It's that time of the month again. Yes, I said month, because that is about how often I go grocery shopping. I’m down to one can of green beans and three frozen waffles, so it’s probably time to go to the store.
Whenever I am able to force myself to go grocery shopping, I stock up because I know it is going to take a lot of ambition for me to do this again anytime soon.
I thought I hated grocery shopping when I went with my mom back in high school, but oh how I miss those days now. Now that I am an adult that has to brave the grocery store by myself, I realize why grocery shopping is the worst.
1. You have to leave your house
That awkward moment when you have no food in your apartment and you have to decide if you should put on pants and go to the store or remain pants-less and starve.
It’s unfortunate that there isn’t a phone app available yet that allows me to grocery shop from the comfort of my home. That would solve a lot of problems. Obviously this is just a matter of laziness, but it takes every ounce of me to mentally prepare myself for my grocery trip.
2. You always see someone you know
When I am grocery shopping, I just want to get in, get out, and go home, but I always end up running into someone and having an awkward, small talk conversation. I just threw on some baggy sweatpants and a sweatshirt. I’m cranky, I have my list and I’m just trying to find what I need and get out of here, no questions asked.
Even if you come in with a list, there are so many options and so many isles. It’s overwhelming. I just want to be able to quickly grab the generic brand of spaghetti sauce and get out of there, but there are about 48 different brands of spaghetti sauce I have to shuffle through.
3. It takes forever
When you are about ready to leave you realize you forgot milk at the other end of the store. Then you realize you forgot crackers, then bananas. It’s never ending.
Then you have those moments where you contemplate if it’s worth it or not to get this item. You see the Oreos, and you’re like, “Do I really need the Oreos? Can I afford it?” Then you calculate and estimated balance of how much the groceries you really need will cost. You stand there and making a pros and cons list, and you usually just end up getting them anyway.
4. You have to wait in line
After all of that, you have to wait in a line behind another three people with carts full with groceries. Don’t get me wrong, I fill my grocery cart full too, and I feel sorry for whoever is in line behind me. It just takes too long and I am impatient.
Self-checkout was a great invention, but is nearly impossible to use while buying groceries. If I have like three things, I will go to self-checkout. Otherwise I can’t handle it telling me I forgot to bag my item every three seconds. I need a cashier.
5. It's expensive
Nothing is more nerve racking that when you are checking out and watching the price increase with every “beep.” How does it cost $124.87 when I bought the cheap version of almost everything? Then you imagine all of the other things you could have bought with that money. Too bad you only need food to survive.
6. Carrying in the groceries sucks
You load your arms full of as many groceries as possible, and it still takes three trips. Since you are a college student and don’t really have time to cook, most of the food is in can form. Ravioli, canned vegetables, soup and Spaghetti O’s are heavy!
But then there is nothing more satisfying than having your fresh groceries put away in your refrigerator and pantry. You have that satisfying feeling of knowing you will not have to go back to that dreaded place for about another month.
