It Used to Be Fun...

Remember when you were a kid and you loved to go grocery shopping?

You got to either rid in the cart, push the cart or cause havoc in the store (depending on what kind of kid you were). I am sure I did all of the above.

I loved grocery shopping days as a kid

It was usually my mom, my sister and me (my dad would usually already be at the store because he was manager).

I would get all excited to see my dad at the store and visit him in his office in the back of the store. I thought it was so cool how he was manager and had his own office (though thinking back, it was just a small room near the freezer and loading dock). Hey, I was a kid and I was proud of my dad (and still am).

With her list and coupon box (yes, she had a large, VERY organized, coupon box), my mom, sister and me would stroll down each aisle.

Sometimes we would run into store employees and of course they treated us like royalty because we were the "manager's family".

I remember the butcher would always come out to greet us and there was also a lady behind the service counter that was so kind to us too.

Near the end of the store was the deli and bakery, which I loved because #1 there were cookies and it smelled great and #2 there was this awesome cauliflower Italian salad that I loved (I was a weird child and loved this stuff...probably wanted it more than the cookies!)

After our groceries were bagged (by a bag boy who took extra care of our groceries, because again, we were the "manger's family"...how I miss having someone bag groceries) and in the car, my sister and I got to decide where we wanted to eat dinner.

We always went to cool places like a McDonald's with a large play land or a local fast-food place with good burgers and ice cream. It was such a fun trip and I loved it.

Fast-forward to the present....

I went to Cub today without a toddler (this would be a much longer story if she was along). I did NOT want to be there and I despise grocery shopping now.

I had my list and coupon holder (not a box, a small coupon organizer) and tried to get through that store as fast as I could.

I got mad at myself when I would get off track and miss something in an aisle I had already been to. I got mad when they were out of a big sale item. To make matters worse, it didn't seem like any of the other patrons shopping wanted to be there either because people were not polite nor courteous when squeezing through the aisles.

I made it through the store and my whole list only to find 3 checkout lanes open at 4:30pm (peak grocery time I would think). Had to stand in line for about 10 minutes.

Read some gossip magazines...nothing interesting...same old stories....Tiger Woods, Sandra Bullock, blah, blah, blah.

Reached the candy area, picked up some Gummie Savers

Finally got to check out only to be held back by a little old lady taking her time, organizing and packing her groceries (my groceries were on the same divider belt as hers).

So, I had to grab a bag from another checkout and start bagging my stuff by putting the bag in the cart and throwing stuff in....no nice bagging area to bag stuff and of course, no nice, friendly bag boy.

Halfway through my frantic bagging (I really wanted to get out of there), the cashier tells me the total, 'UGH', I think, 'Food is expensive. What did I buy that added up to THAT total?'

FINALLY the little old gal finished bagging when I was about 75% done bagging my stuff

Needless to say, I got out of there fast!

Oh, how I miss those days of grocery shopping that used to be fun...(and I didn't have to pay). :)

Thanks mom for always making the trip so enjoyable (and teaching me how to save money with lots of coupons)!!! Love you!