For the Love of a Quarter

I love to shop. I’m sure most of you know this about me. But more importantly than simply shopping, I love to get a great deal. This applies in all areas, not just clothes and accessories. And while those super-fun clothing bargains are fabulous to find, I also love saving on food. (Yes, I’m going to talk about food again, although in a more roundabout way than in the past. Consider yourselves warned.)

I will confess that especially since I’ve been keeping an eye on my food and calorie intake, going out to eat: not nearly so much fun. If I’m going to eat something that tastes like cardboard, I’m going to do it in the privacy of my own home for a fraction of the cost that it would be for a real chef to prepare it, thank you very much.

Now don’t misunderstand – it was not at all that we were dining IN restaurants by any means. It was mostly carry-out or grab-it-on-the-way-to-practice (or on-the-way-home), because mommy was too lazy/too tired to cook. Or I just didn’t plan and 9 o’clock at night is not the best time to try to figure out what to serve, even if it is probably going to be frozen pizza.

As a result, I have been trying to prepare more meals at home, often ahead of time. Even if it is not a terribly healthy meal, it is still healthier when I fix it than it would be at a restaurant.

(I’m getting to my point about the quarter; stick with me.)

So even as a cook our meals now, I try to do so on a budget. For years I have done the coupon thing and for the most part it works pretty well. But there are certain things which, even if they go on sale, NEVER have coupons: milk, eggs, fruit and veggies, just to name a few. Now, every once in a blue moon, Meijer (my grocery store of choice) will have their own coupons for these items, but even those are few and far between, and rarely add up to much savings.

Also, even with sales and coupons, some things still don’t have a great price. I will spare y’all my political rant, explaining why everything costs so darn much, but if you’d like to hear it, just ask my boys; they are privy to it almost every week as the PBA does its weekly “field trip” to the grocery. See, their edification never stops, much to their delight.

Always on the hunt for grocery bargains, I finally took the plunge and went to Aldi a couple weeks ago. Not for my whole shopping trip – just for one item. The only reason I had not gone previously was because it is not in the direction I usually go; again, ask my boys about this. I plan my trips out, ensuring that I use my time as efficiently as I can. If it’s not on my way to or from somewhere, I may not go. Hence the reason I had not been an Aldi shopper.

Now, I had been to Aldi once before, with a group of elementary students from church who were using their offering money to shop for a local food pantry. But since I had nothing to do with the organization of that event, I noticed at the time but then promptly forgot that it is cash-only, bring your own bags (or buy them there for 10 cents each), and pay a quarter for your shopping cart (there it is – I’m finally bringing it around to the title).

So I popped in there one night two weeks ago, just for a gallon of milk, I believe it was...because I happened to be in the area; I was amazed at the low prices on some items. I mean…to the point that it was possibly worth it to me to make the trip. Now when I say “trip” I’m seriously talking a 5-minute drive…nothing horrible at all, but again…out of my way.

While I was there, I picked up a few other things at fantastic prices. I had my 11yo with me, so he and I just carried everything. When we got to the check-out, I had to buy a bag (well, I didn’t HAVE to, but it sure made it easier to carry things out to the car!). And actually, I had to remove a couple items from the belt, when I realized that it was cash only and I didn’t have much cash on me. Whoops! Doubt I’ll forget that again; sometimes a little embarrassment is a merciless teacher, and she sure doesn’t let you soon forget the lesson either.

So then I went back last week, cash in hand and with a couple shopping bags. I even remembered the quarter for my cart.

I have been pondering that silly little thing…paying for a cart “rental” and I have to say that I think I like it. All stores with carts should go to that system. Granted, it won’t completely stop people from leaving carts wherever they want, allowing them to become highly-destructive metal “sailboats” on exceptionally breezy days…careening though the parking lot, straight for your car.

And I realize that some people won’t care about getting their quarter returned and they will park their carts willy-nilly wherever it is convenient for them to do so. Like right next to your car. But, as necessity is the mother of invention, I can see it now – future business opportunities for others: people scoping out the lots where people tend to leave their carts and returning a slew of them in order to get the quarters. I’d do it. OK, maybe not now; my schedule is a little full to allow myself the luxury of skulking about in the Target parking lot, waiting to score some quarters so I can buy a soda at the “Target Café” or a coffee at Starbucks, but possibly in my younger days, when I was footloose and fancy-free. Yeah…probably not, but a girl can dream, right?  Feel free to picture me that way if you’d like, pushing a stack of carts across the lot, holding my Grande Skinny Mocha, Light Whip…which I paid for in quarters.

For the few times I’ve shopped at Aldi (I went again today, BTW), I have noticed: there are NO carts in the parking not. People either return them or pass them off to people who are just arriving to do their shopping. LOVE that. It is amazing to me that people would do a socially responsible thing, such as returning a cart to its rightful place or giving it to someone else, just…say it with me now… “for the love of a quarter.”