Archive for November 9, 2009

Strawberry Frosted Pop-tarts

Shopping at the grocery store makes me feel rich.

There is a sea of perishable and non-perishable fruits, vegetables, meats, cheeses and items from around the world gathered in one spot for our consuming convenience. Imagine how much work, and how many people have impacted one product such as a can of corn.

First, somewhere in Iowa a farmer prepares a field, plants, tends and sows the corn. It’s then sold or passed off to a number of places, one might be a canning factory. The corn is shucked, cleaned, processed, cut and packaged. The can is then sealed, labeled and prepared for transportation. That corn could be sent off anywhere, finds itself on a truck for your local grocery store, and is placed on a shelf until you come by to pick it up for dinner.

I probably left out a step or two, but each product offered in the supermarket has a similarly lengthy story. It amazes me how many different food marvels are under one roof.

This romanticized view of supermarkets frees my spending inhibitions and it’s my one carefree arena to splurge in. Mind you, my splurges consist of purchases such as Mighty Leaf green tea bags at $7.99 a box (but on sale tonight for $5.89!), or when I feel really wild, something not pure or organic, like Strawberry Frosted Pop-tarts. When those made their way into my cart I knew stress must be weakening my senses.

In all other areas of my life I refuse to buy items not on sale, without a coupon, with some sort of discount, or that have no redeeming value. The thrill of the bargain is my high.

As I made my way through the local Kroger tonight slowly crossing items off my list, I suddenly realized that in two short months I will be unemployed. The reality that I soon most likely will not have this regular leisurely luxury, well, became real.

For some, this is old news and a situation they have been dealing with for months or years. It’s taken awhile for the economy to have developed into it’s present state and many people have had to react accordingly. Since I’ve been an adult I’ve always managed to provide for myself comfortably, and to not be able to is an unnerving possibility. It’s now my not-so-distance future and I have two choices, worry or be thankful.

I am blessed to be able to buy food, have the car to transport it, and have a place to put it when I get home. Pop-tarts or no Pop-tarts I’m still one rich woman.