I take both of my children grocery shopping with me. When Jacob was younger I went on days when 4-year-old Hannah was in school, and he slept in a baby carrier. But at 17 months he’s long past sleeping through a grocery trip. So, I go on days when I am at home alone with both kids. In the first place, sometimes Hannah entertains Jacob and it makes my job easier. And, in the second place, it gives us all something to do.
I usually choose a Tuesday morning for shopping, when the store is quiet. We take advantage of the many amenities that make shopping more child-friendly. We get the novelty cart with the little car in front for the kids to ride in, and we always stop off in the bakery for our free cookies. I do whatever I can to entertain and distract the children, and then I motor through that store as quickly as possible. I do not dally over the oranges, or squeeze the melons. I will walk away from any counter that is too busy, striking the item from my list. My goal is to get in and out as quickly as I can, with as little trauma as possible.
Photo credit visualdensity on Flickr
Occasionally, my speed-shopping causes problems. Such is the case with the $15 mango. Picture it – we are in the produce section, picking out our fruit and veggies. Or, more precisely, I am picking out the fruit and veggies and trying to keep both kids in the cart. Hannah is whining for the raspberries, as she does every week. But I am not going to pay $6 for a few flavourless raspberries. Not when I have locally-grown raspberries in my deep freeze, anyway. So, to distract her I showed her the mangoes. These were not just any mangoes, they were the biggest mangoes I have ever seen, almost as big as toddler Jacob’s head.
When Hannah asked to buy one, I said sure. They were advertised at $4.99 a pound. Expensive, to be sure, but how much could a single mango weigh? No more than a pound, by my estimates. (For future reference, my estimates may not be reliable.) So I stuck that mango in my cart, and proceeded to dash madly through the rest of the store, glad to hear nothing more about raspberries.
The rest of the trip was largely uneventful, and I felt quite satisfied as I checked out. I had healthy food, and no one was even crying. It was really a banner day at the grocery store. When I heard the total I it was a little high, but then I reminded myself that I bought cheese and smoked salmon, and plus I was kind of in a rush and Jacob was lunging for the debit card keypad. So I loaded up and peeled out of that store at top speed without a backwards glance.
Photo credit mary hodder on Flickr
When I got home, I looked over my receipt. I like to see the line that says what my ‘savings’ were that week. I know that the more important number is what I spent, but I still enjoy feeling that I’ve been a savvy shopper. Only this week, there was no smugness, just surprise when I saw that I spent more than $15 on a mango. That one piece of fruit weighed more than 3 pounds! I had thought that maybe I should weigh the mango when I first picked it up, but that idea was quickly discarded in my haste to complete the trip, and I paid the price.
The good news is that the mango was, in fact, delicious. I ate more than half of it myself, and it was one of the better mangoes I’ve eaten. Had it not been I would have been pretty devastated, but thankfully I was saved that particular brand of remorse. All the same, the whole episode served as an excellent reminder. Yes, $6 for out-of-season raspberries is overpriced. But just make sure that in your rush to be finished you don’t end up spending more than twice that on a single mango. I’m sure there’s a metaphor for life in there somewhere, if you look hard enough.
Have you ever spent $15 on a mango? How about $11.43 on a bag of cherries? Spill your shopping snafus, and help me feel better!
PS – Because I love a contest, I would appreciate a thumbs-up over on Babble. Search for ‘strocel.com’ – I’ve been hanging out at around 65, give or take. I am so grateful to whoever nominated me. Your support is very much appreciated, regardless of how I place!
The cherries get me every time. I cringe at buying out of season or imported fruits like the raspberries you mentioned (usually expensive and flavourless), so when cherry season hits again, I’m usually all over them to the tune of $15+. However, my buyers’ remorse usually waits until the GI upset hits from eating too many.
.-= Kelly´s last post ..Travelling With Baby: In-Flight Entertainment =-.
I once paid $15 for a small bunch of organic grapes and I don’t even recall them being that tasty.
I often take my kids (all four!) grocery shopping with me. It works best if my husband is there (he’s not usually). By the end of it I’m usually pretty frazzled, but I like that the kids get to be part of the whole experience.
.-= FamilyNature´s last post ..All Day Kindergarten is All the Talk =-.
At least it was a delicious 3 pounder mango:)! We weigh and price the produce ourselves, so I never have that kind of surprise. My weekly surprise is the total. How come my carefully selected, and individually inexpensive items total such enormous amounts?? (a bit like every single Ikea experience …)
.-= Francesca´s last post ..Dear sun, =-.
I, too, have been a sucker for the cherries. I’m glad you enjoyed the mango. I wonder how any mangoes in your future will compare?
BTW, I am loving washing my face with honey. Thanks, Amber!
been there. done that.
.-= *pol´s last post ..We are what we eat =-.
When we first moved out of the lower mainland to Alberta, I had a very bad experince shoping for veggies in the winter. I was craving broccoli with cheese sauce, but when I got to the grocery store and saw that broccoli was 7.99/lb (and this was in 2000) I felt sick. I certainly couldn’t afford the broccoli, so I bought a bag of chips and some dip instead. I went home and cried and longed for the days of the Yellow Barn and cheap, cheap veggies and fruit.
.-= Heather´s last post ..What About My Needs? =-.
