DSN Weigh In- Shop So You Don't Drop!

As chronically ill people we have to find spoon saving ways to utilize our time and energy. We all have many different tips and tricks to help alleviate some of the stress of everyday tasks that healthy people can do without being exhausted and “paying” for it the next day. This week on our Weigh in Wednesday Post, we will be sharing ideas on how we survive shopping trips. I used to love going to the grocery store, planning my meals and making my list for the week. It was very ritualistic for me. I enjoyed walking up and down the aisles and looking for the best deals on the products I needed. I took my time, gazing at endless opportunities of meals I could cook for under 7.00. Plus, I always did grocery shopping alone. It was my quiet time and I enjoyed every minute of it. Not anymore. That has all changed. Now I dread going to the store. I know by the end of the two store trip, I will be exhausted and in terrible pain. So, recently I have begun asking my other zebra friends how they manage shopping trips and have started to implement some of the suggestions. I thought this was a perfect topic to go over as we roll into summer months where the air is warmer, the heart rates are higher and the floor seems to shift a bit more under our feet. This is DSN Weigh In: Shop So You Don’t Drop Edition!

Kim H-Amazon Prime Pantry, grocery shopping minus the checkout lines and delivered to home. No spoons required.

Tammy J- Order everything you possible can online or phone and have it delivered. Con, beg, bribe or hire someone to do the rest, walking into a store is like entering Hell. When I can not avoid it, one of those scooters helps.

Britt M- I usually go with my husband and we do only a little shopping. What we need for the night or next day. If we are especially adventurous we might get a little more. I always push the cart no matter how little we get. I feel it is supporting for me. On the very rare occasions, my husband grabs a basket I grab his arm. We try to go during low crowd times.

Ashley A-order everything. I have a Sam's membership and order bulk items that can be shipped, I have amazon prime and shop there and will buy amazon pantry for other items and sales. I use Kroger and Walmart apps and schedule a pickup for when my husband gets off work. The kids haul it all in and I help put it away. I save my spoons that day and use them to do that. I also fix quick meals that evening like baked potatoes , chili pies, hot dogs or omelettes. So that I don't over do it.

Dana T- I order online as much as possible. When I do shop it’s for one or two items and I don’t do much at home before or after I go. I know what I’m going for....no more just “looking around” for me.

Kim E- I use a meal planning app/service that creates a grocery list & organizes it by section (I can add items that aren't in the plan). If I can't manage the store, I can send my list to the store for pickup, or I can have hubby log into the app & he has the list.

Kelly M- I do my groceries with my 9 year old- she pushes the cart so I can use my wheelchair. Otherwise it takes 3 hours on foot

Joy D- Upstate New York had a Wegmans you could order and curbside pickup. A Big Y in western mass had it too. The kids check in was invaluable on days I shopped with toddlers. I ordered from a delivery food company for a while that delivered straight to my freezer. Put it right in and looked to see what I still had and would adjust my order on the spot. Monthly freezer meals that the kids could just dump and cook on bad days. Lots of slow cooker meals. All I needed to get daily/ weekly was perishables. Now, I try to make small trips at a time

Emi D-I got Amazon Prime so I could have free shipping and buy as much as I can from there, or other stores online. When it comes to grocery shopping my mum buys everything I don't get online which is a huge help.

Ginny- Ginny: Has anyone tried online clothes shopping sites that let you try on at home and return what doesn’t fit. Amazon has a program for Prime members - Prime wardrobe.

Some of these are really great ideas! It seems like online is really popular. I really like to shop at one store in particular that does not have online or the scooter carts. I love the prices. So, if I cannot do it, I have taught my hubby how to use Google Keep and I make a list, that I can add to while he is in the store. Which has been really helpful. One thing that has helped a lot is accepting my limitations. That has been the hardest lesson to learn throughout all of this. I can have all the tips and tricks I want, however, if I cannot accept that I need to use them; they are pointless. Our family went to a concert this weekend and by the time we were leaving for the show, I was already tired and in pain. It had been suggested to me that I use my wheelchair for the concert, by a friend of mine. I did not want to do that. I wanted to be fine, to be okay, to stand on my own two feet the entire time. However, I knew I just could not do it. I ended up using my wheelchair and had a great time. I accepted my limitations for that day and was able to enjoy the company of my family. The same goes with shopping or anything we do to save spoons, we can have all this knowledge but accepting that we need to apply it to our lives is what changes the game.