Somerville with Townie Tim: Buying Groceries

The realization has probably struck by now. With classes ramping up, problem sets, papers and midterms around the corner, it is becoming clear that not having a meal plan is going to be a problem. Who could blame the idealized version of yourself who picked this course of action over the summer? Going to the store, cooking, having leftovers, saving a ton of money — it seemed like child’s play. But reality has struck and cooking is a lot harder than those Tasty videos make it seem.

Well, let your pal Townie Tim assure you that all is not lost. Back in my schooling days, I did what most students do: survived on pasta and leftover pizza. I may not have gotten scurvy, but those years of not eating vegetables will undoubtedly take their toll on you somehow.

First things first, where to get these groceries? It seems like Wegmans is the default. It’s close, huge and you can shop while eating a sandwich. All very good things. Also on the list is Costco, but that is a little hard to wrap my head around. Yeah the prices are good, but the logistics of having to split up all the bulk items you are buying are pretty hard. It was difficult enough to figure out how to divide a pizza in college; I can only imagine how a pallet of paper towels would shake out over the semester. Also, where are you putting all that stuff? I have a hard enough time keeping more than one laundry detergent bottle under my sink. (As an aside, it is pretty ambitious getting cleaner in bulk, as if you and your roommates will actually stick to the chore chart.) Regardless, one cannot live off of Costco alone, even if you supplement with those suspiciously cheap hot dogs.

So where are you going to go? Well, ultimately that decision will be left up to you, but there is one more option that I would like to put forth. Have you ever been to the Somerville Market Basket? Strange name right? Well it used to be called DeMoulas Market Basket, so there’s that. Anyway, if you are really trying to go where the townies are, the MB is your place.

But first, a primer. The best way to think of Market Basket is that it is where you get groceries and that's it. No frills, nothing special. It is always packed due in part to its relatively small, and also because people are always there buying an insane amount of food. Talk to any regular MB shopper and they will tell you about how they have gotten stuck behind someone buying three shopping carts full of beans. However, the magic of the Market Basket is that all these factors combine to actually expedite the shopping process. Going there is like an elaborate dance where you form a plan, avoid unnecessary aisles and prevent yourself from making impulse purchases. Seriously, there is a little bit of learning, but once you get it down, you can be out of there in 20 minutes.

So, buying groceries is tough, but there are options. Everything is pretty close, so make sure you try out all the stores. Good luck out there.