Makin' Groceries

In New Orleans, people don't grocery shop.  Or go to the supermarket.  They "make groceries."  I grew up with that saying, and at one time, there was even a local chain who used "makin' groceries" in their jingle.

Can I just tell you how much I hate makin' groceries?

This morning I woke up with a craving for some comfort food.  For me, that means one of a few dishes:  gumbo, jambalaya or red beans and rice.  The red beans won the toss today, mostly because I have 4 pounds of Camelia brand dry red beans in the pantry.  But, in surveying the fridge for the rest of the ingredients, I realized that I was going to have to make a trip to the store.  Ugh. 

Well, since I was going, I might as well make it a meaningful trip.  I took an inventory and figured out I needed other things like milk, fruits and veggies, some kind of meat, maybe some cold cuts and bread....  Before heading out, I went through my trusty coupon stash and pulled out the ones I knew I could use.

So off to Safeway I went, coupons, list and reusable bags in hand.  I lucked out and got a parking spot right at the front of the store!  I grabbed a basket (or cart as non-New Orleanians call them) and headed in.  That's where the 'fun' always begins.

Trying to maneuver around people who generally don't know how to steer and park their baskets is bad enough, but today, at 1:30 p.m., Safeway decided it was time to restock the shelves.  So, there were clerks in every.stinkin'.aisle with their gigantic carts full of products stocking shelves!  And, what's with the new practice of stacking sodas, chips, canned goods - whatever - in a line down the center of the aisle?  That makes for a fun obstacle course.

Oh, and don't get me started on the families who come in groups of 15 and all have to have a hand on the basket as their 'pod' walks slowly through the frozen food section arguing about who wants what kind of ice cream....

And then, there's the sticker shock when you get to the register.  I faithfully use my shopper's card to get the weekly specials, whipped out my $7.50 in coupons and I still shelled out $81 for 3 bags (one was the size of 2 reusable bags) of grub! 

When I got home, I assessed the damage:  there were only 3 things on that receipt that either wasn't on sale or I didn't have a coupon for:  a pound of ham and a half-pound of cheese from the deli and a pound of ground beef.  Every other item was discounted in one way or another!

I don't know how my friends with families do it.  They have to buy way more than I do, and they make groceries every week!  I'm lucky enough to be single and can stretch my purchases out enough that I can avoid the store like the plague.

So I'm going back into grocery store avoidance and won't be makin' groceries for a while.  The trauma is too much to handle on a regular basis.

And the red beans?  Well, they're on the stove now...

Until Next Time,

Kel