For those of you who always rely on public transportation: How do you manage with grocery shopping?

Question

And this is for those of you who ALWAYS rely on it, like who live in a big city or something. I'm just curious because I'm moving to metro Boston and I need to know how to deal with this...Okay, thanks.

Answer 1

Shop very frequently (e.g. every 2-3 days) so you only have a couple of bags to carry, or have your groceries delivered.  Find a store you can call with your order or a store with a website that offers online ordering and delivers your groceries to your door.

I live outside the US, but get around either walking or using taxis.  I usually go to the supermarket a few times a month for things that I want to see/select myself (e.g. produce, deli items), but I keep this to a minimum because the taxis are too small to accommodate more than a few bags.  Then I call a neighborhood grocer (a little "Mom & Pop" establishment) who offers free delivery service a couple of times each week for items I don't need to see/select myself before buying.

Answer 2

Nothing easier.

I'm sure right now you make a special trip TO the supermarket.  You go to the cheapest place because you're buying a week's food at a time, because it's a big production to go.  You fill your cart and your car.  You also buy a lot of packaged and canned foods that aren't very good for you.  Taken to extremes, you're driving a Yukon to CostCo.  Yuck.

When you're footloose and fancy free (and car-free) in the city, you buy just a day or two's worth and it tends to be fresh foods, often organic.  You get it on the way home from work, on places you walk by anyway, or you change your commute path slightly so you will walk by them.  It adds far less time to your week than a special trip to the grocery store!

The main commuter train station in San Francisco has a Safeway across the street and a Whole Foods on the streets you walk between downtown and the train station.

One thing you have to get used to, is you're not in the "Land of Big Brand Names" anymore.  Most suburban folks have been brainwashed to believe that food only comes from Kroger's or CostCo.  Forget that!   City businesses tend to be locally owned.  So you gotta train your eye (or just hit http://www.yelp.com/ ) to find the local groceries, produce shops or butchers that everyone loves.

When you pick where to live in Boston, think hard about transit.  Learn the major transit lines.  Ride around and get a basic feel for the city, so you can pick a living space that's handy to transit and groceries.  Most places I've lived have been walking distance to amazing organic groceries.

Answer 3

In many large cities, there are more small, local grocery stores than large supermarkets.  You go to the butcher to get meat, baker to get bread, and so on, rather than going to Costco to stock up on your food for a month.  When all these stores are located very densely together, you can easily walk to them.  

I currently have a car, but I don't use it for groceries since the supermarket is 1/2 mile away.

Answer 4

I totally rely on public transportation, and I am disabled, I deal with it by doing all my grocery shopping at supermarkets with-in walking distance to my home.