Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Car-Free Shopping

While I still want to bike to the store for groceries, rather than drive, it's going to take some time to make that a reality, due to the amount of time it'll take me to do my research, as well as saving up the money to do this without putting a hole in my bank account.  Cargo bikes are expensive, as I mentioned, and even buying a second-hand bike and making modifications will be costly.


In the meantime, therefore, I'm going to walk.  Walking, of course, takes more time, so I did a test run.  After dinner last night, my daughter and I took a walk the majority of the way to the store.  I considered going the whole way there, but then I would have had a three year old begging to buy a donut, an ice cream, or some other yummy food item, so 'most of the way' was as far as was emotionally viable.

It didn't take long at all.  I was able to estimate that a full walk to the grocery store would take about fifteen minutes.  This includes waiting on traffic at the main street, and it also takes into account the added time that traveling with a small child incurs.  I could do this.

The next step in planning is the ability to carry a week's worth of groceries.  Obviously, I'm not going to want to carry two or three large, reusable bags in my arms while hanging onto a child's hand.  As much as I'd like to believe I have the strength and endurance of Superman, I'm rational enough to know otherwise.

I thought about a wagon.  I also thought about the utility carts that many people in larger cities use.  While both of these ideas were legitimate, I wanted something I could do right now.

As always, I wandered about my home searching for something that I already had that would make this possible.  My search ended in the garage, where I found the stroller that my daughter no longer uses.


As you can see, it has a very large storage space on the bottom.  There are also drink holders as well as a small change compartment.  The design is very sturdy, and additional bags can be hung on the handlebar.  If my daughter becomes too tired to walk home (an uphill walk with some steep portions) I have a place for her to sit.  If not, the seat can be used as additional cargo space.

Even if this isn't enough space, I have a strong back.  An extra backpack wouldn't hurt in the slightest!

Not only that, but I can always load my groceries into the stroller in lieu of a shopping cart while I go through the aisles.  This ensures I know exactly how much I can fit.

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