Feeling "Geri"

As I'm waiting to go to the bank to set up the new checking account for Brian's and my new joint art venture, I was ruminating on the grocery shopping trip I just took. 

Firstly, grocery shopping at 8 a.m. ROCKS.  I had the store to myself!  I don't know where all the seniors were - maybe they had a rough night at the casino or something.  Either that or they were through shopping at 6.  But I know now that 8 on a Monday morning is the Magic Hour.  Here's something else that may seem apparent to anyone over 50 but took me awhile to learn:  Buy the Sunday paper!  I mean, I've had a subscription for 5 years but I never took the time to clip coupons.  By the simple act of looking through the glossy flyers that come with the paper, I saved 8 bucks today!  Combine that with the in-store savings and my 2-week grocery bill went from $210 to.....wait for it....97 bucks.  That's like a 55% savings, my friends!!

Now, keep in mind that I am also not buying convenience foods anymore - goodbye, delicious but expensive sushi platter and ready-made quiche!  Goodbye, Lean Cuisines!  Goodbye, ridiculously priced lasagna!  (By the way, all those things that I just named?  If you total them up, it's a savings of $62 every two weeks.  EGADS!).

Okay, I just reread this and I do realize that I sound like I'm the crabby old lady that holds everyone up by paying by check and double-checking with the cashier that she indeed got all of those coupons but still disputing every sale price on the print-out.  I can assure you that I do none of these things, in case you were wondering.  :)

The moral of the story?  It pays to do research and make stuff from scratch.  Although, I may be retracting that statement after Brian eats my home cookin'.  I'll let you know.