# Packing Groceries?



## In The Pink (Jul 1, 2007)

We're leaving in less than a week for our first TS stay.  I posted this on the "Packing tips thread", but it's not getting any response, so I hope I don't get my hand slapped for posting here. 

I was wondering, for those of you who take along groceries to cook, do you take everything you need, things like potatoes, onions, canned goods, mac & cheese, chips, etc, or do you usuallyjust take your meats and spices and  buy the "go withs"  nearby?

Thanks.


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## Nona (Jul 1, 2007)

I usually take food and buy food but my resort is 2 hours away.  I would think it depends on how far you are going and if there is a local store nearby .


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## moonstone (Jul 1, 2007)

Since we drive to most of our timeshare vacations we take some, but by no means all, of our groceries. I have a "timeshare box" in which I keep foil, plastic wrap, zip-loc bags (lg & sm), spices I use most often, lots of condiments, tea bags (we dont drink coffee), sugar, a couple pkgs of microwave popcorn, a rice mix pkg, and when our children were small some granola bars & other snacks for them. I am not allowed to take fresh fruit or vegetables across the border (Canada to USA) as well as beef and chicken so I buy that at my destination -its usually cheaper there anyways! I usually end up buying more groceries to bring home (due to the cost savings) than what I take. Many years ago when our dollar was at $0.62 (compared to the US) & before the beef problems, I took nearly our whole weeks worth of food to Florida for our family of 5. The exchange didnt stop us from travelling but we sure didnt buy much down there!
Have a great trip!
~Diane


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## bigrick (Jul 2, 2007)

The only food we ever take along is food to munch on while we're travelling to the resort.  Once there or in the area, we shop at local markets as often as need be.


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## ouaifer (Jul 2, 2007)

In The Pink said:


> I posted this on the "Packing tips thread", but it's not getting any response, so I hope I don't get my hand slapped for posting here.
> 
> 
> 
> Thanks.




_Duplicate post removed. Consider "your hand slapped". Please review the rules for posting on TUG, and refrain from duplicate postings in the future.  ouaifer, Moderator_


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## riverdees05 (Jul 2, 2007)

Are you driving or flying?  Where are you going?

We have found that if we are flying to a location in the US, we take very little in the way of groceries.  If we are driving to a location in the US, we will take a little more depending on the location.  We have found that prices do not very a lot - enough to make it worth the trouble, to pack a lot for timesharing trips.   Sometimes we do take a soft sided cooler along and if we drive, also a rubbermaid container with kitchen aids, drinks, etc.  Omaha Steaks are great for traveling.


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## BSQ (Jul 2, 2007)

local or outside the country I'll take things like a weeks worth of coffee filters, ziplocs in varying sizes, a stack of paper napkins, some paper plates, a travel roll of paper towels, and a couple of coffee mugs (I HATE wimpy small coffee cups).

Foodwise, we take some snacks for the  car or plane ride, and to tide BubbaQ my southern Snacking machine over.  Otherwise it's a run to the local market.  In other countries we both enjoy browsing the markets.  When we drive to our location, my car choices are a Corvette or a Mini.  Space is at a premium.  I travel light.


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## barndweller (Jul 2, 2007)

When we fly we take paper products (coffee filters, foil, baggies, etc) that are easy to pack. We also take an assortment of seasonings & spices. We take some snacks in our carry-on so we don't starve now that most airlines have eliminated the meals. That's it.

But when we drive we take that and a cooler with soft drinks & our lunch & snacks for the drive. We take all our own condiments such as mayo, mustard, steak sauce, catsup, etc. because these are items we use often in a 1 or 2 week trip. We take our favorite coffee beans & small grinder, a box of Bisquick, bottle of syrup, a bottle of cooking oil, a can of PAM (for the bbq grill), olive oil, balsamic vinegar & a few canned goods we may already have in the cupboard. And we take all our own adult beverage ingredients as well as favorite wine. Then when we arrive, we go to the local grocers to get all the fresh fruits, veggies & meats & eggs, butter, bread & milk. It makes no sense to try to pack all the perishables in the car since prices are about the same everywhere. I would just as soon buy what we will use locally when we get there. We tend to only eat out once or twice per week, usually a nice dinner in a more upscale resaurant.

And like BSQ we also take our coffee mugs. Those wimpy cups that come with the "set" of dishes provided in most timeshares are a joke. We also take a favorite fryng pan since most timeshares have a poor choice of cookware. We actually pack it when we fly if there is room in the suitcase.


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## geekette (Jul 2, 2007)

My best advice is Don't Go Overboard.

For something like food, it's too easy to go get what you need.  Harder with clothes or toys or other personal items.

