How I Get Groceries Without a Car (My Exact System)
One of the most common comments I get on TikTok when I talk about living car-free is “But how do you get groceries?”
It’s a fair question. You don’t just have to transport yourself, you have to transport your groceries too. And you’re not just a Parisian popping around the corner for a baguette in some romanticized version of Western Europe. You’re likely getting a week’s worth of food for several people, including the heavy stuff.
I live in New York with my girlfriend, but we live in an outer borough that is more car-centric. And every single week, I do a full grocery run for both of us on my regular commuter bike. (Actually, I just use the Citi Bike system.)
I will share exactly how I do it and how countless other people get groceries without owning a car too.
Even though we live walking distance of a grocery store, these strategies help expand my range so I can get groceries for less or get stuff we can’t get at the one close to us. It means I can get staples at a place like Aldi, which is cheaper.
So whether you live in a mostly car-dependent U.S. city, a suburb, or on the Upper West Side of New York, I hope this is helpful.
As long as your grocery store is a reasonable distance from you or transit-accessible within a reasonable time, these strategies can apply to anywhere.
First, Let’s Be Clear: The Big Box Grocery Store Is an American Invention
The whole concept of driving to a massive parking lot and loading up a trunk with two weeks of food is both modern (like 80 years old) and very American. Across most of the world, people grocery shop by living a short walk from a store, popping in a few days a week with one bag, and grabbing what they need for the next few days. That’s the default system for most of humanity.
The reason getting groceries without a car feels hard is largely because of how American grocery infrastructure is built. We’ve built big grocery stores with giant parking lots, and we’ve made it the cultural norm to buy everything at once.
Or you might live close to a store, but not close to one you want to shop at. Or the store you want has a big parking lot and no sidewalk, because it wasn’t built for people without cars, so it’s sketchy to get there even if it’s close.
My Bike System: One Bag + Backpack
Here’s the system I use every week.
When I bike to the grocery store, I bring:
- One large reusable grocery bag
- My empty backpack
That’s it.
Heavy stuff like cans goes in the grocery bag. Bulky but light stuff goes in the backpack. I don’t want my backpack to be heavy. I prefer the weight lower in the front basket.
I can fit a full week of groceries for two people with this system. Consistently. Without breaking a sweat.
A few things that help make it work:
You naturally shop smarter. Every item you put in the cart is something you have to carry home. This means I don’t buy stuff we won’t use.
You can shop more frequently. Instead of one massive haul every two weeks, I bike to the store once a week. Some people prefer two smaller trips. Find your rhythm and it stops being a big deal.
Handle produce separately. I get most of my produce every two weeks at a farmer’s market, which I also bike to with the same bag-and-backpack setup. It’s better produce anyway, and it keeps the weekly grocery run more manageable.
The key point here is that, yes, you can get your groceries on a bike. The grocery store for me is about a 15-minute bike ride and the farmer’s market is closer to 25.
The Upgraded Walk: Granny Carts (or Carritos)
However, I also recognize that cyclists on groceries are in the minority, so let’s talk about how far more people actually get their groceries without a car.
Before I get into biking, I need to give a proper shoutout to the most underrated piece of car-free gear in the country.
Some people call them granny carts. Some people call them rolling carts. In the Bronx, people call them carritos, little cart, in Spanish. We do that even if we’re speaking English most of the time. For me, carrito is the correct word.
These are how countless New Yorkers get a full grocery haul home without a car. We’re talking paper towels, bulk items, everything, rolled home behind you like you own the sidewalk. They’re cheap, they fold up, and they hold an enormous amount. You can buy them at dollar stores.
Plus, you can take a carrito on the bus. If you’re doing your grocery shopping without a car and relying on public transit, a rolling cart is the move. It’s not glamorous. It is extremely practical. And it’s been working for New Yorkers for generations.
Cargo Bikes (If You Want to Level Up)
Cargo bikes deserve a mention because they’ve been exploding in popularity, and the reason is obvious once you see what they can do.
My neighbor and his girlfriend go to Costco on his cargo bike.
Multiple times a month. To Costco. If you’ve ever seen a Costco haul and tried to imagine it on a bike, that’s a cargo bike.
If you’re regularly feeding a family or doing bulk shopping, a cargo bike might be the most practical car replacement you can buy. There are all kinds of Instagram accounts I follow that will talk all about this, like Cargo Bike Momma. Don’t know her, but I love her. They’re pricier upfront, but obviously much less than a car.
Don’t Be Above The Strategic Rideshare
I know a couple in New York City with a Costco membership and no car. Once a month, they take transit to Costco, spend an hour loading up on everything they need in bulk, and then call a rideshare home with all of it. The Costco isn’t that far, so it costs $15-20.
Even if you spent $200 a month on rideshares per month, which is excessive, for grocery runs and otherwise, you’re still way ahead financially compared to car ownership.
(The average cost of owning a car in the U.S. is now over $1,000 a month.)
Sometimes, Just Get Them Delivered
This one’s obvious, but I’ll say it anyway: grocery delivery is a completely valid part of getting groceries without a car.
My girlfriend Shylin rarely gets groceries, but she has a few specific things she likes to buy from specific stores I can’t always go to. She orders them. They show up. Will you spend a few extra dollars in delivery fees and tips? Yes. Does it matter when you’re comparing it to the cost of owning and maintaining a vehicle? Not really.
Delivery is a great complement to doing your own runs.
If your week is chaotic and you don’t want to get on your bike to do it, just have them get delivered. Let the professionals on the e-bikes do the work for you, and tip them accordingly.
If Groceries Are Your Main Reason for Owning a Car, There’s a Better Way
If getting groceries is the primary reason you still own a car, you’re likely making a bad financial decision.
Maybe you’re in a household with two cars, but you rarely need two, or maybe you live in a city and are ready to take the leap but stuck on the groceries thing, I hope this has helped.
I genuinely love living without a car. I love biking around, walking around, and I feel like taking transit really helps me understand much better where I live (and I get to read a lot more.)
For more on this topic broadly, check out my article on How I Live Without a Car in the U.S.
Fewer Cars, More “Freedom”
I have written so much about this. This idea that cars are “freedom” has a degree of truth, but a lot of propaganda.
I think “freedom” can mean different things to different people. I prefer being able to walk and bike places safely. I prefer having options. I prefer not to have to pay for a car, gas, and insurance. I prefer not to sit in traffic or operate a dangerous vehicle that kills 40,000 Americans every year. But hey, that’s just me.
There are so many hidden costs of cars, and I want to fight for a future where more people have more choices to live car-free or car-light.
What’s stopping you from getting groceries car-free? Let me know in the comments.
