In what was probably more one small step for mankind, one giant leap for man than the other way around, a few weeks ago, I moved out of my parents’ house.
It is a big step towards growing up, though probably not as big as this or this.
There are obvious benefits to emerging from under the guarding wings of parents, but there are also some downsides. Increased responsibility, rent and decreased laundry cleaned with the motherly touch. (R.I.P “magic hamper”)
One of those added responsibilities is grocery shopping. No longer on the gravy train of mom provided and cooked food and meals, I have to provide for myself (and the condo mates on Tuesday, Thursday and the occasional Saturday–my designated cooking nights).
I am okay with this, though. I am a big fan of food.
Food gives me chubbies. Grocery stores, loaded with food, also give me chubbies. Costco, with its bulk quantities and king-sized portions of food, makes me need to change my pants. Metaphorically speaking, of course.
Costco, technically, is more than a grocery store with its large assortment of products–jeans, vodka, hot dogs–from the Kirkland Signature catalog (which always struck me as somewhat strange that the same people that makes jean shorts and garbage bags are making my gallon-sized vodka and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies…but so be it).
On a recent trip to Costco, I discovered besides 64 oz. containers of Mayonnaise, they also sell engagement rings. Oddly, like everything else in the store, they sell them in bulk. Not sure what you would need with three of engagement rings, but, I am sure if they sell them, someone is buying.
Outside of every Costco, their snack stands sell $1.50 hot dogs and drinks and $2 slices of pizza. My first inclination is to say, “wow, that’s cheap!”, but maybe, it is just that everything everywhere else is just unnecessarily expensive (looking your way, $5 slice of pizza at Sbarro).
Even the selfish hippie, will be pleased that they don’t bag your groceries…at all. No bags, nothing. Well, if you are willing to recycle and reuse they do offer you old boxes to carry your belongs. High class, not really, but hey, if you are shopping at Costco, you probably aren’t the type who is going to judge.
Living on one’s own can be exciting and challenging and angering (more on that later in an article entitled “Roommates” about the differing of opinions upon what is considered “clean”) but it is nice to know that places like Costco exist to make things a little easier.