Do you trust someone else to grocery shop for you?

Of course I trust my husband to go to the store with our list. We make our grocery lists together and frequently shop together, but sometimes it just works out best, schedule-wise, for him to go instead of me, and he does an excellent job. When he has a question about an item on the list, he just texts me (and I do the same when I have a question about something he put on the list).

I live alone and had major surgery some years ago. In the preceding weeks, I stocked up on nonperishables and filled my freezer with things I cooked and froze in portions. I would have been okay for a month (dried fruit, tetrapak milk, etc.) but complications extended recuperation so on two occasions, friends brought groceries from a list I made - maybe a dozen different items each time. Each performed the task perfectly. More recently, I have several times used the delivery service of a local chain (Roche Bros.) and have been pleased. For departments like meat and produce, the online ordering has a feature allowing the customer to get very specific about preferences - spotty bananas, melons that smell sweet at the stem end....that type of thing. They do a good job abiding by those requests.

I take care of my dad and cook his meals, and every once in a while I'll ask him to pick up an item or two if he's going out. He has a bad habit of just grabbing things without looking at the label. A lot of times he'll accidentally grab the light or fat-free version of things. One time he brought home Tofutti sour cream instead of regular sour cream. His usual excuse is "that's all they had." Earlier this week I had made a list with two items - Coca Cola and hotdog buns. He brought home Coke Zero and hamburger buns.

my spouse went shopping for me after i had a baby and was in the hospital - he had me on the phone as he went up and down the aisles - he would've come home with a box of cookies and a bag of salad and called it a day otherwise

I'm male....do 90% of the cooking....and.the answer is NO! Not my wife nor my kids! Would cost me 40% more and I would have stuff in my fridge for 6-8 mos!

My husband and I share cooking and shopping, so I would have no problem sending him with a list of what I wanted, with the exception of specialty items for which he doesn't share a cultural background (and vice versa - I would have trouble buying stuff for when it involves deciphering a language I don't read).

With other people - I'd probably limit it to essentials, and a detailed list, or to items that I wasn't finicky about.

I would consider using a shopping service for goods where choosing the best quality item isn't a big issue, and I can select from a clear list of brands and prices - boxed, canned and packaged goods, but not so much fresh produce or meat.

I've noted elsewhere Mr. Pine's -- shall we say "interesting"--shopping choices (I needed tomato paste, he bought corn flake crumbs). He's now verboten from shopping with me. However, we both are indeed aging (aren't we all?), and while I need to learn much more about our business affairs, decided he need to learn at least how much bread costs.

Although, I recently had a 4-day conference to attend and pre-made a bunch of food for him, all portioned, in the fridge, with stickies noting how to re-heat. Got a call from him one evening, asking: "how do I order pizza?" Since I had foreseen this likely occurrence, asked him "what room are you in right now?" "Kitchen." "Okay, face the fridge, see the note taped on the front?" "Okay, what's that?" "The phone number of the pizza place." That became his supper.

Guess he has more to learn. Shopping for a week's groceries is way beyond his keen for now. This is a man who is brilliant, with a phenomenal memory and analytical skills, yet not so practically minded.

NO!!! I go to two to three stores to shop each week. I am very picky about produce and meat.

Some years ago, husband retired and I was still working - he offered to do most of the grocery shopping. He shopped differently than I did, but coming home from work and seeing the vegetables lined up on the kitchen table and looking into the fridge, I could easily see the dinners for the next few days. He doesn't cook whatsoever, yet he knows pretty well what goes into his favorite dishes.
Not a bad arrangement then. Nowadays I am also retired and I happily do all the food shopping, while he pursues other pastimes.

I have to admit that I do not trust other's to grocery shop for me. When I lived in the US, I was more able to make a limited list using brand names - but now that I shop in an open air market, I just don't trust people to evaluate vendors or go to the vendors that I frequent.

My greatest concern is that there are items where I really bargain hunt for the cheapest items - and there are items where I want to spend extra because the cheaper products are noticably inferior. And I've never had luck with explaining those divides to SO's or friends shopping for me.

I like grocery shopping. I make a list, but I like to see for myself which brand or type I want to buy.

So, I guess I would let my husband do it, I trust him to stick to the list, but I'd much rather do it myself.... because I do it better :P

Very very rarely, if I'm just overwhelmed getting ready for company, and it's usually not so much that I trust them, but that I have no choice because I'm that busy.

And then it's only because i trust whoever it is even less to do the thing I'm doing at home, so i could go out shopping.

Even with simple things like canned goods or boxed pasta, I don't think they'll check to get the latest expiration dates the way I do.

And not just that - what if there's something wonderful and unexpected available (usually some fresh produce) that I would gladly substitute for something I'm planning to make, but i don't know that the store has it.

If what arrives home needs to be very very very specific, I likewise must be very very very specific, up to and including what to buy in substitution, just in case, because there's nothing quite like, "they didn't have it so I didn't get anything" to shoot dinner plans straight to hell. I've learned this lesson repeatedly, and I seriously prefer to do my own shopping unless it's totally out of the question.

we have a mantra: "don't buy off the list" when I send my husband out, but it rarely works. He always thinks i forget something - usually salsa, chips, bananas or chocolate. Really, those are his items he's afraid we'll run out of...
like i could EVER forget the chocolate! who does he think he's dealing with - an amateur???

I broke my leg a number of years ago and couldn't drive for months. I was in a very rural area without delivery options or public transit. I was completely reliant on friends and acquaintances who offered to pickup groceries.

I learned a lot about becoming more easygoing and going with the flow! Really, the worse aspect was produce. Aside from onions and potatoes it was hard to obtain produce in the condition I desired.

