Who does the grocery shopping?

[Amethyst]

This article claims that men are slightly more likely to do the grocery shopping for U.S. households:

Majority of dads say they do the grocery shopping - Life Inc.

My husband took over the grocery shopping shortly after we got married, when he was still working. He got up earlier than I liked to do on weekends, and the groceries would be on the kitchen table when I got up. Now retired, he still makes up the lists, clips coupons, paces outside the store door until they open it, and races around the store as if trying to win first prize in a grocery hunt. I always thought this was unusual male behavior (especially since I do all the cooking) but apparently it isn't?

Amethyst

 

[haha]

This article claims that men are slightly more likely to do the grocery shopping for U.S. households:

Majority of dads say they do the grocery shopping - Life Inc.

My husband took over the grocery shopping shortly after we got married, when he was still working. He got up earlier than I liked to do on weekends, and the groceries would be on the kitchen table when I got up. Now retired, he still makes up the lists, clips coupons, paces outside the store door until they open it, and races around the store as if trying to win first prize in a grocery hunt. I always thought this was unusual male behavior (especially since I do all the cooking) but apparently it isn't?

Amethyst

When I was married I did about half of grcery shopping.

Ha

 

[Midpack]

Now that I'm retired and DW is still working, (naturally) I do all the grocery shopping and all the breakfast and dinner cooking. Even when we were both working, DW didn't like grocery shopping and I didn't mind, so I probably did it more often. Always viewed it as a challenge to save money.

We never shopped for groceries on weekends though, wouldn't want it to cut into precious weekend activities. Now I do almost all the grocery shopping on Tuesdays when the local Farmers Markets are open. Buy all I can from local farmers and then get everything else from grocery stores.

 

[rescueme]

I always thought this was unusual male behavior.

Only if you are an unusual male (as I am ).

Yes, I do it - and spend much less $$$ than DW when she takes over the chore.

 

[Animorph]

I've always done the basic shopping. I was used to it from living by myself for a few years. DW never lived by herself. She does the bargin hunting at all the other stores, using the coupons and ads. And probably using more gas than she saves in bargins?

 

[ziggy29]

My wife does most of ours, if only because she goes out of town a lot more than I do, and thus has more frequent opportunities to go to grocery stores that don't suck as badly as the one in our town does.

Before we moved out here -- both in San Jose and in Houston -- we usually went together.

 

[bbbamI]

If my DH did the grocery shopping, all we would have in the house would be beer, chips and salsa.

 

[Brett_Cameron]

I have done the grocery shopping for most of my married life. The last 10 years with new DW she does it when she is able to.

 

[H2ODude]

I do most of it, especially now retired. Actually enjoy doing it, and she agrees we eat better stuff when I do. Better as in more varied. She gets in a rut. If I say "why don't you get dinner tonight" based on recent eats I can about predict what she'll bring home. I learned a long time ago to go easy on compliments of meals; overdo it and you'd likely get it every week for the next year!

 

[Bestwifeever]

If my DH did the grocery shopping, all we would have in the house would be beer, chips and salsa.

So funny--I was thinking that is the shopping list used by the dads in the survey (but more beer. And maybe bacon).

 

[Midpack]

If my DH did the grocery shopping, all we would have in the house would be beer, chips and salsa.

And? Three food groups!

 

[bbbamI]

Well, I suppose his 'list' is not too bad. ...as long as he picked up some chocolate too...

 

[JOHNNIE36]

I do most of the grocery shopping as I, for the most part, know what is needed. DW only know what she wants. I hate it when she says "lets go to Publix, they are having their buy one-get one sale". She's a suckier for that crap. Sometimes it's good but most times it's just a come-on to get you fill up your shopping cart. I always tell her to take the advertized price for one and divide by two and see if that price is a deal. Not! I can't believe how they jack up the price in order to give you the BOGO price. We must all be stupid in their minds. You just end up buying stuff you normally would not. I like to make a list as the week goes on and knowing what we are low on, clip coupons on things we use and never clip a coupon for less than 50 cents. I hate coupons that make you buy four of something just to use a coupon. One thing I always do and that is to check the receipt before we leave the store. I'd bet half the time there is a screw-up and always in the stores favor. A lot of the sales items never get in their computers so the scanning doesn't pick that up. Got to watch 'em!

 

[Nords]

For over a quarter-century, my spouse and I have done the grocery shopping together-- as much as possible.

It's never been "my job" or "her job" because of our similar backgrounds, and we look at it as quality together time. If she wants to try a different food then we can have the discussion right there. If I find a huge bargain on toilet paper then I don't have to risk buying the "wrong" kind.

Better than both of us grocery shopping, however, is NEITHER of us. When our daughter got her driver's license, part of her price of vehicular freedom was doing the grocery shopping. It had a side effect of teaching her to keep an eye out for coupons & bargains (profit sharing) and to learn how much stuff costs.

Now retired, he still makes up the lists, clips coupons, paces outside the store door until they open it, and races around the store as if trying to win first prize in a grocery hunt. I always thought this was unusual male behavior (especially since I do all the cooking) but apparently it isn't?

A scavenger hunt with extra points for speed, right?

That's perfectly normal guy shopping, and grocery stores are one of the few places laid out to make it easier for guy shopping. (Paco Underhill's "Why We Buy".) Of course one of the reasons that grocery stores look so good by comparison is because most malls and department stores have bad layouts. I'd prefer all my shopping to look like Home Depot or Costco.

