Monday, March 9

[gottawonder]

Today I am grateful for:

Some sleep.

Still feeling anxious for Dandy.

Headed to town after usual chores to "do pottery", though more and more my time in town is just running errands since I "don't work" and have all this free time.

I paid our current owing taxes at the bank.

Then I went to H&R Block to start the process of MORE TAXES.

Then I got to go to pottery, for the scant hour or so that I had before I had to be out of the studio.

I brought the urn R wanted me to make for Earl, when the inevitable happens. It needs to be bisque fired then glazed, and I didn't want to wait until we were doing that in our kiln at home. As I examined it, it looks like it still needs another week to finish drying, as the bottom is still damp.

I glazed a vase, and put it on the cart (hope for the best).

I put two dry vases on the cart to be bisqued.

I was miffed to see that someone didn't bother to clean up the sink, or around their wheel. I am fairly sure I know who it is. The same person generally doesn't clean up after herself well, and because I am generally the last person out of the studio, I end up tidying up after her.

Then I got groceries. Not a huge trip this time, but I am still shocked at what the total came to. We don't eat particularly fancy food, no meat, and it's just EXPENSIVE. I worry about what all the new wars are going to do to the food prices. I remember a long, long time ago, when I spent about $50 a week on groceries, and ate well.

I am very grateful to be able to buy groceries.

I came home and my Sweetie got there the same time and helped bring everything in.

Then I made supper, and we started the third season of "Slow Horses".

Comments

[ratunderpaper]

We tend to buy "last day for sale" or weekly sale items, but the big grocery store raises prices every time we turn around. I don't want to buy US-grown goods, though others don't care as much.

[gottawonder]

I care very much about boycotting U.S. products, though mainly food. It will be a LOOONG time if ever before I support them if there are other options.

I don't even have a concept anymore of what things "should" cost. There's no reasonable rate of increases for all kinds of things, anything related to food seems to be the worst.

Pet food is insane.

I feel like you just fork over the money, because you need to eat, and so do the animals.

Maybe that's what "they" want, is for people to just be unable to make good consumer decisions anymore.

You used to be able to have SOME idea of what a good price was for something, and to have options if you didn't like the price at one place, but now all of the grocery stores are more or less owned by one company, so it's all a joke.

[ratunderpaper]

Bargains and specials are getting harder to find these days. I understand why small, independent markets charge a premium for their food, but supermarkets are simply gouging customers and are unmoved by protest.

[gottawonder]

We do eat a lot of fresh vegetables, which are pricey, but so much of what we eat is very common fare.

Eggs, milk, bread, beans, trail mix, hummus,quinoa,some cheese(generally only whatever is on sale), coffee, tofu, the odd chocolate bar.

I quit buying olives at this store, because the ones I like have literally doubled in price in the last few years, and they hit a point where I just said enough is enough.

You'd think we were buying premium steaks and hand-made dessert for the amount our groceries cost, instead of us mainly buying cabbage and beans and tofu.

[ratunderpaper]

Our markets often have bags of sliced mixed vegetables (Brussels sprouts, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, cabbage, kale, snowpeas, edamame, etc.) for half price, and that's when I get them for tray bakes. We don't buy premium anything any more.

Easter is approaching, so I'm looking out for things that will keep and can be made ahead. I bought five pounds of yellow potatoes for $1.25, which will be made into a gratin with sliced roasted butternut squash and cheese. I will start thinking about the other candidates for the Easter menu. I sometimes make a NYT bean thing, but the denizen said, Oh no, you're going to make that bean thing?
He and I are the only ones who don't love the NYT bean thing. Others go wild for it.

[gottawonder]

At the store I shop at, they USED to have bags of unfrozen pre-cut veggies for half price, then the whole store only took 30% off of items (I haven't seen half price there in years), and I think after that they either toss it or it goes in the LOOP program, something, but they don't sell it for cheaper.

I do sometimes find fresh veggies on the sale rack that are okay, but more and more often they are too far gone to be worth buying.

We do eat a lot of cabbage, or frozen veggies for supper as they are cheaper and more convenient, but my Sweetie likes to eat a lot of fresh veggies for lunch.

His lunches are still cheaper than if he just ate sandwiches with lunch meat in them, or took a can of soup or something. Ir if he just picked up a burrito every day.

His days are so busy at work he doesn't actually get a proper lunch break, he has to just eat at his desk while he's working, so the fresh veggies are easy for him to snack on.

I just feel like all of us are being robbed at gunpoint whenever I buy groceries; there's only so much we can simplify, and we DO have to eat.

Yes, I could do more to grow our own veggies, but I haven't had much success with anything other than green/yellow beans, zucchini, squash, and some carrots. It would make for a pretty bland winter.