Groceries
Well I hit another College Milestone. I bought groceries for the first time.
Now I have been shopping before at Wal-Mart, but if my purchase ever included food it was an afterthought, as I usually go to Wal-Mart for DVDs and other "less then essential" supplies.
But this time was a dedicated trip for the purpose of buying that strange category of items known as groceries.
This trip was brought on by a few factors. Firstly I was bored. I had already cleaned my room and taken out the trash, laundry didn't seem worthwhile, and there was nothing on TV. Also I am running low on money on my dining plan, so I figured I could do a practice run on the whole "feeding myself" thing.
Before leaving on this trip I made a list. After many years of watching my mother shop for groceries I understand the importance of making a list. I also assumed it to be a relatively simple procedure. I was wrong. My list in it's entirety is as follows:
food (it should be noted this is an item, not a title)
Dr Pepper
chili
crackers
Hot Choclolate (that's how I spelled it on the list)
Spaghetti o's (apparently I can spell spaghetti just fine)
While I understood the necessity and purpose of a list, I was unable to properly formulate one. I put the list in my pocket and left, hoping that I could figure out everything when I was at the store.
I knew food was at the top of my list so when I got to Wal-Mart I parked on the side that said food center. Allow me to rant on people in parking lots for a moment. I go down one of the lanes and there is a car stopped in front of me. I think they are waiting for someone to leave and start looking around for this spot that is about to be vacated. I don't want it for myself because this guy in front of me obviously has dibs, but once he has a spot, I can get one. We're sitting there for probably three minutes and I cannot see any car that even has it's lights on, let alone about to back out. At this point I want to back up and just try a different lane, but another car has pulled in behind me so I'm stuck. A full five minutes go by in total and this van finally turns on and pulls out, the car in front of me takes the spot and i move down the lane to one of the many open spots. is it really worth sitting in your car for five extra minutes just to get a slightly closer spot? In the amount of time you waited you could have gone to another spot parked and already be in the store. This is why America has a weight problem We are too lazy to walk an additional fifty feet. (on a further digression: My ex didn't like the fact that I have very little sympathy for the overweight. I have very little sympathy for anybody, but we live in a world of medical miracles. If you are that unhappy about your weight do something about it. And if the situation was really that bad, you can get a little blue thing to let you park in the handicapped spots. It's not that I don't like fat people, I don't like people who complain about situations that no one else is responsible for. Actually when it comes to women I like a little meat on their bones.)
Once in the store I get a cart, something I have never expected a need for previously. Because every cart in the store is broken, mine makes a loud popping noise with every rotation of one of the wheels. I have My iPod on, so it doesn't really bother me.
As I walk around the store picking up items that interest me and putting them in my cart, I repeatedly have to ask the question "generic or name brand?" This is not an easy question, because with the lower price of generic products you are taking a risk in regards to the quality of the product. For example I once bought generic Dr Pepper hoping to save a buck or two (Soda prices are outrageous) that was a mistake that I will not make again, but with other products the risk can be worth it. There was a sale on Wolf chili, so it was actually cheaper than the generic. Also A 12 pack of ramen costs the same as 2 cans of generic spaghetti o's.
I referenced my list repeatedly throughout my shopping, not to see if I was getting everything, but rather to make it look like I knew what I was doing. "I have a list, everything will be OK!"
As I wandered through the store I would come up with things that would be good to have, like sandwich makings. I got a loaf of pre-sliced sourdough for my meat sandwiches and a loaf of 100% whole grain for PB&Js. I can't believe it, but I actually bought wheat bread. Way to go mom, you've converted me. there was the problem of whole grain or whole weat, but whole grain seemed like the right choice. Of course I then had to buy things to put on the bread which led me all over the store. This further reinforced the importance of the list because with a well made list I wouldn't have to back track, wasting precious shopping time.
The checkout line was an adventure in itself. I am used to the express lane and could have made it, if I hadn't made the last minute decision to make sandwiches, so regular checkout for me. It is impossible to pick a good lane if they are all the same length, there's no telling what possible problems could arise for the customers in line before you. You have to just pick one and stick with it. I made it past the register having only spent 48 dollars. This made me proud considering I still had the fifty dollar check from LCT in my wallet. I stopped by the ATM to deposit it and overall tonight was a two dollar gain.
The final part of my grocery adventure was getting everything back to my room. Getting it to the car wasn't difficult because I had a cart, but it being a Sunday night I knew I would have to carry everything approximately 200 yards from my car to the building, then through 4 separate doors, any of which could be locked. When looking for a spot, I noticed an empty 30 minute spot. Fortune smiles. I was able to park much closer that I had expected and effectively cut 50 yards off my walking distance. (The parking lot is still too far from the dorm) And before anybody says anything, I know I just ranted about people trying to hard to get a close spot, but the point is that you shouldn't try so hard. If you get lucky, way to go.
It should also be noted that I got neither crackers or hot chocolate during this trip. My list skills still have a way to go.
And the band played on
Labels: groceries, list, mom, parking, planning, practice, shopping, Wal-Mart, walking
