Lemme tell you a little something about me. I am not the best decision maker.
My problem is that I like to know all the information before hand. So I cannot possibly make a decision until I am completely, entirely, unequivocally informed about all aspects of the decision making. For long term decisions, I do an exhaustive amount of research. If there is no way to research said information at the time of decision making, I will do the next best thing: stand completely still and go through all the knowledge in my brain about the topic at hand. Once I’ve processed through that, I will debate myself on the merits of both sides of the decision until I am eventually exhausted and choose nothing.
Grocery shopping is a maze of decision making that usually leaves me exhausted.
You probably picked up on that if you’ve read any of my grocery trips before this one. So prepare to be amazed, what you read below may shock you.
I was making decisions on this grocery trip like a BOSS. I was flippin’ through aisles like I was I in ‘The Fast and the Furious’. How to describe the euphoria of not having to wrestle with myself for ten minutes about which kind of gouda is most cost effective? And more importantly, what brought about this change? How was I able to go from dithering about granola bar flavors to just tossing UNPLANNED bakery buns into my cart?
Two words: Pregnancy hormones.
Y’all, up until now I’ve been living in that third trimester swamp of hormones and emotional responses. I legitimately watched the new Mary Poppins trailer four times in a row and cried like an infant. You would think this would only fuel my indecision. That it would be the same old indecision, but now with 100% more tears! But you would be wrong. Instead, my pregnancy hormones gave way to a new emotion, something I had felt only a few fleeting times in my life: complete lack of concern.
I was looking at cheese (of course) and there was some Gouda on sale. But it was still kind of expensive, and it was a type I hadn’t had before. Then there was good ole Jeff’s Select Gouda, of which I have written many times. It was the same price, though less poundage, but also a cheese I knew I liked vs. an unknown entity. Normally, I would have debated this foreveeeeeeer. On the one hand, Jeff’s is something I know and like. On the other hand, this other cheese is a better value. On the other hand, if the better value cheese ends up not tasting as good, did I really spend my money wisely? On the other hand, do I even need cheese? On and on and on. But not this week. This week, I said, “Jeff’s it is. Cheese for me.”
And it was like that the whole shopping trip. I decided I wanted hamburgers. Did I plan on the meat or the buns for hamburgers? No, I did not. Did I let that stop me? No, I did not. Those strawberries look delicious! But do I need strawberries? Who cares! They belong to me now.
Normally, I love the restrictions of sales because they help make difficult decision processes somewhat easier. But we’re getting into that time of year where there aren’t a lot of sales on produce and protein (our faves). And I’m getting to that point in my pregnancy where I am hungry all the time so if I want to buy full price strawberries and full price clementines and full price cheese, I’m going to do it. And if I go a smidge over budget, I’m not going to worry about it. Because right now, the baby hormones are at the wheel. And they get what they want.
- Bananas, 1.74 lb-$1.03.
- Bell Peppers (3)-$5.
- Black Grapes, 1.98 lb-$1.74. On sale for .88 a pound!
- Boar’s Head Maple Glaze Turkey, 1 lb-$8.90.
- Boar’s Head Sandwich Pepperoni, ,5 lb-$4.67.
- Clementines, 3lbs-$3.77.
- Heritage Farm Chicken Breasts, 6.23 lbs-$12.40.
- Jeff’s Gouda-$4.68.
- Kroger Cream Cheese, bar-$1.19.
- Laura’s Lean Beef, 1 lb-$6.99.
- Private Selection Brioche Rolls, 8 ct-$1.49. *Digital Coupon* for .50 off Private Selection Bakery.
- Private Selection Ice Cream-$4.49.
- Red Gold Canned Tomatoes (2)-$1.78.
- Roma Tomatoes, .84 lb-$1.08.
- Romaine Lettuce, 1.45 lb-$2.16.
- Salmon, 1.93 lb-$13.56. Down to $6.99 a pound.
- Strawberries, 2 lbs-$3.99.
- Vidal Onions, 2.72 lb-$2.72 lb-$2.69.
- Apps I’ll submit to: Fetch Rewards, Ibotta (.10 off Any Item)
Total Budget: $75
Total Spent: $81.61
Total Saved: $11.75
Deducted from Next Trip: $6.61
Okay, so you all know that I am all ABOUT that savings, but I have to tell you, the few dollars I went over budget were totally worth the feeling of not second guessing every decision I make at the grocery store. I’m not sure how long this will last, as pregnancy hormones are fickle things, but for now, I’m going to snack on some cheese and bask in the glow of not worrying.
How are you when it comes to decision making? Does grocery shopping throw you into a tail spin? Tell me all about it in the comments!
Kristen B. is wife to the best Prince around, mama to the spunkiest little princesses, and lover of all things Disney. She started her savings journey three years ago and is now dedicated to making her family’s wishes come true one coupon at a time. She is so excited to take her love of saving to the next level and share her journey with you! Click here to catch up on Kristen’s Savings and join in on your own savings adventure!