My children hit middle school around the same time grocery pickup became standard. Ordering groceries on an app changed everything. Shopping during small pockets of downtime — during halftime at a school sporting event or while waiting in the school pickup line — became my go-to move, turning otherwise idle minutes into a productive routine.
Curbside pickup offered something even better: a few extra minutes with my kids in the car while we waited. Those were often the moments when they opened up about their lives — conversations that are hard to come by for many parents of teens.
This year, my grocery routine shifted again — but with the opposite effect.
The time I once spent connecting with my kids is increasingly replaced by time spent strategizing how to afford groceries. The days of buying everything at one stop are gone. Grocery prices have risen so much that shopping around is no longer optional. It’s essential.
The timing of this shift has been especially challenging. I am a newly single mother, adjusting from two incomes to one after losing my husband to cancer in 2024. I expected that single parenting would require me to tighten our budget. I did not expect that grocery planning would become its own part-time job.
My weekly process now starts with apps and websites offering discounted food that would otherwise be discarded. Items nearing expiration — found on the Flashfood app — often shape what we eat that week. I either build meals around them immediately or freeze them for later.
From there, I compare prices. I check the Misfits Market website against local grocery store sales. If I can meet the minimum for free shipping while matching or beating local prices, I place an order that gets delivered to my front door. If not, I move on.
Once I have a rough plan, I fill in the gaps. I place pickup orders at multiple stores in my hometown of Holland and pick them up on lunch breaks. Once or twice per month, I venture into the larger nearby city of Grand Rapids. I visit Costco when staples like organic chicken burgers, organic berries or smashed avocado are discounted. As a gluten-free mom, bread has become a luxury. When the budget allows, I pick up some at Trader Joe’s.
Shopping trips out of town are rarely a solo effort. I coordinate with friends to pick up items for them while I shop. They return the favor on their trips, collectively reducing our gas costs and time spent shopping. We are currently planning a shared meal prep night — each of us bringing ingredients so we can take advantage of bulk pricing that wouldn’t make sense for our smaller households.
This approach works, but it comes at a cost. Grocery shopping across multiple stores is time-consuming. It requires planning, flexibility and constant attention.
Now that my youngest is 16, my children drive themselves, so time with them captive in the car is harder to find. I now sit in the grocery pickup spot alone during my lunch hour, trying to buy back time at home in the evenings.
Unfortunately, those extra hours at home rarely translate to quality time. Grocery planning now spills into evenings and weekends. Family game nights have turned into movie nights, allowing me to scroll through sales ads, clip virtual coupons and fill online carts while the movie plays in the background. We are in the same room, but on different screens — coexisting, not connecting. At a time when my children need my attention more than ever after losing their father, that disconnect feels especially sharp. I want to make memories with my children, but instead settle for snuggles on the couch while screen time quietly takes over.
I know I’m not alone. For many families, rising food costs aren’t just stretching budgets — they’re quietly reshaping how we spend our time, and who we spend it with. My family is fortunate compared to some in this economy. With a lot of work and planning, we can stretch our budget.
But I can’t help wondering what we’re spending in the process — not just dollars, but time. And unlike groceries, that’s one resource I can’t clip, compare or earn back later.
Sara DeVries is a freelance journalist and library marketer. Contact her at linkedin.com/in/saradevries.
This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Battling high prices is taking time away from my kids | Opinion
Reporting by Sara DeVries, Guest Columnist / The Holland Sentinel
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