November 20th, 2018

Like most people, I really enjoy a good sale.  Well except Black Friday sales. I don't do those.  I'm not standing in judgement of those who do, understand.  If that's your thing, have at it!  But crowds are  something I avoid wherever possible.  And every depiction of a Black Friday sale that I've ever read about, seen in the news or heard first hand stories of, terrify the claustrophobe in me right down to my toes. Soooo no Black Friday sales for me, not now, not ever.  Moving on.

Otherwise, I do appreciate when I find the things I was planning on buying anyway, on sale.  It's like being rewarded for shopping.   I am a canny shopper though.  I am aware that just because the sign indicates that an item is "On Sale" doesn't always mean that it actually is.  I am very cautious.   And I do not participate in every sale I see or read about. 

For example: Buying a case of tomato paste is not a good buy for me.  I don't have the room to store an entire case of tomato paste for one thing. And the only time I ever use it is making sauce or making chili.  Yup that's it. Sum total tomato paste useage.   I make chili perhaps twice a winter.  So we see, purchasing a case of the stuff, while the price may be a steal, is still not a smart buy for me.  Contrary to some folks belief, just because something is in a can and still on the shelf in your kitchen doesn't mean it's still good to eat, especially if the use-by date reads 1972.   Yes, Virginia, even canned goods can go bad.

Then there are the, "is it really a sale" sales.  Just because a Mercedes Benz is "on sale" doesn't mean that there is one parked in my driveway.  I have a perfectly good car that runs and more importantly is paid for.  Clearly I am not the person those cute car sale Christmas commercials are targeting. 

What I'm saying here is that most of the time, I am disciplined enough to walk past a sale if it's either something I don't need, something I don't want or something that when you get right down to it, isn't really a "sale".

However, there is one sort of sale that is very hard for me to resist.  That is the BOGO sale.  Buy one, get one, the sign fairly screams at me.  Well two of something is far more reasonable than a case.  I probably have room for two of something (aside from cars I mean).  And I will probably use more than one in a sensible amount of time.  So sure, I will buy two boxes of rice, two cans of soup, two jars of gravy (don't judge me!) and so forth. 

My pantry looks a lot like Noah's Ark. Side by side boxes of cereal, jars of condiments and cans of beans stare accusingly back at me whenever I step inside.  "You know", they say to me, "your grocery list only said one can of black beans and you bought two".    "I am well aware" I say back to them.  "And how do you explain the two  boxes of baking soda?"  they demand of me.  "I bake a lot"  I respond.   "Uh-huh, right  and what about the two jars of fennel seeds?"  "Ok that was a mistake" I admit guiltily.  Nobody needs two jars of fennel seeds. And quite honestly, as it turns out, I don't much care of fennel so I didn't even need one jar.  I was an experiment that failed.  So I'm trying to change my ways.  Trying to resist the siren call of a BOGO sale.

Monday was the ultimate test. I did my last pre-Thanksgiving grocery shop.  It was a dangerous place to be.  BOGO sales in every direction.  Oh me oh my.  I kept my eye on my grocery  list and and firmly talked myself out of buying the two crudite platters that the produce section was touting.  I ignored the buy one get one shrimp plates.  I turned up my nose at the buy 3 get 1 bunches of fresh cut flowers even though that one nearly killed me to walk away from.

But then I passed the Enteman's table.  Now most of the time I am not a fan of premade, boxed, factory produced baked goods.  But there is something about the chocolate covered Enteman's donuts that calls my name. Especially if eaten directly out of the fridge.  Heaven in a box.  I tried to walk past the table, I really  did.  And then it whispered to me something about a special Thanksgiving morning breakfast.   It suggested to me that we deserved a treat.  And yet I walked past the table. I did.  I was so proud of myself.  I felt strong, I felt powerful. I am Sam watch me resist!

 And then, oh dear, and then, just as I stood in the check out line waiting my turn, just to my right was another BOGO table of Enteman's chocolate covered donuts.  ARGH!  So I looked  to my left instead.  I looked so hard to my left in fact, that I nearly sprained my neck.

And yet somehow, when I got home and unpacked the groceries, I found a single box of Enteman's chocolate covered donuts in one of  the bags.  Sigh.

I am taking comfort in the fact that I did in fact resist the BOGO part of the sale.  I did ultimately buy the one box BUT I did not buy two.  I suppose that is progress of a sort.

Baby steps people,  Baby steps.