From warehouse to your house: why buying in bulk will save your life

savingadvice.com

Once upon a time, someone decided to allow regular Joe’s to shop in their store’s warehouse. And that regular Joe, after the initial shock over the sheer magnitude of the warehouse and items inside of it, knew he could not go back to purchasing single items. Ever. Again.

Thus, the birth of warehouse stores.

As a frequent Costco shopper, I am the first to advocate for buying in bulk. And I am always confused when people tell me they don’t feel the need to do so. What? How can they continue to buy single-serving sizes of Skippy and half-pints of milk? Don’t they know the grandeur of over-sized cartons and cardboard boxes too big for your SUV, let alone your cupboards?

Clearly my attempts to convince those individuals has failed. So, I’ve organized my thoughts on the matter as a resource for any warehouse holdouts.

1. The TP dilemma

No, I’m not talking about the “sitting on the pot without any toilet paper in a stranger’s house” moments. Although, that may or may not be applicable to this situation. You know it’s happened to you. Not only is there no TP in your bathroom, but there is no TP to be found in your entire house. Even if someone was home and could run to another bathroom to “check the cupboard by the sink,” it would be pointless. Why? Because you bought the 4 pack of Charmin the last time it was on sale and placed one roll in each bathroom leaving you with one extra roll “just in case.” And now you are left offering to clean up the neighbor’s teepeed yard under the guise of a helpful neighbor when really, you are saving the best scraps for your own household. Shameful. Even the kids who teepeed the neighbor’s yard know that you buy your TP at a warehouse. Aside from the fact that it is cheaper, it takes about 4-8 months (depending on number of household members) to get to that “we’re-all-out-use-a-Kleenex” stage.

2. Brushing those pearly whites

I admit, I brush my teeth a lot. My dentist said he’s glad I’m neurotic about my teeth brushing. But I’m taking a wild guess here that most everyone brushes at least twice a day (morning and evening). And that toothpaste tube from the dentist, the travel size gift, does not last long enough to be your only tube in the bathroom medicine cabinet. Sure, the stuff is not cheap. It feels like a rip off to spend 3+ dollars on minty-cavity-fighting-total-care-gel for your teeth. Why would anyone buy more than one tube at a time? Because. Even if you write out a list with “toothpaste” in bold letters, you continue to tell yourself that you can keep squeezing the tube. Until the morning when you’re running late and no toothpaste comes out of the tube. Your dentist’s mini-tube gift from 6 months ago is long gone. And you ate an onion bagel for breakfast. That is why you buy in multiples. No need to sweat it when you know that in the back of your cabinet, next to the cleaning supplies sits a brand-spanking-new tube of toothpaste. Not only will your spouse, kids, boss, and co-workers thank me for saving them from a day of hard-core gum-chomping to cover up for the lack of brushing, but your dentist may just tell you that you are neurotic about your teeth cleaning.

3. Pills to pop

Seasonal allergies getting you down? In need of extra Calcium? Need a multi-vitamin that transforms your life? Then why are you settling for 30 ct bottles from your convenience store? Now, these pills may not necessarily save your life or help you live longer (vitamins are not miracle pills, people), they are helpful supplements that many people depend on. And since people depend on their daily dosage, it baffles me why they are not buying their drugs in 80 ct child-safety-capped bottles. I personally chew on my econo size Flintstone vitamins every day and have a long way to go on this bottle before I can break the safety-seal on the second one. It saves me money. Time. And provides me with the essential vitamins every kid needs.Why would I risk my health by buying only 30 gummy vitamins and running out mid-month when I can buy 80 per two pack and never have to worry about my Vitamin C levels being low!

4. Frozen food; it’s what’s for dinner

Everything comes frozen. Healthy or unhealthy, the freezer section seems to be the largest part of any store. Breakfasts, lean lunches, and dinners. Whether kid or adult, the freezer section houses something for everyone. Organic meals are found frozen and healthy. Popular chain restaurants box up your favorite menu items for take-and-bake convenience. Whether you like or not, you know there’s some frozen meal in your freezer (if not, then there is something more wrong with you than I can address right now). When you go to the grocery store, you buy a frozen pizza or two. A box of Eggo’s. One bag of frozen corn and one bag of broccoli. Then there’s the two microwavable lunches you throw in your cart because of that diet you started. But those items that get you a place in the 10-items or less line, will not last you through the week’s end. And then you’re left with a freezer full of nothing but freezer-burned meat, an ice pack, and a frozen pie crust without the filling. That’s why you need to buy your frozen items at a warehouse. That one bag of broccoli will last you a month. The frozen pizzas come in a 6 pack. That box of Eggo’s is quadrupled. And those two microwavable lunches come in a 4 pack variety, including the sesame chicken you know you love. When frozen items are purchased at bulk, the freezer is always full. And you never have to worry about running out of food.

5. Bake me a cake

Baking is not necessarily a calming hobby in my books. It tends to stress me out. But when I do bake, I am always pleased when the ingredients are in my cupboard. For as little as I bake, I can rely on that package of brown sugar, vanilla, and flour to see me through whatever I’m burning, er, baking. And why do I know, no matter how many months have passed since my last  Betty Crocker frenzy, that I will have those items? Because I bought in bulk. Grocery store’s carry vanilla. In teeny-tiny bottles. But at a warehouse, those bottles are the size of 2-liter of Pepsi. So, whether you’re baking for a bake sale or attempting to become the next Ace of Cakes, buy your baking items in bulky containers. It will save your life when you’re up to your elbows in half the ingredients and are two drops shy of the “right amount of vanilla to make Grandma’s cake perfect!”

