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Wednesday 3 March 2010

Gattina hosts Fun Monday

Gattina Fun Monday friend of 'Writer's Cramps' has come up with a splendid topic...
When I came back from my weekly grocery shopping last week, I had an idea for Fun Monday on March 8th. I want to know how do you do your grocery shopping, every day, once a week, once a months, in different shops or in one big supermarket.
A picture of your favourite store and maybe of your trolley would be nice. I think it is interesting to know how we shop in different countries !

I was thinking only the other day how the way I shop has changed over the years. As a youngster, n here the memory will date me *smile*... Being sent to the corner shop at the bottom of our cobbled street. Or on a Friday visiting the chip shop for 6 penn'orth of fish and chips (pennyworth 6d). Throughout childhood shopping was done daily or so it seemed. Forever going 'up street' for...something(s)
Home town's a very hilly place, great exercise as to go anywhere you have to traverse hill slopes of varying steepness.
Money was £ s d (pounds shillings and pence). Pence were farthings, halfpennies, pennies, threepence and sixpences. Then there were shillings, two shilling pieces, half-crowns and 'ten-bob' notes. A totally different language and maths! Imagine having to account for everything you bought down to the last farthing!!!

What a contrast with today!
In my yesterdays all shopping was done on foot, little and often. Now it's two mornings a week, always by car and includes a major supermarket plus two German ones (Aldi and Lidl). Rarely do I venture out shopping alone as 'himself' insists tis his 'job' to 'organise' me. *smile*

He's a right one for bargains; over the 10 years I carried on working after he retired (early) he took over the shopping. So, shopping trips 'have' to have a list to start off with.

Shopping bags?
Gone are plastic bags today in favour of Hessian and cotton ones.

Each of the 3 shops has certain foods we buy mostly from them.
Aldi for fruit and veg; Lidl for biscuits, crisps, ice-cream, milk, fruit juices, pop (do you call it soda?) And both of them for their special offers. This week, Lidl has gardening offers, so fertilisers are on the shopping list. Asda (Walmart) for eggs, odd items and some non-food items. Other things we buy (occasionally) in bulk such as a sack of potatoes from our local farm. We've even been known to return from Cornwall with a sack of local spuds *grin*.
About every 2-3 months we take a trip to CostCo to buy various meats.

Every so often we go into the city to an area known locally as 'Chinatown'.
Matta's
is a 'world food shop'
They quite literally stock foodstuffs, herbs and spices from far and wide. This is my favourite as it is full of surprises.

From counting in £ s d to £ p, walking thro' the town to visit numerous small shops, to travelling miles to shops stocking the mundane and the extraordinary. How life has changed!

2 comments:

Faye said...

Your post brought back memories of going the "store"--not just for groceries but hardware, garden supplies and even fabric for a new dress--this one was in the country and over 60 years ago! Now, like you, in the US we "shop" around. :-) I'm sure you do better with your companion shopper than I do. . .

I'm hosting Fun Monday on March 15. You can stop by my place late on Wednesday and I'll have the topic and signup posted. Hope you'll play.

joanygee said...

Thanks for posting Faye and for the invite.
I look forward to finding out your topic and taking part.