Field Trip
I spent part of this morning going over my checkbook and paying my bills. It is not one of my favourite things to do. One thing that I do to motivate myself to do something I don't like is to reward myself with something I do like. This morning I decided to go on a field trip. Since I needed to buy cat food and go to the Post Office, I could also check out the nearby Aldi.
Aldi, for those who don't know it, it a food market. It is very basic, carrying limited items. Most of what they carry are the store brands. Because they do not have a lot of frills and ads the prices are lower. I heard about this store from my cookbook, 'Cheap.Fast.Good!'. They mention it as a low cost place to buy groceries.
Before I went there I went on-line to do some homework. I knew from reading the cookbook that they are a little different. The carts are all locked together. To unlock a cart you must put a quarter in the slot. When you return the cart, you lock it to the one in front and you get the quarter back. The other thing I read is that they do not take checks or credit cards. You can use cash,debit cards with a PIN or EBT. I'm glad I saw that. Like most people I do have a check card, but do not have a PIN for it. I got some cash to bring with me. I also brought some bags as well. You can buy bags from them, but why do that when I have some to bring.
I drove to the store and parked. I saw the carts at the side of the entrance, but decided since I would just buy a few things I'd get a basket. I went in. No baskets. I went out again and unlocked a cart. The cart would not separate from the one in front of it. I pulled on it as hard as I could. I jiggled the cart around hoping to free it. Nothing happened. I locked the cart up, retrieved my quarter and tried another. It pulled free and I was ready to go.
The store was clean, bright and mostly empty. That's fine with me. I don't like crowds and push much. I looked at the items. A few national brands were sprinkled in. I found some mini-rice cakes,canned beans,a small jar of pickles and some yogurt. I bought a bag of frozen fish. (C makes good fish.) I also found a frozen cheese pizza that looked good. There was a small meat section and a tiny produce section neither of them had anything I wanted.
I took the cart to the checkout. There were several people in front of me in line which was good because I got to see how things are done. The person checks out your items and puts them back into the cart. then you take them to a counter to bag them. The goal is to get people checked out as quickly as possible. I was worried that the cashier would put my items into the cart of the woman in front of me. He didn't. I paid him and took my things to the bagging area. It didn't take long and I was out the door. I lifted my bags out of the cart to return it. An older man approached me and offered me a quarter. I gave him my cart and carried my bags back to the car.
It was an interesting experience, but one I don't think I'll repeat. The things that are staples for me they didn't have. There were very few choices in flavour for the yogurt and only two kinds of beans that we eat. The prices are pretty good, but I'd still need to go to a "regular" grocery store to buy I lot of what we eat. So it makes no sense to go there.
I also found I am somewhat spoiled. I like a variety of things and now that stores are carrying more ethnic type food items, we can try new things. I don't mind bagging my own groceries if I'm alone and just have a few items, but if I had a whole cartful I would prefer someone to bag them if I am alone.
I got into the car and went off to Petco. The field trip was over. Time to run errands.
Aldi, for those who don't know it, it a food market. It is very basic, carrying limited items. Most of what they carry are the store brands. Because they do not have a lot of frills and ads the prices are lower. I heard about this store from my cookbook, 'Cheap.Fast.Good!'. They mention it as a low cost place to buy groceries.
Before I went there I went on-line to do some homework. I knew from reading the cookbook that they are a little different. The carts are all locked together. To unlock a cart you must put a quarter in the slot. When you return the cart, you lock it to the one in front and you get the quarter back. The other thing I read is that they do not take checks or credit cards. You can use cash,debit cards with a PIN or EBT. I'm glad I saw that. Like most people I do have a check card, but do not have a PIN for it. I got some cash to bring with me. I also brought some bags as well. You can buy bags from them, but why do that when I have some to bring.
I drove to the store and parked. I saw the carts at the side of the entrance, but decided since I would just buy a few things I'd get a basket. I went in. No baskets. I went out again and unlocked a cart. The cart would not separate from the one in front of it. I pulled on it as hard as I could. I jiggled the cart around hoping to free it. Nothing happened. I locked the cart up, retrieved my quarter and tried another. It pulled free and I was ready to go.
The store was clean, bright and mostly empty. That's fine with me. I don't like crowds and push much. I looked at the items. A few national brands were sprinkled in. I found some mini-rice cakes,canned beans,a small jar of pickles and some yogurt. I bought a bag of frozen fish. (C makes good fish.) I also found a frozen cheese pizza that looked good. There was a small meat section and a tiny produce section neither of them had anything I wanted.
I took the cart to the checkout. There were several people in front of me in line which was good because I got to see how things are done. The person checks out your items and puts them back into the cart. then you take them to a counter to bag them. The goal is to get people checked out as quickly as possible. I was worried that the cashier would put my items into the cart of the woman in front of me. He didn't. I paid him and took my things to the bagging area. It didn't take long and I was out the door. I lifted my bags out of the cart to return it. An older man approached me and offered me a quarter. I gave him my cart and carried my bags back to the car.
It was an interesting experience, but one I don't think I'll repeat. The things that are staples for me they didn't have. There were very few choices in flavour for the yogurt and only two kinds of beans that we eat. The prices are pretty good, but I'd still need to go to a "regular" grocery store to buy I lot of what we eat. So it makes no sense to go there.
I also found I am somewhat spoiled. I like a variety of things and now that stores are carrying more ethnic type food items, we can try new things. I don't mind bagging my own groceries if I'm alone and just have a few items, but if I had a whole cartful I would prefer someone to bag them if I am alone.
I got into the car and went off to Petco. The field trip was over. Time to run errands.
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