I am becoming my mother

I found myself looking at the food ads for the first time today. I never look at that stuff, but yesterday, I was telling my friend Beth I wanted to get something and she said, “Go to Safeway! They have $5 Friday!” I said, “I go to Foodland because it’s closer.” She insisted, “But it’s $5 Friday!”

“I don’t know about this $5 thing. What is it? Just one thing or a bunch of things?” I asked. But I like a good bargain, so I was willing to listen. It’s amazing I haven’t ever picked up a coupon clipping habit like my mother (who was obsessive about it like every good 70’s housewife). I just figure I don’t have the time to drive around to every grocery store looking for the best price, and it’s enough of a task that I find time to get to the grocery store.

She told me about a dozen or so items get featured in the weekly flyer, and I should check it out next time I get the MidWeek insert. OK. So here I am today skimming the Midweek, and where I would normally set the food ads aside, I actually looked at it. I found the back page where it announces in cheery bold letters “$5 Friday” and I got kind of excited to see exactly what Beth was talking about.

I’m a day late (and $5 short) so I’ve missed these sales, but I wanted to know what she was talking about. A wide variety of items, from flowers to soup to sushi. Nice. I MAY one day drive 2 miles out of my way to go to Safeway on a Friday. Right now I’m still at a place in my life that I’m still trying to remember all the things I need to buy and then get to the store on a regular basis, so building in the Safeway habit may be too much to ask. It would require me to look at the ad and then note that Safeway has that I want, and while that seems simple, you are talking to a single mother/ working woman. I’m FULL.

But who knows? Life surprises you. Today, the food circular. Tomorrow, maybe a coupon organizer. My mother would be so proud.