Grocery shopping

The purpose of this article isn't to brag but to look back on some of my memories while doing grocery shopping and share with you all the difference between then and now. 

A few days ago I was complaining to @Firenze and @bmjc98 with the prices of basic necessities nowadays. How our budget of Php2000-3000 can only buy a few items. 

But before that let's go down my memory lane. Ever since I was a kid, I really like going to the groceries whether with my mom or my dad. But I prefer with the latter because I can get everything that I want but without his permission. LOL. I used to call it "stealing" because I would roam around the supermarket when my parents are already busy at the meat section, get the items that I want and put it in the cart when they are not looking. That is stealing for me already. I would leave my cart to them and my brother and I would look around to get what we want. Sometimes my brother and I would take turns so that they wouldn't notice us. We would get a lot of snacks and chocolates and hide them under the other items. Our favorite month of the year would be Christmas. We love doing grocery shopping during that time because the budget was big. My dad's Christmas grocery bonus was worth Php10,000 gift certificates. We would have 2 carts because my dad wants to consume the whole amount so that we don't need to go back to the supermarket the following month. It was the most wonderful time for all of us even if it was expected that lines were tedious. 

That time you can have more than a month's supply with that amount of money. Sky was the limit as they say. But if it was a normal grocery shopping, I remember it would be around Php3000. But we still have a lot for a month's supply. One cart was already full. Now our Php3000 would only give you a full basket or less than half a cart. I know most of you would agree to me. I even envied my friend because I found out that whenever they would go grocery shopping, all of them would have individual carts and they were allowed to get whatever they want. So their house would have a whole pantry of different imported chips and juices while their refrigerator would have a section of chocolates, lots of it. It was something that I have been dreaming of. Have you also dreamed of a life like that? A pantry and refrigerator that looks like a supermarket?

With the commodities increasing every year, I don't know when we can go grocery shopping with 2 full carts again. The last time I went grocery shopping with my parents was way back 2015. I have work during that year but my dad always wants me to go with them so we would do it once a month during one of my rest days. Our Php3000 before was around Php8000 already. And because he wanted me to go with them, I was able to "steal" again. LOL. I got some hair products, a BB cream or whatever that fancied my eyes. I see to it that I get to "steal" something every grocery shopping. But my dad already knows my style. LOL. He would stand by the counter and checks all the items and the amount that will be punch. He wouldn't cancel it but he would ask the cashier what that item was or its purpose and how much was it. So whenever he founds out that I got something for myself, he would say that we wouldn't have reach that amount if it weren't for the thing/s I got but in a funny way. LOL. He would say "kawawang Pedro (poor Pedro)" or "Si Pedro nagbayad, si Juan ang gumamit (It was Pedro who paid for the item but Juan uses it)". He even said to me that I should be the one who pays for my personal items since I was already earning. I jokingly replied and said that it was still part of our basic necessities. LOL. 

When I resigned, he let me do the grocery shopping alone. He would just stay in the car and wait for me at the parking. But most of the times, the money that he gave me wasn't enough so I would ask for an additional. He gets mad at me whenever I overspend because he knows that I got something for myself again. LOL. Honestly yes before but when I saw how he struggled for money when my mom was hospitalized, I only bought things that were really necessary and the money was still not enough. He still thinks that I bought something again. LOL. I can't blame him because I have been doing that ever since I was a kid.  So I told him that he can check the receipt if he wants to but he's not that into checking each item. Whether he checks it or not, I was really telling the truth. 

I remember he would ask me to make a market list and he would check each item. He doesn't know that I don't need to list down the item that I want because in my mind I was already planning to buy it. LOL. But like I said, that was before. It became a habit for me to make a market list especially if I don't have extra money to pay for the excess amount. Do you also make a market list? My market list is my basis or guide on what basic necessities we need to buy and it also serves as my unofficial receipt. I would write down the price of each items and I would add them before going to the cashier. If I am over my budget, I would remove some items that I think isn't a top priority. Have you ever experienced cancelling some grocery items when you are already at the cashier? It is a hassle right? Not just for you, the cashier, the bagger but also with the people in the line. So whenever I would go to the grocery even if I have already computed the items I've got, I feel a tightness in my chest as if I can't breathe when I am at the cashier because I can't go beyond my budget and I don't want to hassle other people because I don't have enough money. My eyes are so focused on the monitor when the cashier is punching my items. LOL. Who here is also like that? My mom's style is that she would put the items that she needs on the cart and when she's already at the counter, she would put the important ones over the counter and if she sees that there she hasn't reached her budget limit, she would one by one add the remaining items on her cart. We all have different styles when doing our groceries but I prefer mine. 

I feel so matured whenever I do grocery shopping now because I get to budget the money that was given to me. I must say that it wasn't really easy. I would compare prices with other brands and I would also look for items that are on sale. My parents' senior citizen booklets are always in my go to bag and I would just ask them to write an authorization letter whenever I would go to the supermarket. The Php65 discount per senior is really helpful. But not all items are included with the senior cotizen discount. We really have to be a wise spender especially during this tough times. 

Do you like doing the groceries? How do you budget your spending? Last month I told my dad that I can do the groceries twice a month so he wouldn't be overwhelmed with the expenses. The first grocery was for the top basic items like meat, oil, spreads and condiments. Then toiletries, cleaning supplies and other items that I wasn't able to buy during the first time. Why is it so hard to earn and save money yet it so easy to use or spend it? I guess we really need to work hard and hustle harder for us to be able to buy all the things that we want.