Can I just say that I abhore going to WinCo?
But you just can't beat those prices. Yeah, Safeway is a lot nicer--they actually bag your groceries for you and offer to help you to the car, which is great for moms like me--but can I really justify spending twice or three times as much? Now that Marty and I are on a pretty strict budget, I have to keep our grocery bill under $250 a month. And I can spend that much on "just a couple things" at Safeway.
So I guess it's the really low grocery bill at the end of my WinCo visit that makes it worth my time. I mean, now that I'm a mom, it's a pretty big deal to restock our fridge and usually naked pantry. I have to work around my son's sleeping and eating schedules, so he's not whining the whole time and causing other moms to stare at me with that look of disapproval like I have no idea what I'm doing. So once he's rested and well fed, I have to load him into the car along with a bottle, toys, diapers, wipes, a bib for that unexpected throw-up, snacks--you name it, I've probably got it. I then get to drive across town to go to a store that makes me uncomfortable. I get to deal with people touching my son's hands and feet without asking permission, then watch as little Marty puts that same hand or foot into his mouth. Yuck. You just never know when people have showered last, or washed their hands. And the cart is always so full that my tiny little self has trouble dragging it around the store. I have to almost throw my body against it to get it where I want it to go. And believe me, steering around the people that just stand in the middle of the aisle is pretty dang hard. So I wait in a fifteen minute line, then spend another fifteen minutes bagging all my groceries while people glare at me for taking so long. But when I have to attend to my fussy son who's tired of sitting on the hard metal seat for so long, I will take all the time I need to make sure he's okay. So sue me for caring about my son more than about being "bagger of the year". Then I drag the heavy cart out to the car, take forever loading it myself, and try desperately to avoid putting the gallon of orange juice on top of the potato bread. When I get home, I take the baby into the house first and try to distract him with a fun toy or piece of cheese to munch on so he doesn't try to get out every time I open the front door with a new load of grocery bags from the car. It usually takes me about ten trips back and forth to get everything in the house. And I'm not strong. So when I overdo it and try to carry in more than I'm able, I get angry and get determined to prove something to myself and carry it in anyway, no matter how much my arms are burning, and how many times I scrape myself. And the cats always try to escape, so I have to close the door behind me every time I go in and out. It makes for a long unloading process. Tonight I had half a mind to call Billy (our neighbor) and ask him to help me. But even if I had an extra set of hands, I still have to actually put everything away. In the fridge, freezer, or pantry. Of course my anal self has to sort things by category and go through everything we already have, throwing out the bad stuff to make room for the new. Really, I hate when food gets shoved into the back of the fridge or pantry and we don't know it exists until it's rotten. So I try to rotate things in and out. Really, it takes forever. The whole ordeal just takes freakin' forever.
Anyway, needless to say I don't enjoy grocery shopping as much as I used to when I had the luxury of just hopping out of the car and walking in to the store. I didn't have to worry about finding a cart whose little seat belt actually works, or about avoiding aisles with suspicious-looking people in them so my child stays germ-free.
But hey. I'm trying to look on the bright side. It's a great workout, with all the packing and lifting and loading and unloading and pushing and sorting and such. So to those who think moms just sit around and do nothing all day, eat your shorts. "Sitting around and doing nothing" is not as easy as we make it look.
Take THAT, WinCo. You may be my Everest, but no matter how grueling the journey, and how many times I curse grocery shopping along the way, I always win in the end.
10 comments:
O.k I'll try this again. I share your dread of Winco. I have been going at 9 or 10 at night. I wait til my second wind hit's and then run to the store. The bagging still stinks and you have to put up with the occasional pick up lines, as they walk by with their oh so cheap beer. But you can't beat the prices.
You should try the wal*mart superstore. The prices are pretty much the same as winco but they bag the groceries for you and it's much nicer.
i couldn't agree more I wait till the end of the day and leave the kids with dad and take my time and enjoy the few minutes alone its too bad that time has to be spend in a store with way too many other people.
This blog totally made me laugh! I can completely relate. I HATE it when people stand in the middle of the ailse and block it. It makes me want to scream!
P.S. you are a good writer.
I like shopping late or very early. I'm on a budjet so I like to hit the grocery outlet, Winco, and Safeway(just for organic things) Bailee has not been cooperative. Who cares what the other people think :)
I tell Dan every time I get home from Winco that he has to go with me next time, but that never happens. I am sure when I have 3 kids going will be much easier!
Oh man, every word of that is sooo me!! You nailed it. I HATE winco, yet can't seem to stay away. Every time the checker gives me my total I revel in complete cheapness victory (does that even make sense?)
Oh man, every word of that is sooo me!! You nailed it. I HATE winco, yet can't seem to stay away. Every time the checker gives me my total I revel in complete cheapness victory (does that even make sense?)
What the heck??? Next time you'd better call me, that's what I'm here for. Carrying groceries. It's what I do. Next time we'll one-trip those bags.
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