Grocery Snob

I don't consider myself a grocery store snob. I go where it is cheap. We eat a lot of food, or at least my kids do and I hate spending more on groceries. Unfortunately I have not perfected the art of couponing very well but I try. I shopped forever in Texas at The Neighborhood Walmart. Despite the warehouse type feeling, it was generally well-stocked and had Walmart prices without the mayham of an entire Walmart store.
Being in North Carolina the place to shop is Harris Teeter...equivalent to Smith's or Kroger. I can't do it...the prices are crazy. It isn't even worth going for double coupons because mine usually can't be doubled. I will admit when I returned some moldy strawberries I did enjoy the perk of being double refunded to cash and credit.
My latest shopping trips have involved another not so big food chain advertising a lot of buy one get one free sales. My favorite part of shopping there is getting the grand total, then handing over my coupons and seeing $20 fall away and then handing me my "membership card" and seeing the savings come off even more. I don't really know if I am getting a huge deal but it is great to walk out saving $40 just because I bought the sale items or buy 1 get one free.
Today I had a new shopping adventure. I say adventure because it was one. First, I had to fish out a quarter just to be able to use a grocery cart. They save us money by making all customers chain their carts together in the return slot. You don't want to lose your quarter so after you empty your cart you return it again to retrive your quarter back. It is a pretty nifty trick considering they don't have to pay anybody to round up carts because I will admit that I have left my cart on a grassy island by my car more than once. (Sheepish smile) Next, don't bother bringing any coupons because nothing is name brand...actually I didn't recognize a single brand in the whole store...maybe they originate in switzerland...it felt kind of like an IKEA of foods. I will admit some of the food was well priced. Check out was fun too. If you don't bring your own bags you can purchase your own. Only ten cents per plastic and six cents for paper. Don't worry you don't have to use too many bags because you get to stock them yourself after they have checked everything into another basket. The best part of course was as you pull your credit card from your wallet and prepare to pay for your wonderfully cheap groceries you find out they don't accept credit card...only debit or cash and for this first week only checks. Do you know how long it has been since I wrote a check for groceries? All in all it was an interesting experience...I could stop there occasionally for some odds and ends but now that there is a brand new large Walmart down the street I may have to pass. Now to round out the wonderful shopping experience I have discovered my kids are brand name snobs. They won't touch half the dry goods I bought today because apparently they don't taste right.