The Great Grape Panic

I braved the icy roads today to go grocery shopping! Admittedly, it might sound more heroic if I said something like, "I braved the icy roads today to save a one-eyed old lady stuck in a tree with a three-legged kitten." But, I don't normally go grocery shopping so I get to say it's heroic when I do.

I mentioned once before that I did not know the price of a gallon of milk and, yes, that is partly because of my economic privilege but mostly because I don't go shopping often and don't pay attention to prices because I just want the shopping to be over.

Now that I am not working, I feel that I should make more of an effort to be more frugal or, at the very least, more conscious about prices.

So, today, I looked at prices.

People...food is expensive! Did you know this? Am I the last to know? Well, I am probably not the last...I'm sure Donald Trump doesn't know this either.

I started out in the produce aisle. Zeca likes grapes and I suspected grapes might be kind of expensive since they grow in far away places like, um, Grapeland? (No relation to Graceland). Notice that I assumed that they were costly but did not actually look at the price and try to puzzle it out before putting them in my cart. I just picked the smallest bag of grapes and went on my way. Then, I went to the meat counter to get hamburger and couldn't remember how much hamburger Luisa usually gets so I decided to just get a prepackaged thing of hamburger. I chose two packages of the lean, free-range, grass fed, spa cow beef which was slightly cheaper than the super duper lean fancy cow meat. I was very proud of myself because I figured I probably saved enough to buy myself something from the deli. Look at me with the savings!

I specifically did not buy sugar, baking powder, chocolate chips and pie crusts at the coop because I knew they'd be cheaper at the regular store. I was so proud of myself for my cleverness.

I went through the checkout and noticed the total was really high and then I saw it - GRAPES $9.91. Then, I had grape panic. I couldn't say, "OH MY GOD WHO PAYS THAT MUCH FOR GRAPES?!" because I know who does - ME! Fortunately, I didn't have a lot of time to dwell on the grapes when the beef went through at $11 something (and, yes, I realize that even now price specifics aren't my strong suit) for only about a pound and a half of spa cow.

I practiced deep breathing and repeated to myself, "You'll get used to this. You'll do better next time." Really, I just want Luisa to do the shopping but I think that, as a stay at home mom, it might be in my contract.

I got home and put away all the groceries and glared at the grapes and vowed that I would make the children eat the stems too so that we would get more bang for our buck.

Shortly after I put everything away and sat down with my curried chicken from the deli ($3.93), Deborah called. She said, "Hello!" and I said, "OH MY GOD DEBORAH GRAPES ARE SO EXPENSIVE FOOD IS SO EXPENSIVE DID YOU KNOW THIS?" and she said, "Yes, I know." I told her about the grapes and then the spa cow and she said that I had to continue to buy spa cow because otherwise I'd end up paralyzed. She really knows how to calm me down.

To assuage my grape guilt, I tweeted Luisa the following:

Things we need to do: make our own bed and eat squirrels.

I wanted to show her that I was taking this seriously and being proactive.

Tomorrow? I start pricing traps.