Sales Sometimes Cost You Your Dignity...But that's okay...I wasn't going to rant... Not when I had a fantastic set of receipts after a long and eventful trip to five different stores and two, awesome sales in one day; but sometimes the urge is strong and I cannot help myself. I mean, I LOVE shopping for a bargain, I actually get a kick of adrenaline when I am in the line and watching the numbers pop up on the screen, waiting with bated breath for the paper receipt so I can see how much money I have saved on a given trip. This Friday proved to be my undoing, however. And while I am massively proud of my savings total? I wonder how much of my dignity was left behind in the process of searching for sale items. It started at Meijer... I have social anxiety, and there was a 10/10 sale going on, so it was a given that it was going to be busy busy. I was off to a great start, I had my list organized by stores AND sections... You know, produce, meat, dairy...? I was sticking to my list and everything, doing great. When I got to where the soup was, my composure started to crack. There was not one can left of cream of chicken, and there were people pressing in from all sides to get some canned soup. I waited patiently for two women to get out of the way, another woman came up and started waiting... I felt like I was in one of those showdowns, fingers tightening on the handle of my cart, lips getting licked and determination glowing in my eyes. This woman stared at me in the same way, but she faltered, and I hate to admit to being this person but I was there first! I shot off toward the soup, leaving my cart, a strategic, time saving move, and I was loading my arms quickly with some of the only soups I eat because they were dwindling. Shopping big sales is NOT for the faint of heart, my foodies. I know this seems crazy, but people throw elbows, you have got to shop defensively and offensively if you want that perfect cut of meat that costs you half as much as it normally would because you it's BOGOF, and there will ALWAYS be some woman trying to steal the meat right out of your hand. Not even joking, as I have had it happen before. So I get done shopping at Meijer, and I spent less than I thought I did (I will get into numbers later). I was on to the next big sale of the day, already exhausted but ready to see this next part through. This sale was even better than the last... Buy TWO get THREE free! By this time, my husband and I were a little cranky because it's normal on shopping day... I grab the potatoes, five bags, and he says to me, "Why are you getting so many potatoes when you don't use them a lot?" - The answer is simple, my friends... I bought the potatoes because that was fifteen pounds of potatoes for a whopping $4. Guess what else? I knew that I could a) Give a bag to a friend in need, and b) trade off some of this extra food for something I didn't get that I wanted. So yes, I loaded up on the potatoes. Now, we get most of what I wrote down on the list. Keep in mind that some of the stuff got 86'ed because either I changed my mind, or they were out of stock, so some of the money went for secondary items. We were doing great... But then there was the last little bit, the home stretch in that store... Cheese. I am about to prove a point about how nasty people can get, though this is tame compared to some things, when shopping for the sale items. Cheese was also buy 2 get 3 free, right? I wanted a lot of cheese, I love it. So there I was, standing there, off to the side as I waited patiently for this nice looking old lady to move out of my way. She was in one of those shopping scooters, but she wasn't.... doing anything. I was almost done, I could taste the fresh air from outside, but I was stalled by an elderly woman in her scooter. I cleared my throat and then said, "Excuse me." Either she ignored me or didn't hear me, because she was unmoving. So I asked again... waited... asked a third time... And then finally, I had reached my impatience. I started to move in on the prize she was blocking, and she looks up, glares, and squeezed the handle HARD. The scooter went from Zero-Five in no time, and she gave me the death glare. She no longer looked like an angel, but rather, the devil incarnate. Aside from a few other, but way less offensive hiccups, the rest of the shopping trip was less eventful. The whole point of this rant was not to be angry so much as to laugh at how silly people get during sales. Now it is time to tell you how much I have saved this shopping trip. The Savings: Worth It.My total savings with all sale items for this month at Meijer: $50.46 And $94.96 at hardings! Grand Total: $50.46 +94.96 _________ $145.42 So I got... 314.00 +145.42 ___________ $459.42 $459.42 worth of food for $314 from five different stores. It isn't my best haul, but it most certainly is not my worst. What I Traded for Other FoodI got 5 bags of potatoes, gave one to a friend in need and got a watermelon in return, and traded one for a bag of onions. I traded the watermelon for various veggies: Leeks, garden peppers, garden tomatoes, green beans, etc. And I gave away a bag of frozen mixed veggies as well. Sales You Should Take Advantage Of This Week:Hardings: 88 cent sale!
I am not that impressed by the other stores this week
0 Comments
I live on a limited budget for food every month, so I have to do as many things as I can handle doing in order to get the most bang for my buck. Some people ask me how I can afford to get things like some better cuts of steak or make things that might cost more money than it should... And I work hard to try and plan around my budget. We budget about $315 per month for food for two people... You might think that you can do a lot for that amount of money, but it really is a challenge, especially since before I married Bruce, we had a little more money to throw toward food that we allocate elsewhere now. It is extremely important for us to work out a plan of action before we go shopping, which is why I bring up the almighty shopping list. I can honestly tell you that I would be splurging a lot more if I didn't have a shopping list to follow, and then we wouldn't have money to allocate elsewhere. Planning Out Your ListPlanning out a list is not just writing a list out and calling it good. There are things that you need to do while you write the list out.
Shopping With the ListIf you plan your list out right, not only can you have extra, but you can also splurge from time to time on an item you might like that you can't afford otherwise. Stick to your list first and get what you know you need, then buy something as a treat as a reward for your diligence. It is also nice to be able to know ahead of time what you can do with what you have, as well as be able to remember what you need and what you don't need.
Sales Ending Saturday that You Should Take Advantage Of!!(Kalamazoo and surrounding)Hardings - Buy 2 Get 3 Free, and some 10/10 Family Fare - Buy 2, get 3 free. Meijer - 10 for 10 and some meats on sale Gordon Food Services - Chicken Wings $1.99/LB, Spare Ribs $1.89/LB |
SavingsRead about how I save on groceries, tips and tricks on shopping, etc. ArchivesCategories |