Supermarket time savers for Innkeepers or anyone else who shops.

Innkeepers are always looking for ways to save time.  Grocery shopping is one of those necessary tasks that need to be accomplished at least once a week if not more often.  I came across this article on some time savers ideas  http://bit.ly/ce9478

I really like the how to load the car hint.  At the bed and breakfast we currently are working at, we have a cold storage room that is about 25 yards away from where we normally park close to the back door of the B and B.  We usually will drive our car up to the storage room door and unload the items which go in there first.   Now if I can just get Howard to load the car so that all the items that go in the storage room are at the back of the car so they can be taken out first. 

Of course, we will also need to re-educate the baggers at Costco who put our items into boxes.  While you can carefully separate your items into groups, it seems that they will fill the boxes in a random order to get the most in each box. 

As for keeping an inventory list, we keep a pre-printed market list of everything we normally use in the B&B posted on the refrigerator.  Our housekeepers are pretty good about highlighting the items on the list when they break into the last of the back stock.   Same goes for those working in the kitchen.  Finally, we take the time to review what we have on hand before we leave for the store.  

We always take our cell phone with us when we are shopping.  It helps if the shopper sees some item on special that wasn't marked and wants to check and see just how much back stock is left of that item.  Or, if someone at the B&B remembers, at the last minute, that they forgot to put an item on the list. 

The only hint that I take exception with is the timing of the shopping.  Being in the Bed and Breakfast business an innkeeper is occupied with putting breakfast on the table in the early mornings.  Late in the evenings, I don't know about other innkeepers, but all I want to do is put my feet up and relax.  Shopping isn't on the agenda. 

Lynda and Howard Lerner
Inn Caring
www.inncaring.com