Day 25 - Confessions of a Bargain Shopper

Yesterday was a huge challenge for me: Grocery Day, with some fabulous sales including: Raisin Bran, 2/$3; Spaghetti Sauce, 2/$3...and on and on.

I spent more than I would have liked to yesterday, largely because we had completely exhausted our supplies of things like batteries, frozen vegetables, toiletry products, etc. It all hit at once in some sort of perfect supermarket storm.

I humbly confess that I went to three different stores yesterday, chasing the sales. From fryer chickens for $.57/lb. at Harris Teeter to BOGO "personal size" watermelons at Safeway, and even 10/$10 bags of frozen veggies at Giant, I was quite the bargain shopper. You gotta admit, those are prices worth chasing - but only because I truly use all of these items and was not stocking up on top of an already full supply of chicken, watermelon, frozen veggies, etc.

While picking out my $1.29/lb broccoli crowns at Safeway, I decided to completely avoid the spaghetti sauce aisle where the 2/$3 jars taunted me. I still have 1 jar of spaghetti sauce, I reasoned. And while that would previously be not nearly enough for my comfort zone, I decided that I need to push myself.

What's the worst that could happen, really? I use the last jar and have some sort of spaghetti sauce crisis? The world will not end if I don't have spaghetti sauce in my pantry, I realize. And, more than that, if I do run out and am overtaken by the spirit of Mama Celeste herself, I can either make my own or, gasp, I could even go buy a jar or two if I deem it unavoidable at that time. And if I happen not to get the best bargain and pay a few cents more at the time, is it really that big of a deal? And who knows? Maybe at that time, it will be 99 cents/jar and maybe I'll even have a coupon as well!

So, that took care of the spaghetti sauce, but I still had to contend with the Raisin Bran at Giant. This time, I stood in front of the cereal and debated. Yes, I know. According to the rules of this project, it should really be a non-issue. No pantry items until the cupboard is bare. But, you know, this is me and I can rationalize my way out of (or into!) almost anything.

Bottom line: I did not buy the cereal either. Two boxes of cereal for $3 is a great deal, yes. But not if it defies my true goal which is to strengthen my impulse control, whittle away at the pantry, and be able to come to you with truth (and humor) on this journey.

Having said that, I did cave and buy 2 bottles of Coke Zero. They were also 2/$3, and we were out of soda (although we're trying not to drink too much of it anyway)...but, c'mon, it's COKE ZERO! I gotta have at least one guilty pleasure.