House with 5 adults and 2 kids - things get forgotten to be put on the list weekly.
To prep for grocery shopping is an easy process for me. I menu plan at least dinner for the week. As I write this, our menu for the next few days includes chicken fajitas, fend/ribs, sweet heat chicken, fend night, burgers, pizza, and stuffed shells. Once I know what big meals we are having for the next few nights/week, I look and see what we have and what we need for each of those meals. I then go around and ask all the adults in the house if there is anything they need to be added to the list for this week. Sometimes it includes snacks, sometimes it includes lunches for at work.
The last time I took someone with me to the store we ended up with several things in the cart that we really didn't need but they wanted and guess what - it's been weeks and it hasn't been touched. I've had to throw out food because it was really wanted/needed and then not touched.
I even make a day of it and go to several stores when I'm by myself. It's mamas alone time and as much as I do not think that errands should count as mamas alone time - I'll take what I can get. Aldis, Meijers, Sams Club, sometimes Walmart, sometimes dollar tree. Depends on the day, and how eager I, or my fiance is, to get me back home.
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