If You’re Like Me, the Pandemic Has Changed the Way You Shop

The way I shop for food has changed so much, in the past year. And I'm not talking masks, reusable bags, and social distancing, but rather how I buy.

I used to be one of those people that bought groceries every couple of days. My husband and I were what I call "whim shoppers." We'd talk about dinner just before I left work for the day or the night before, and I'd stop at the grocery store on the way home and pick up what we needed. We had a few things in our pantry, but it was mostly just canned vegetables and cooking oils.

Then, we were all faced with the possibility of having to quarantine at home for a couple of weeks. My husband and I looked at our larder and realized we'd be in trouble if we found ourselves unable to go into a store for a while. So now, I shop differently than I used to. Not hoarding, but what I call "shopping ahead."

We try to shop weekly, with the occasional stop-in for items we forgot we needed. Okay, truth time. Some of that started because of the masks and the fear of being around too many other people. But mostly, it was because we wanted to make sure we had enough food in the house to last more than a day or two. I even cleaned and reorganized our pantry, so it would hold less "junk" and more food. And I have to say, I love the change.

Now, when we run out of trash bags? It's okay, there's another package in the pantry. No peanut butter? Look in the pantry for a new jar. Living 10 miles away from the closest grocery store, it's a huge timesaver to have all these staples on hand. There aren't many "good" things that have come out of the pandemic, but I think this is one.