Beaverton Walmart Neighborhood Market

Grocery shopping without a car presents all sorts of challenges.

(Anna Marum/The Oregonian)

This is the second in an occasional series about living in Portland without a car. Read the first story here.

It's been a month since I sold my car, and I can honestly say I don't miss it much.

As a close-in Portland resident without kids, I took the bus to work, and mainly just used my car on weekends. So life without my little blue hatchback has been an easy transition, for the most part.

I still take the bus to work, I walk to the gym and I occasionally call an Uber to meet friends. Traveling has been okay, too: A recent trip to Bainbridge Island - via Bolt Bus and a ferry - was practically seamless.

But grocery shopping has become the bane of my existence.

Back in the days of four wheels (it seems like forever ago now), I would make a big trip to the grocery store on the weekend, along with a stop by the farmers market and a couple more trips to the store throughout the week.

Now, I'm faced with a conundrum: Shop at the one grocery store within walking distance of my house, which is more expensive, or take transit to cheaper grocery stores farther away.

Because no bus line goes directly from my house to those grocery stores, the trip either requires a substantial bit of walking or a transfer. Either way, a grocery trip that once took an hour with my car now takes at least an hour and a half, and that's if I get lucky with the bus schedule.

I still haven't tried out a car-sharing service or bought a bike, mostly in the interest of saving money. I also wanted to see what it would be like to rely just on transit (and my feet) to get around, as so many in Portland do.

After a month of this, I've learned a lot, mostly by making plenty of mistakes. Here are my tips for grocery shopping without a car (or a bike, or a car-sharing service):

Get to know your nearest grocery store

Find the best way to get there, whether it's by bus, train or your own two feet. (It helps to bookmark stops on TriMet's Transit Tracker, so bus and train arrival times are available on your phone.)

If the closest store is a little more expensive than you're used to, stick to sale products or grab the circular for deals or coupons.

Shop like a European

This means visiting your nearest store more often (maybe even daily), and buying less on each trip. When you shop like this, you'll always have fresh food and you won't need to haul huge bags of groceries home from the store.

Always be prepared to shop

I've learned to carry a backpack instead of a purse and I try to keep mental tabs on groceries I need. In a perfect world, I'd always be wearing sensible shoes, I'd never be without my reusable shopping bags and I'd have a full grocery list stored in the Notes app on my phone. (This trifecta of preparedness has not happened yet.)

The idea is that you can work grocery shopping into your schedule, no matter where you are. For instance, if I need something from the store on my way home from work, I can ride straight to the store instead of having to get off at my house first.

Get a rolling shopping cart

Also known as "granny carts," they might not be sexy, but they get the job done. You'll be able to haul a lot more with a cart than you would with a backpack, and it's easier on your back. This guide may help you pick a cart.

Ration trips to far-away stores

As someone who has been known to visit the local Trader Joe's five times in one week, this has definitely been a hard one for me. I've learned to limit my Trader Joe's visits to about every other week. When I go, I try to stock up on the items I can't get anywhere else, or the products that are an especially good deal.

Use a basket, not a cart

When you shop with a cart, it's easy to load it up with heavy items without realizing it. Instead, opt for a hand-held basket. If you have trouble carrying that basket up to the register, you might want to jettison those jugs of apple cider so you can get your groceries home.

Prioritize your grocery list

Because grocery shopping without a car puts limits on what you're able to bring home, you need to be more selective while shopping. This is why it helps to order the items on your grocery list from necessary to frivolous.

This way, if you find you need to toss something from your basket during checkout, you'll know to keep the toilet paper and coffee and throw out the pop and candy corn. Or vice versa.

Even out your load

Ask your cashier or bagger to split your groceries into two bags, instead of one. It's a lot easier to walk a mile with two half-full bags than with one full, heavy bag.

Don't forget anything

Seriously, make a grocery list. Because if you forget that one obscure ingredient you need for your next recipe, and don't realize it until you get home, you're out of luck. I usually consult my grocery list once or twice in the checkout line, just to make sure I'm not missing anything.

Have your groceries delivered

If trekking to the grocery store isn't an option, you're in luck - more and more grocery stores offer delivery.

Amazon Prime Now

Instacart

Safeway and Albertsons deliver groceries from their stores through

Google Express

If you're feeling really fancy (and flush), meal kits like Plated, Blue Apron and Purple Carrot are also an option. Read a comparison of the services

Your tips

Are you a pro at grocery shopping without a car? What advice can you share?

-- Anna Marum

amarum@oregonian.com

503-294-5911

@annamarum