I'll typically take foil, filters, coffee, snacks and the rest kind of depends on how far we're driving.  I often take most of the food since it cuts down on what we have to spend once we arrive.  

But for me, it's more important to make sure the other bases are covered - the things you don't want to have to buy when you arrive.  I deal with food and other supplies last.

Good luck - I'm sure you will love your timeshare vacation!!


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## BevL (Jul 2, 2007)

I'll throw in certain spices or things that might be difficult to find where I'm going or be really expensive.  And we always bring enough Tim Horton's (aka "Timmy Ho's) coffee to get us through - it's the only kind we drink.

Other than that, no, we don't bring much.


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## In The Pink (Jul 2, 2007)

Okay, I see it's much like so many other things... everybody does it their own way.  Thank you all for your replies.


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## Linda74 (Jul 2, 2007)

My husband has greatly limited what I am allowed to bring since I flew with homemade pasta sauce in my checked luggage to the Cayman Islands.  The sauce leaked all through the suitcase, and was leaking out of the bottom of the rental car by the time we got to Morritts Tortuga Club.  It was in a large expandable bag, and the people around looked like we had a body in the bag..(It was 1994, the summer of the OJ Simpson trial).  It made a huge mess.  So now, unless traveling to a third world country, I only bring coffee filters, coffee, instant oatmeal and some snacks like granola or something.  Sometimes I bring powdered milk so we can have milk for our coffee the first day.  After that, it is off to a supermarket to shop.  We generally only eat breakfast in.  Our children are grown and living on their own, so it is easier to eat out.


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## In The Pink (Jul 2, 2007)

oh, that's too funny!  I'm going to be driving, and can throw a cooler in the back, but I think I'm going to keep it simple!


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## hajjah (Jul 3, 2007)

Guess what?  I cook some things at home and freeze them so that we can eat right away upon our arrival.  I do this when traveling in the US and when going to the Caribbean or Mexico.  We have a special turkey sausage that we can only buy locally, so I cook those on the George Foreman Grill and put them in a ziplock in the freezer.  Sometimes, I also buy cooked chicken wings in our town the day before we leave and freeze them.  I also grill some vegetables for freezing.  Usually, we can eat before heading to do our grocery shopping after we arrive at the resort, especially, depending on the location.  

You can take food into most of the Caribbean, but you cannot bring anything back into the US.  We have food for the first few days or so.


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## x3 skier (Jul 3, 2007)

*Nothing on board or in the hold*

As none of our trips are to Antarctica or Wherearewestan, the only food we pack is some individual coffee packs for the wife since we can buy whatever we need when we get there. 

Bad enough having to check baggage much less carrying rations although it might come in handy on a Jet Blue (NOBODY GETS OFF THE AIRPLANE FOR XX HOURS  ) flight.

Cheers


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## janapur (Jul 23, 2007)

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but are there any restrictions regarding bringing food in checked baggage?

We are travelling to Mexico with kids and it would be nice to have food available upon arriving at the Grand Mayan without an immediate trip to the grocery store. I'm thinking of staples like pt butter, cereal, snacks, etc.

Thanks.

Jana


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## ladycody (Jul 23, 2007)

What about restrictions with regard to food in carry-on bags.  I know about the whole liquid thing...but if I wanted to bring a few frozen items for use when we first got there...would it be a problem?  We have a cooler that's a perfect size for a carry-on bag and it has the advantage of having wheels and a retractable handle...so we can use it to park by the pool once we get there as well...but it doesnt zip shut...so I cant check it...or it'd fly open the first time it gets tossed.  Thanks for any info.


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## talkamotta (Jul 25, 2007)

In The Pink said:


> Okay, I see it's much like so many other things... everybody does it their own way.  Thank you all for your replies.



I didnt catch where you were going,  what you are going to doand who you are going with.    That makes a difference. When we go to Orlando; we will either go to Costco or when we go see the grandkids in Ocala  we will shop there.  The Publics in Orlando/Kissimmee are more money than the same store somewhere else.  I think its because there are so many timeshares.  

When we drove to Flagstaff, AZ from Salt Lake we took our drinks, cereal  and some dinners.  It worked out good because after doing alot of hiking, I didnt want to go out to dinner after I showered.  

Even when we fly I will take some spices and sugar,  ziplock bags and foil.  They come in handy for left overs when you go out.  In time you will figure out what your needs are.


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## Twinkstarr (Jul 25, 2007)

Just don't bring blocks of processed cheese in your luggage with wires wrapped around it.


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## Hawaiibarb (Jul 26, 2007)

*Travel to Hawaii*

Just an FYI for when you do come to Hawaii....don't bring in any fresh fruits or vegetables.  

When I travel, I take spices, some light stuff e.g. cereal, but I buy most of what I need when I get there.


