WINCO, ALBERTSON'S, OR . . .

Mike loads the needful for Thanksgiving at the farm

Should I shop at Albertson’s where the “come on” specials are great? Or, should I shop at the long-awaited, newly-opened Winco where prices are undeniably less? The downside to Winco is that it’s located in Idaho (6% state sales tax compared to no sales tax on food in Washington) and we have to bag our own groceries.

Milo and Jenny are joining us at the farm for the Thanksgiving weekend, and that means stocking food. My shopping list was long and growing longer.

Initially Mike planned to accompany me on my shopping excursion, but looking at my list – and thinking how impatient he gets when the shopping drags on -- I gave him an out.

“I dunno,” I said, “this is going to take me a long time. I’m not sure you would enjoy it.”

“Okay, I won’t go” he replied cheerfully.

So, without Mike to be my "bagger," I decided to shop Albertson’s. They did have some excellent specials, and I knew I could count on them to bag my groceries and help me to my car. But the “big print” on the Rosauer’s ad announced turkeys at 59 cents per pound, and Mike said he’d ride up there on his motorcycle and get one.

Well, off I went. And suddenly, as I shopped, I realized I hadn’t read the “fine print” under the Rosauer’s turkey ad. I pulled into a quiet aisle, parked my cart, and fished my cell phone out of my purse. As luck would have it, I had it with me. And I was blessed again when I reached Mike, who said he was just preparing to leave for Rosauer’s.

“Read that ad,” I instructed. “What are the details.”

“One per family with $50 purchase excluding turkey,” he read. Wow! For once, luck was on our side. Not only did I reach him but saved him a useless trip!

Packing done except for cold stuff and electronics

Discussion ensued. The Albertson’s deal was a “BOGO,” and we don’t have much space in our chest freezer. However, they did have small turkeys in the advertised brand, so Mike arranged the space while I made the purchase. (We’re going to grill it, so we needed a small turkey.)

 

By the end of my shopping excursion, I could barely push the heavy cart and other shoppers were commenting on my load. The bottom line: $194 – a record high for me. But that’s okay. We just can’t go to the farm without supplies, but it will be a while before I need to shop again. KW