How do you food shop without a car?

PasturesNew

One of the criteria for buying my house was that if I had no car, would I be able to shop cheaply on foot.... I've a Lidl, M&S Food, Spar and Mr S within half a mile. By bus, from the end of my road, a mile away I've got M&S, Waitrose, CoOp and a Poundland for "random cheap stuff for the house". There's also a weekly market that has one fruit/veg stall, a meat stall and a man selling pies.

Those are the closest .... so, if I had to, I've got fairly reasonable access to a wide variety of affordable and posh foods.

My old parents started using backpacks to carry groceries over a mile home on foot - as it spreads the weight and feels much lighter than trying to carry bags. If push came to shove I'd get a rucksack and one of those £30 square trolleys from Argos that old dears push.

Rosemary7391

I used to carry most of the weekly shop for 3 adults in a hiking rucksack. Lighter things went into normal carriers. Heavy things are doable if you have a comfortable rucksack with a waist strap done up tight.

TiredTrophy

Until we moved and the kids left home, we did either a monthly online order, or a neighbour took me once a month for all the big heavy stuff at a supermarket. I grew most of our fruit and veg and every saturday morning took the bicycle with panniers and trailer to the local market, butcher and baker with a list....then sent a child out to buy milk when required. You do miss the ys.
It took an hour and I was home by eight each Sat. morning. I sold the trailer for more than I bought it for.
I have once or twice had a taxi back from town. It was not cost effective for us but if you have an injury or something the shop won't deliver then it is an option.
We have had flour delivered, cheese and meat by post....wine etc....this could be expensive though.

If you get to know the local shops and market, it does not take long to walk or cycle round. Good neighbours might swop a lift for some baking, ironing or similar...

We still do not have a car and I shop in the same way now, but just for two of us.

Carfal

Grew up without a car in the 70s and 80s. Mum cycled to the shop in the next village on Fridays and walked back with the bike loaded with shopping bags.

Mind you, the milk was delivered, she popped into the butchers and ordered the meat to be delivered the next week, and the fruit and veg lorry came round on Saturday morning. We grew some of our own veg too.

Nowadays, I make use of the supermarket online delivery services. The time, petrol and impulse purchases saved more than offset the cost of delivery.

armyknife

Go to shops and buy food.


Transport via a bicycle.

Guineapigsqueaks

I have use of a car, but rarely use it for food shopping nowadays. When I increased my hours back to full-time because my marital circumstances had changed and my DS and DD were older, I bought myself a Sainsbury's delivery pass. I usually sit down on a Thursday evening with a cuppa once kids are in bed and do an online shop. It takes me 15 minutes. Then Mr Sainsbury delivers it all on Saturday or Sunday morning. Works for me. I may never visit a supermarket again, except perhaps Aldi every so often for their face cream.
Guineapigsqueaks x

Corelli

armyknife wrote: »

Go to shops and buy food.


Transport via a bicycle.

Exactly. We did this for years, just two adults and a few cats. Even after our daughter was born we didn't have a car until she was nearly three, so still all the shopping was done on foot/bus or bicycle.

You can get a lot in panniers and in a box on the back rack. A rucksack is much better for carrying heavy items than shoulder or normal shopping type bags. We had to cope with cartons of soya milk, litter tray stuff, cat food and tins of veggies, fresh veggies - it was heavy. I amaze myself now at the thought of what I used to cycle with.

We got a car when my husband became too ill to join in with family activities on public transport or bike, and I have got far too used to the convenience of it.

GwylimT

If we are buying a lot we use a little trolley and then tie it to the back of my wifes wheelchair.

If we are just getting a few bits we take a rucksack and a spare shopping bag for anythinf that shouldn't be squashed.

thriftwizard

May I just politely mention, a bike with panniers isn't the easiest solution if you have a 2 y.o. & a 13-week-old to take along with you? You'd need one of those tag-along trailers, and even here in rural Dorset, it only takes one distracted or impatient driver...

Not wishing to upset the cycling fraternity at all; I'm a fair-weather cyclist myself & wish I could cycle rather than drive all the time as I'm always aware if the damage driving inflicts on the environment and our budget. But when there's more than just you to consider, on our very cycle-unfriendly roads, it's not the most sensible option.

sidefx

Nearest large supermarket 2 miles away.
I take a rucksack for heavier items and bags for the lighter stuff.
Means shopping more frequently as there is only so much you can carry esp if you need bulky heavy items such as washing powder, bleach etc.

I also use have my bike with panniers which you can fit a surprisingly large amount in...(but then I don't have young kids thriftwizard:p)