I could go on. And on. About buying multiples of everyday household items. Why? Why am I trying so hard to convince you to shop at your local warehouse? It’s all because I care about you. Your hygiene. Your safety. Your dental appointments. Your diet. Your bake sale. Don’t you see? Buying in bulk will save your life.

What are you waiting for? Go stand in front of that blue backdrop and smile pretty for the camera so that your membership card looks as great as your driver’s license. Isn’t your life worth it?

Baby, baby you put my heart in motion

Babies. They’ve been on my mind lately.

Seems as though all my friends, former classmates, old roommates, and relatives are having kids. Family wise, I have welcomed many, many baby cousins over the past sixteen years. Friend wise, I have congratulated childhood playmates and college classmates since 2004.

Can I tell you something? I can’t keep all the pregnancies and babies straight. I can’t keep all the baby names straight.

In fact, one of my now-expectant-mother friends from college had posted pics on her Facebook page of her toddler son. I clicked through the cuteness and made a comment on her son’s adorableness. I typed his name and sent the message. Two seconds after it posted, I realized that the name I wrote was incorrect. One of life’s awkward moments. I wasn’t completely off base (think: Brett and Brent) similar, but different. Still, I was mortified and tried to come up with an excuse (“I see so many kids every week, I can’t keep names straight to save my life”).

She sent a reply that made me laugh.
“Don’t worry, I’ve done that before. When ‘Brett’ was born I wrote ‘Brent’ on our calendar.”

I’m not the only one.

There are too many kids to keep tabs on.

But that’s a good thing. Because the kids I know, my family and friends’ offspring, they are pretty cool. And despite my inability to remember all their names, I’m glad I can buy baby gifts, read parenting blogs and articles, and be part of my family and friends’ lives by supporting their kids and parenting efforts.

These babies, they’ve put my heart in motion.

Looking forward to welcoming more babies into the world in 2012!

Wednesday Wars: Markers vs. Colored pencils

happyclippings.com

“I would send you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils if I knew your name and address.” – Joe Fox You’ve Got Mail (1998).

I buy school supplies. I should say office supplies. But I don’t think colored pencils and markers count as true office supplies.

I love going to Target when all the school supplies overtake the back part of the store. Kids are ramming carts into shelves, begging for cool notebooks with the latest Disney disaster, parents reading over school supply lists, siblings fighting over markers and folders. It’s chaos at its finest.

Stuck between the rulers and the pencil pouches are markers and colored pencils. Kids are required to purchase both – a pack of markers and colored pencils. Parents typically have both on hand at home, the car, and the cabin.

But when it comes time to color – coloring books, cards, chemistry lab reports, etc. what do you grab first?

A pack of markers.

A pack of colored pencils.

That is the question.

My answer: colored pencils.

__________________________________________________________

I ask. You answer.

1. Best brand of colored pencils?
2. Best brand of markers?

 

French Fry Friday: Back to cool

http://www.fashionstyleyou.co.uk/mini-boden-autumn-collection/

I go through spurts of shopping sprees. I don’t necessarily live to shop. And I don’t necessarily shop till I drop.

But fall fashion.

That’s a different story.

There’s something about fall itself that just fills me with energy.

Though sad to see summer leave, the long days and sunshine, I thrive on the chill of autumn days.

And nothing says back-to-school-welcome-to-fall like a good pair of jeans and a comfy hoodie.

When I was a little girl, I couldn’t wait for my American Girl Magazine. And in the fall, it was full of adorable outfits for Felicity, Samantha, and Molly. Yet, my favorite part of the catalog were the outfits for girls just like me. Forget the doll (partly because I didn’t own an American Girl doll), all I wanted were the cute sweaters, scarves, and other fashionable outfits of the 1990′s. In typical girl fashion, I would highlight and circle “must-have” outfits.

I never actually ordered any outfits from the American Girl catalog.

But that didn’t matter to me. I just liked to look. To see what was “new” for fall.

Not much has changed. Well, I don’t look through American Girl catalogs anymore, but I still love looking at fall hued cardigans and cords.

Even though I no longer go back to school in the fall, I can’t help but look at the new fall fashions. Over the years fashions have changed – for the good and the bad. In my years of going back-to-school, I noticed that the fashions don’t really change. There are always staples. Always sweaters – cardigans, wraps, v-necks, and crews. Always pants – khakis, corduroys, and jeans. Always jackets – rain jackets, wool jackets, and jean jackets.

Always the same. Always different.

And I think that’s why I like fall fashion. It’s predictable and new every time the leaves change and the days shorten. While every fall brings a life-change, the fashions remain unchanging and comforting, bringing more than just warmth from Winnipeg’s wind blowing down on us signaling that an even colder season is soon approaching.

And that’s why I enjoy a new cardigan and pair of jeans every fall, because it’s back to cool.

___________________________________________________________

I ask. You answer.

1. Favorite place to go back-to-school shopping.