Inner monologue

Let's see, where is the debit card...quarter for the cart... grab the shopping bags from the turnk and lock the purse in there.

Shopping without a menu plan is dangerous, but I need some basics and have a fair idea of what I'm going to cook...urgh, these carts are cold. Hmmm, pretzels for lunches. What do they have for nuts? Slivered almonds? Always seem to leave those out of recipes because it's too much trouble to get them...grab these now - they have a decent shelf life, and I think they freeze...come on, lady, you can't possibly really be buying everything I want to look at.

Oh yeah, five pounds of sugar...leave the flour for next trip. If I'm making a flourless chocolate cake for Sunday I don't need the flour right away...brilliant thinking, that. Chocolate chips still 99 cents, may as well get a couple of bags. Salt, pepper...amazing how I ran out of both at the same time. Milk? Milk, decent price but a gallon goes to waste...still, need something for coffee for Bible study. French vanilla creamer? Gosh that container is huge. Well, try it this time. Butter, used up the freezer stash baking last week.

Dry stuff...huh, everything has gone up at least 10 cents in price...tuna up a dime, rice up fifteen cents. Stupid oil prices. OOOO! canned mushrooms - about time. At least that price hasn't gone up. Two, four, six...What is all this processed crap? I come here for staples, not for preprocessed, prepackaged garbage totally lacking in nutritional value. Shelf space could be used for something better. Like better pasta - pick up Barilla at Pick n Save tomorrow.

Nothing down that aisle, no wait...kitchen garbage bags, freezer bags...hey, canned pumpkin, have onions and carrots at home - pumpkin soup for dinner next week. Meat case...chuck roast for Sunday - huh, the better ones are always toward the back - do you think I won't look? Cube steak...maybe I can try that sandwich. Easy enough to freeze individually. Need a bag of chicken breast. Grab broccoli and corn as long as I'm in the cold case.

Hey, a shrimp ring. Price looks decent, suppose I can get it here rather than P & S. Is that all I need? Better do the menu plan tonight...

Fifty-what?? Wait a minute...roast, cube steak, chicken, shrimp...er, twenty-seven...the bags, chips, sugar, salt, pepper are once-every-nine-months kind of purchases, say ten there. OK, the creamer and almonds, and yeah - the M & Ms - are impulses, say six. That leaves what? Thirteen? That sounds better.

At least here by bagging my own groceries I'm actually keeping prices down. Refuse to do it at "full service" places...really lousy at it anyway...miss paper bags. Geez, five bags? Have to park on the opposite side of the street tonight, am I going to get these in the house in one trip? I am woman, see me haul groceries...

Swing through Walgreens, can't forget the meds...this will be fun, deductible-meeting time. Gah - over $110? Geez, good thing this will be running through the flex account. Fax that receipt over first thing Monday, should have the cash back by Thursday...wonder if I'm going to have enough in the flex account for the year?

Home...ARGH! Did no one move their cars before the plows went through...what a mess, and how stupidly they park...no where on the right side, pull up here, take the groceries in and wait for someone to move...if they don't, park on Lapham and take license numbers for the non-permit holding cars...had it with this.

Crud - all that food, and it's leftovers for dinner tonight.