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## Luanne (Jul 26, 2007)

Hawaiibarb said:


> Just an FYI for when you do come to Hawaii....don't bring in any fresh fruits or vegetables.



I can't imagine trying to pack and take fruit and vegetables anywhere!    Last time I was in Hawaii you could buy all of that there.


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## barndweller (Jul 26, 2007)

I think you can take just about any food item in your carry-on as long as it isn't liguid or gel or fresh fruit (for Hawaii.) My girlfriend buys all her meat at Costco & freezes it then packs a  bag full that she checks for trips to Hawaii. Now that  Costco is everywhere in Hawaii, I think it's wasted effort! Spices & seasonings and a few zip-locks are all I take when we fly anywhere. But of course I plan to only do carry-on baggage from now on. Flying is enough of a hassle anymore without making it more so by checking luggage full of food that could end up lost for days!


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## Twinkstarr (Jul 27, 2007)

I pack a box with our favorite cereal, coffee, filters, some snacks, and other sundry stuff. I ship it to our DVC resort by USPS Priority Mail and pick it up at the front desk. We just eat breakfast in the room, so we pick up some milk, oj and fruit at the resort.

If anyone is a frequent traveller to Orlando, there is a company that has storage boxes that they drop off and pick up at your resort. I know a lot of DVC'ers think it's great.


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## PigsDad (Jul 27, 2007)

Twinkstarr said:


> I pack a box with our favorite cereal, coffee, filters, some snacks, and other sundry stuff. I ship it to our DVC resort by USPS Priority Mail and pick it up at the front desk.



Maybe I'm missing the point, but why do you go through the hassle and expense of shipping these basic items that can be picked up in any Orlando grocery store?  I can't imagine they cost much more there than from your local grocery -- were not talking some exotic island where prices are way higher.  Is it that you don't have a car in Orlando?

Just curious,
Kurt


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## sfwilshire (Jul 27, 2007)

I hate grocery shopping at home and I'm sure not fond of it on vacation. I also carry along some groceries. I try not to take along anything I can buy just as cheaply there, but I take things that I've found at a reduced price at home (and/or used coupons to buy), things where I won't use a whole container (spices, half a bottle of catsup, mayo), items where I might have trouble finding my favorite brand, and a few things to tide us over the first night. I also take along a few ice trays after going out to buy them too many times when we didn't have adequate ice available. 

I also tend to clean out the fridge and bring along staples like potato salad, milk (if driving), etc. and may pack a few things out of the freezer. 

Nothing worse than arriving tired at your location and being forced to rush out to the grocery store to buy a pack of coffee for the next morning.

Sheila


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## Luanne (Jul 27, 2007)

We tend to not bring food along.  What we'll do after checking in at the timeshare is take a quick inventory, see what we need to buy and then head to the grocery store. We stock up as much as we can, and then just go back if there are food items we need during the week.  What we're generally looking for is whether we need coffee filters, dish and laundry soaps, spices, paper towels and napkins, that sort of thing.


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## Twinkstarr (Jul 27, 2007)

PigsDad said:


> Maybe I'm missing the point, but why do you go through the hassle and expense of shipping these basic items that can be picked up in any Orlando grocery store?  I can't imagine they cost much more there than from your local grocery -- were not talking some exotic island where prices are way higher.  Is it that you don't have a car in Orlando?
> 
> Just curious,
> Kurt




When we go to WDW we use the Disney's Magical Express(it's free if you are staying on site DVC member or not), so no car and $8 shipping for my small box is alot less than a taxi. Plus we would never use 3 boxes of cereal in a week(I put it into ziploc bags), I like my coffee from our local coffee shop, they sell small one pot vaccum sealed bags(take enough for 1 pot/day). Plus I send down our favorite sunscreen(kids have sensitive skin, so Neturagena is all I can use) and my 4 use travel bottle of Tide that I pick up from Target for a $1.


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## donnaval (Jul 27, 2007)

I've recently started taking tuna and chicken in those foil bag things they're packed in now--they lay flat and take up almost no room, and make a great quick snack (especially if you also take a few packets of mayo lol).  I was so happy I had a few packs of tuna when we went to Mexico last year--between one thing and another we got to our unit very late, with no food available, and that tuna salad tasted like Ruth's Chris that night.


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## Twinkstarr (Jul 28, 2007)

donnaval said:


> I've recently started taking tuna and chicken in those foil bag things they're packed in now--they lay flat and take up almost no room, and make a great quick snack (especially if you also take a few packets of mayo lol).  I was so happy I had a few packs of tuna when we went to Mexico last year--between one thing and another we got to our unit very late, with no food available, and that tuna salad tasted like Ruth's Chris that night.



That's a great idea, I buy those packs at home as I think the tuna tastes better than out of the can.


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