 

[Moemg]

My SO enjoys shopping so he does a lot of it . I do most of the cooking so I also shop for any ingredients I may need . It all works out .

 

[Walt34]

If my DH did the grocery shopping, all we would have in the house would be beer, chips and salsa.

This is bad?

Most of the time I do it, partly because I'm better at sticking to a list than she is, and partly out of habit formed when we were first married and I was off on weekdays.

And going shopping with her can be somewhat frustrating since she'll go wandering off somewhere. After I'm finished [-]hunting down the prey[/-] shopping don't know if she's going to show up with some last-minute extras.

And don't let her near the aisle with chocolate in it.

 

[Gumby]

We almost always go grocery shopping together on Sundays after church. The young wife plans the menu for the week ahead, clips coupons and makes up the grocery list. I supplement the list as necessary. We usually buy only what is on the list.

 

[Amethyst]

That's 3 of the 4 food groups right there...all that's missing is ice cream

If my DH did the grocery shopping, all we would have in the house would be beer, chips and salsa.

 

[FUEGO]

In our house it is probably 75% me (the man), 20% us and 5% DW. The me trips are the bargain hunting or weekly staples trips. I scan the sales papers and figure out if I am visiting 1 store or 2 stores that week to get bargains and staples. Then every few weeks we make a (usually) joint wal-mart trip to get cheaper non-food household items (toiletries, paper products, baby stuff etc). Then very infrequently DW will go shopping by herself (usually walmart) to pick up a prescription or buy a gift for a b-day (now that I type this I realize that isn't really a "grocery" shopping trip, although she might grab whatever is on the list).

In our household, I think we do a good job of splitting up tasks according to who is best at it. Grocery shopping is one I am good at because I can remember prices for everything, quickly calculate unit costs, and know who has what cheap and whether something is a true good deal or just glitzy marketing. I don't do coupons usually because most of what we buy is store brand or fresh (fruits/vegs/meats/milk/eggs). Occasionally I'll take advantage of the supermarket's super sales where you can game their sales to get extremely cheap or almost free food items. Like the yogurt they paid you $0.04 each to take off their hands (I took hundreds of containers off their hands!). Or the $0.09 frozen burritos I bought by the carton. DW just doesn't feel like spending the time to figure out and execute on these deals.

In health terms, I probably buy slightly healthier stuff since DW would get more convenience foods (canned or frozen) to feed the kids. She also just grabs stuff and doesn't spend as much time looking at price.

Apparently I am not unique. I know many other dads (or childless fathers) who like shopping and cooking (or at least getting good stuff to eat).

 

[Sue J]

If my DH did the grocery shopping, all we would have in the house would be beer, chips and salsa.

And sardines in mustard sauce. Must be a guy thing.

 

[marko]

I do the shopping (and cooking). Every 4th or 5th week DW goes and does a blowout shopping because I 'never get anything good'.

Meanwhile, we save $$...even her blowout can't keep up with what I save.

 

[Sarah in SC]

My DH does things like buy giant bottles of Texas Pete hot sauce instead of the Texas Pete Cocktail sauce I actually wanted. Nah, I'm not expecting him to go, especially since I do the cooking. Not too many coupons, but mostly fresh stuff, not boxes, and of course beer.

 

[W2R]

We both do - - F. does his, and I do mine. Sometimes we go together and share a cart until we get to the checkout. Sometimes we don't. Works for us, since we aren't living together or pooling our money.

Years ago when I was married, my ex worked at sea and wasn't home much. I don't think he ever saw the inside of a grocery store in his life, literally, but that was the division of labor we had agreed upon.

 

[Amethyst]

Requirements must always be carefully defined! Left to his own devices, husband will buy the closest thing to what was asked for, so a request for "beets" resulted in 1) Harvard beets and 2) pickled beets, instead of the plain canned beets that were wanted. (Fortunately, at least one person on the house likes at least one of these beet types, so nothing was wasted).

Amethyst

My DH does things like buy giant bottles of Texas Pete hot sauce instead of the Texas Pete Cocktail sauce I actually wanted. Nah, I'm not expecting him to go, especially since I do the cooking. Not too many coupons, but mostly fresh stuff, not boxes, and of course beer.

 

[W2R]

(I originally quoted another post here at the start of this post, but then realized that what I am saying wasn't really in response to what was said. So I removed the quote.)

In my grocery store, during the times when I shop, approximately a third to a half of the men have cell phones plastered to their ears, and are reading off labels to someone via cell phone. To me it shows a complete lack of involvement and initiative, and they are being no help whatsoever to their wives - - the wife is essentially there saying "buy this, buy that", instead of being able to get other work done. In the extreme, behavior like this can be almost passive aggressive.

My idea of an outstandingly helpful spouse would be someone who could (without help, reminders, or direction) think of a nutritious meal plan that would be liked or acceptable to the family, determine what ingredients are needed, go and buy them at decent prices within a budget, cook, clean up the dishes and kitchen all by himself, and figure out how to incorporate the leftovers into future meals. And he/she would do this for at least half of the meals. Some men do this and I think they are treasures, but some others don't. Luckily I have no dog in this fight (as they say in Texas), because I am happily unmarried and living alone.