Today I went to Costco for my normal Monday stock-up. Back before Husband’s Diabetes was diagnosed I would have made back my entire membership fee in just 10 weeks. Husband drank 5 gallons of milk per week, and Costco’s milk is $1 less than the milk at Publix, not to mention the savings on produce and dry goods…
I am also a huge fan of their meats. Publix has pretty good meat, but Costco’s is better, and almost always cheaper. Because I have a refrigerator/freezer in our garage, I have room to buy in bulk (really, for the extra $5 per month it costs it’s well worth the convenience!).
Today I needed hamburger and steak. We don’t buy steak all the time, but we do treat ourselves occasionally. Costco’s sirloin is dee-licious (especially when you use a teryaki-garlic marinade!!!), so we get our steak fix without breaking the bank. Today I got 4 large steaks for a little over $15 (and we butterfly them to go twice as far), far less than the $38 the package of four top-tier steaks nearby.
As I was selecting my sirloin I saw a woman looking at the $38 steak, and she had that look on her face that said, “I’d really like some steak, but this is soooo expensive!” So I said to her, “You know, these sirloins are fantastic, and far cheaper than those.”
We chatted for a moment, and I assured her that these were great on the grill (that’s how we always cook steak), and shared my great. She looked familiar, but that happens to me a lot. I’ve lived here for twenty-five years, and I have a memory like a sieve…
“You look familiar,” she says as I start to walk away. “I know – you helped me find something in Hallmark a few weeks ago!”
Ah, yes. She was looking for a glass ornament for her sister for Christmas, and I struck up a conversation. She didn’t want to spend a lot of money, which is my specialty. As I browsed I pointed out several options for her, and she wound up finding one she really liked.
“You’re my shopping fairy!” Hmmm. I felt a little embarrassed, but I really don’t know why. I helped the woman, both times. That’s a good thing, isn’t it? Or am I just a busybody???
Has anyone ever struck up a conversation with you while shopping, pointing out a way you can save money? Are you a shopping fairy yourself?
is was
Are You Going To Be This Way The Rest of The Time I Know You? 
January 13, 2009 at 1:08 pm
I love being a shopping fairy…I can’t stand seeing somebody waste their money or buy something I’ve experienced as not worth it. Maybe that is being a busybody? I don’t know though, because I’ve also asked for guidance from someone who looks like they know what they’re doing when I don’t.