I spent over $30 USD on mango this morning. Of course, that was for 10 packs of organic, freeze died, no additives mango…but I know where you’re coming from
Where do you shop that you get free cookies? The most I’ve ever been offered was a free slice of ham for my son. He refused to touch it and then I felt bad and felt like I should eat it but I don’t eat ham so I just stood around looking casual holding a piece of meat until I could subtlety drop it into a garbage can.
I have spent ridiculous amounts of money on produce occasionally but I don’t remember what it was for. Must have blocked the memory.
.-= Marilyn´s last post ..The Too Tough Threes =-.
I was wondering about the free cookies, too. The PCC near us offers a free piece of fruit to any kid under 12, but that’s not nearly the same thing as free cookies!
I have so many shopping snafus that my brain can’t pick just one to share with you. Maybe next time. Just know you’re not alone.
.-= Lauren @ Hobo Mama´s last post ..Taking pee & peacocks in stride =-.
I spend a lot on food but I know I’m doing it lol. I spend $15 a pound on chicken but it’s local, humane and organic-ish (not certified but I have even interviewed the farmer and they raise them totally naturally). I buy $8 flour but used it for cookies tonight and WOW best flour for sure and it is organic (King Arthur).
.-= Lisa @Retro Housewife Goes Green´s last post ..Stop Wasting, While Out =-.
Raises the hand.
I pay a lot for food. But I am a food snob. So a $15 mango could happen to me in the flash of second.
.-= Mel´s last post ..Day 16: Birthday Surprise =-.
That is terrifying! Lately I have been marveling with my friend Donna about how expensive produce is here in New York City. This is evidenced by the phenomenon of the $9.00 (USD) salad.
I feel your pain, Amber. That is really shocking!!! It’s just a mango for crying out loud.
.-= Old School/New School Mom´s last post ..The MTA Responds to OS/NS Mom! =-.
I’m glad that it was a good mango!
Today, I spend $3 more than I thought was listed for Post-it notes because I was too distracted a check-out time to notice. Oh well, at least it was a giant package that should last years.
.-= Lady M´s last post ..Delurking Day =-.
I was in line at my grocery and as my food was coming close to the clerk, the machine started scanning stuff off the table. ON IT’s OWN. The clerk said that I have witnessed why the store gets blamed for double charging. She then explained that the machine scanned my 4 bags of bread. I laughed and said “at least it’s less for you to do!” She but my bread in the bag and continued on.
This whole time, K2 is looking at the chocolate and candy located in the aisle. I am trying to get her to stop touching the candy and to stop trying to go near the other tellers cash area. She is starting to get whiny and I just want to go home.
I get home. I look at the bill. I see the machine did not scan my bread, but my chicken burgers. I spent 6 dollars each on 3 bags of bread! I was not impressed with myself at all. So off I went back to the store… Dumb really dumb!
thank goodness the mango was tasty!
i always seem to get caught with the $10 bag of grapes.
.-= smothermother´s last post ..First week =-.
Hi Amber,
Wow – a $15 mango, I didn’t even know you could spend that much on one! I’m glad it was tasty at least.
I take the kids shopping too. Our store doesn’t have the free cookies but it does have the car carts and a .10 candy bin. I don’t recall spending a lot of money on something unknowingly. What I’m usually surprised by is when I spend good money on food that expires a day after I purchase it. I’m simply not going to re-wrap rotten meat and take it back for a refund so it’s money in the garbage. I have to get better and checking expiry dates….but I also believe the store should sell meat that expires the next day!
Oh, dear! I didn’t know you could even pay that much for a single piece of fruit. At least it was delicious — there is nothing better than a truly ripe mange. Alas, I have never encountered one in Canada, so consider it a price well-paid.
I walked out of Sobey’s once with $12 worth of butternut-squash ravioli. I got 4 raviolis–that’s $3 a piece. I could barely choke them down, I was so enraged at the price.
.-= Sarah´s last post ..Santa Baby =-.
I think I would have been tempted to return that particular piece of fruit
No $15 produce here, but yesterday my fresh cranberries rang up at .02 cents! NICE!
I already voted for you on Babble
.-= Dionna @ Code Name: Mama´s last post ..What Does Breastmilk Taste Like, Part 5 =-.
I can totally relate! I take my kids shopping too, and your story is very similar to mine
I often get caught with the meat – it costs way more when I get to the cash b/c quickly read $4 a pound or something and then it’s like 10 pounds!! Drives me nuts. I’ve also been charged twice for something and not noticed until I got home. And I wasn’t about to go back to the grocery store with three kids under age five!
I’m glad the mango was at least yummy, makes the whole thing better!
.-= A Crafty Mom´s last post ..The Eastern Grandparents Hit Ottawa =-.
This is so well written; I feel like I was there with you.
We are dangerously close to having ketchup soup for dinner because we need to go shopping but I refuse to take all three kids!
I’m the same way about not being able to estimate the weight of fruit. But I don’t think I’ve ever ended up with anything like a $15 mango!
.-= Recovering Procrastinator´s last post ..Go Vikings =-.
I’ve never spent $15 on a single mango, but last winter when I was pregnant and craving fruit of every description, I bought every kind of out of season fruit imaginable. The people at Kin’s Farm Market practically rubbed their hands together with glee when they saw me coming. I was buying a punnet of strawberries a day! In JANUARY!
.-= Lorien´s last post ..Five months and counting =-.