I’m lucky enough to have almost always lived within a five- to 10-minute walk of a grocery store. This means that I’ve gotten into the habit of walking to the grocery store. It helps that I’m only shopping for one person, so I don’t have as much to carry.
I realize that it’s not that easy for everyone. Living farther away from a grocery store, health issues, a non-standard work schedule, family size and more can all make it harder to walk or use other forms of sustainable transportation to get to the grocery store.
I wanted to share some tips that I’ve picked up from my six years of grocery shopping for myself without a car. This should be helpful whether the prospect of car-free grocery shopping is stopping you from ditching your car or you’re looking for ways to reduce car use. And, of course, if you don’t own a car, you may still learn a thing or two!
The environmental impact of driving to the grocery store
It always bothers me to see the number of cars in the parking lot at my local grocery store at busy times of day. Between the number of cars, the short distance they’ve most likely driven, and all the stopping and starting that happens in a parking lot, it seems like it can’t be great for the planet.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, 88% of U.S. households drive their car to get groceries, driving an average of four miles. Assuming each of these households drives to the store once a week, that adds up to more than 42 billion miles driven each year and more than 17 million metric tons of carbon emissions.
On the flip side, using sustainable, active forms of transportation like walking and biking to get to the store produces zero emissions and is good exercise. Plus, you’re less likely to overspend on impulse purchases since you need to carry everything yourself!
Tips for grocery shopping without a car
With some planning, it’s possible to get groceries without a car and ensure that you have all the food that you need to eat throughout the week.
Make a grocery list to shop efficiently
When grocery shopping without a car, you want to make every trip to the store count. Doing meal planning and preparing a grocery list ensures that you get the ingredients you need and not the ones that you don’t.
Consult your meal plan to find out what special ingredients you need. Plan as well to get produce and other fresh foods and stock up on any staples. By sticking to your list, you’ll avoid getting unnecessary items that will weigh down your bags.
Be strategic about how often you go grocery shopping
Going grocery shopping regularly ensures that you don’t run out of items or have to carry too much at once. I normally get groceries once a week, but you may find it helpful to go more often. Doing several small shops throughout the week lets you get fewer things. Plus, you can use the opportunity to support small businesses like bakeries and fruit and vegetable stores if they’re available in your neighbourhood.
If you just got back from a vacation or otherwise need to get a lot of groceries, split the shopping into two trips. Alternatively, on grocery store visits where you don’t need to get as much, check whether there are any staples that are running low that you can stock up on.
Use a basket instead of a shopping cart
When you’re shopping, choose a basket instead of a cart. This will physically limit how many items you can get, plus you’ll be aware of how much everything weighs.
On a similar note, choose the smaller, lighter options for items—this may not be the time to get a giant bag of rice, even if it is on sale. If you really want to get that big bag of rice, make that the only item you get, then come back another day to buy other things.
Consider how you bag your purchases
To cut down on waste, reusable bags are a better option than plastic or paper bags, particularly if you use them many times. Make sure to use sturdy reusable bags of a good size for carrying groceries. Try to always carry one or more reusable bags with you in case you want to do some shopping while out and about. And when you’re at the store, split your purchases between two or more bags—this will help spread the weight as you walk.
There are other options besides carrying your groceries in bags. A backpack is good for carrying heavier items like juice or milk cartons. You could also consider using a granny cart—one of those vertical carts on wheels that you can use to transport groceries and other items. I’ve never quite been able to bring myself to use one, but they do seem like they would be useful for avoiding carrying heavy items!
Consider alternative forms of transportation
Car-free grocery shopping doesn’t need to mean lugging heavy bags of groceries home with your bare hands. Of course, if you live within walking distance of the store, that is an option. But if you live farther away, biking or taking public transit can help make the trek easier. Little Upgrades shares tips for grocery shopping using different forms of transportation.
For times when you need to get a lot of groceries, there are options that don’t involve owning a car yourself. For example, you can get a ride from a friend, take a taxi, use ride share like Uber or Lyft, or use car share to rent a car for a short period. Though these solutions still generate emissions, they allow you to get by most of the time without driving.
Grocery delivery is another option, particularly for getting heavier items or if you have mobility issues. Delivery often has lower emissions than driving to the grocery store yourself, partly because delivery trucks can take an efficient route to deliver orders to several households.
Give yourself a break when you get home
Give yourself a break when you get home from grocery shopping without a car—you deserve it! Carry the bags up the stairs one at a time, have a snack or treat, and sit back and relax for a while to rest your muscles.
How to go grocery shopping without a car
There are multiple ways to make grocery shopping without a car easier, from planning your trips carefully to using different forms of transportation. Car-free grocery shopping will never be a walk in the park, but there are ways to make it work!
I want to know: How do you normally get to the grocery store?
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