Not usually. I actually really enjoy grocery shopping and usually if I'm not rushed, will grab a cup of coffee and browse. I often get my best ideas from an ingredient spotted in the aisles. As for regular grocery shopping with a preset list, I also prefer to do it myself. I think I have product particulars which are either difficult or too confusing to communicate and would just prefer to schedule the time to fit it into my schedule although if the list is fairly short and straightforward SO grabs a few items.

We both cook and we both shop. Admittedly, he rarely shops alone without calling me at least once and sometimes multiple time to clarify something on the list, but hey he shops. He is much better at it since I got him an iphone and he has a grocery app to refer to.

Trust my husband, yes, as he is as analytical as I. However, to trust him to do the grocery shopping would rob me of joy as it is one of my favourite things to do. He only picks up the odd thing when I am ill. When he has the rare time off, we enjoy grocery shopping together. In fact, we drive to the city bi-monthly for weekends of unadulterated culinary shopping pleasure.

My initial reaction was 'heck no ' but I realize that's a bit of an exaggeration. I (usually) trust him to purchase simple things. It'll be the right item, though usually not my preferred quality level (ex. A bag of of apples- last bag he got me was 80% mush).

Big H & I often pick things up for one another, and we've been together long enough that we get it right most of the time. He knows to buy V8 in the big can (not the plastic bottle), and I know to buy regular Saltines (not the whole grain or the unsalted tops). Being boring and predictable seems to serve us well.

That said, I wouldn't trust anyone to buy my produce or fresh seafood. In fact, if I'm having a spaced-out day or pissed-off day, I don't even trust myself.

I don't think I'd trust my SO but I'd trust my best friend and my mom. Both of them are healthy cookers/eaters so they would know the kinds of things I look for, although my best friend would probably spend too much as she isn't as diligent about finding sales etc. My SO is totally clueless so unless it was for very very basic things I don't think I'd really want him doing the shopping. He also gets annoyed in the supermarket so I'd be worried he'd skip buying stuff just in order to leave the store faster LOL

Mr. jlh is happy to shop for the family and can be quite competent when so inclined (meaning he has the time and patience). He tends to make his own decisions about what is truly necessary and what can be substituted without asking me so if I have very specific needs, I will do it myself. If it is a general, stock-up-the-pantry-and-household-goods type of trip, I will have him do it. He often jokes that "men can't remember more than 3 things" so asking him to grab a few specific items on an errand he is already running is risky. Funny, you would think that texting a list would work but he seems to still have that mental block problem. :-)

Mrs. O does not cook much anymore, but once in a while we'll do some recreational grocery shopping, usually at one of the big San Gabriel Valley Asian markets. If I am totally incapacitated, as I was for two weeks a few years ago, she will do some basic shopping and cooking, but it's not really fun for her as it is for me. I seem to recall that when I had that weird flu I got fed an awful lot of miso soup, but that was fine with me!

Good luck! LOL. I can grantee that when DH goes he will never return with what I requested. Even if it's just milk,he will manage to return with the wrong precent or the wrong size.Since you are ill you don't really have much of a choice though.

Only when sick and out of commission.

Thanks, all. And next time I'm ill we'll just use the store's shopping service (so lucky to have that option!) and have spouse drive thru to pick it up.

It will be better for our budget, even with the service fee, and also our relationship. Spouse's reaction to the experience "Too many choices."

No extras came home, but only 5 items - including the milk & OJ - got bought. None of the fresh meat or produce was purchased. 4 out of 5 were different flavors than listed, 2 out of 5 were different brands. Not using the one coupon sent along and also the brand substitutions cost us 30% more for the 5 items. I guess it's good that the whole list didn't get bought!

Nope, I do not. But as the non-working member of the household, it is naturally my responsibility. But food and cooking is a hobby for me, and the mr. would never dream of sending me to the bicycle store to pick up a few things for him.

My answer is yes.
We shop together about 1/3 of the time. The other 2/3 is who has the time.

The secret to success is creating a list and knowing preferences. For example, Best Foods mayo only! I was talked to decades ago and I still remember. lol

It's kind of hard to trust others to shop for me, outside of small specific things (eggs, milk, cereal etc.) DH won't take advantage of a sale on boneless chicken or canned goods that we use often because he isn't the cook in the house. Sometimes you just don't know until you get to the store if a sale item will be worth it, especially with meats.
And because I know what is in the pantry to a much greater extent than anyone else, it's just easier for me to shop.

Plus, I once sent DH out for milk and tomatoes and he brought back soda and Entenmann's donuts.

Since I did all the cooking when married, I did 98% of the purchasing and planning. Usually in that order. Specials, seasonal offerings, and new items meant that I created our meal plan based on what was in the store that day.

So no, because I get so much fun out of being in the store.

NO, I've been disappointed anytime I allowed spouse (current or former) kids or friends to grocery shop, particularly when it comes to choosing meat and poultry.

I have used PeaPod in the past but only for "known" commodities. ie: boxed pasta, deli meat, cereal, milk and other dairy, cannnd goods etc. I never trusted them fruit, veggies, meat and poultry.

My husband and I both do the regular shopping. However if I am making a special meal I do it myself. He does not not how to substitute fi they don't have a specific item.

The only time my wife does the shopping is when she is going to do the cooking (if I'm sick or away on business), so she buys what she wants. Otherwise I usually do all the shopping. I'm picky about brands and such, so it is hard for me to trust anyone else to do the shopping for me.

The Khantessa and I split the shopping. We each get a list, go our separate ways in the store, and rendezvous at an assigned point once we're done. Her list features produce, health foods and pet paraphernalia. Mine has everything else.

This approach saves time, if nothing else.

I have had success sending someone out for one or two items but I have sent anyone with a whole list. Not even my fiancé. He can make his own list and I can add something specific: Nature's Promise Organic Skim milk 1/2 gallon but otherwise I make lists and do shopping.