YumSugar

Do You Prefer to Shop at the Farmers Market or Grocery Store?

partysugar — Sun, 27 Sep 2009 01:30:58 -0700

Are You Buddies With the Staff at Your Local Grocery Store?

partysugar — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 06:50:09 -0700

On average, I shop at Mollie Stone's on California Street in San Francisco twice a week. I've been picking up groceries there since I moved into my current apartment two years ago. Naturally, I've developed a relationship with everyone from the fishmonger to the spirits director to my favorite checkout guy, Travis, who always asks what I'm making. Being friendly with the supermarket's staff not only helps me get better service, but it also means I have a more enjoyable shopping trip. I have a feeling I'm not alone in the matter, so tell me, do you converse with the workers at your market?

Do You Grocery Shop on a Certain Day of the Week?

partysugar — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 12:50:58 -0700

YumSugar normally picks up her groceries on Sunday nights, but I shop for food as I need it, be it Monday, Tuesday, or Friday. How about you?

UK Government Opposes Buy-One-Get-One-Free Food Deals

YumSugar — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 11:30:42 -0700

The UK government, in an effort to reduce wasted food, is pressuring grocers to stop employing buy-one-get-one-free sales tactics. The nation's administration found that a third of all food in the UK is wasted, including roughly 5.1 million potatoes and 220,000 loaves of bread each year.

According to the Waste and Resource Action Program, or WRAP, the average Briton throws away more than his own weight - over $700 worth - in food annually. Eliminating the amount of food being tossed would decrease carbon emissions equivalent to removing a fifth of the country's cars on the road.WRAP suspects that since many of the buy-one-get-one-free promotions are applied to older items, consumers are tossing products that pass their "sell-by" dates, unaware that the commodities can still be consumed, as long as they haven't reached a different "use-by" date. As an alternative, supermarkets are being asked to offer half-price deals on perishable goods instead.

Since I've spent my whole life exposed to these deals, it never occurred to me that this sales pitch could be wasteful. But the policy, which appears to have plenty of market research behind it, makes sense. What do you think of the move? Should America consider doing the same as well?

Source: Flickr User Michael_Lehet

Simple Tip: Keep Reusable Totes in Your Trunk

YumSugar — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:50:50 -0700

From drinking less bottled water to making more educated seafood choices, I've been all about adopting a greener lifestyle. But simple as it sounds, the one thing I could never quite nail down was bringing reusable totebags to the grocery store.

Every Sunday, without fail, I'd pull into my local Trader Joe's, and catch the "Don't forget to bring your reusable bags!" sign in the parking lot, only to realize that I'd left all of my totebags at home. After repeating this mistake too many times to count, I finally collected all of my market totes and put them in the trunk of my car. Now, I have an array of bag sizes that come in handy not just for my weekly groceries, but also for takeout, dinner party leftovers, and anything else you can imagine.

Where do you keep your reusable bags, so you don't forget them?

Best Conventional Food Bets

YumSugar — Fri, 10 Jul 2009 05:50:33 -0700

In a perfect world, everything we eat would be free of genetic modifications, hormones, or synthetic pesticides: In addition to surpassing their conventional counterparts in nutritional value, organic foods produce less waste and improve ecosystem sustainability. But organic food comes at a steep price, literally - one that can be 10 to 40 percent higher than conventionally produced products. So if you have to skimp on some organic products when shopping at the market, what items are safe bets to purchase conventionally? Click through to find out.

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Do You Talk on the Phone While Grocery Shopping?

partysugar — Thu, 11 Jun 2009 06:50:04 -0700

For some reason, I can't talk on the phone while I'm at the supermarket. If I'm on the phone, I will walk around aimlessly and not get what I need. How about you?

Self-Checkouts Better For Your Wallet and Waistline

YumSugar — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 10:15:18 -0700

Next time you're waiting in line at the supermarket, do yourself a favor and mosey over to the self-checkout instead. According to Consumer Reports, ringing up groceries yourself could save you calories - as well as cash.

Last month, the magazine reported that the unit price of Coke at the register was more than twice as expensive as Coke sold in the beverage aisle, illustrating the fact that items sold near the checkout tend to be more costly than their grocery aisle counterparts. Since self-checkouts mean more distractions, fewer snack options, and a shorter wait time, bagging your own food could also be better for your health. A 2007 study revealed impulse buys dropped more than 32 percent among women and 16 percent among men when shoppers rang up their own purchases. The same survey also suggested that women could lose up to 4.1 pounds - and men 3.1 pounds - yearly by eliminating impulse buys at the checkout altogether.

I've gone to the self-checkout in the past to purchase an item or two, but I must admit that I avoid it otherwise, since my impatient self can't handle it when the automated system gets stuck on a bar code or a bagged item. Nevertheless, these stats have me reconsidering self-bagging. Do you think there's truth to the claim?

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The Year's Best Grocery Store

YumSugar — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:00:56 -0800

Earlier we asked your thoughts on the Best of 2008, and that included your favorite grocery store of the year. Although prices went through the roof on everything from beef to dairy, you chose Trader Joe's as your number-one pick. For the second year in a row, it was the clear winner, taking 39 percent of the vote. We must be on the same wavelength because Trader Joe's is Yum's supermarket fave, too. We love TJ's because it offers a variety of unique, all-natural food choices without breaking the bank. It's got a frozen-food selection, cheese offering, and wine section. We wish every grocer could offer the same value for the quality. In fact, we love the store so much that we experimented with a cookbook that exclusively calls for items from Trader Joe's. What are your reasons for preferring TJ's?

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What's Your Favorite Grocery Store of 2008?

YumSugar — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 12:30:58 -0800

As we continue our coverage of the Best of 2008, I want to know which grocer is your favorite.

This year, we saw the cost of food increase across the board. With consumers on a tighter budget, pricier grocers such as Whole Foods have suffered. To keep up, these supermarkets are advertising deeper discounts.

Has 2008's economic environment affected your grocery store preferences at all?

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