Mom and Pop Store Goes to Class

In case you’re unfamiliar with the term “mom and pop”, it refers to a small, independent, or family-owned business.

The other day, I accompanied my aunt to the supermarket and while waiting for our turn on the counter, it brings me back to an old memory back when I used to sell snacks like biscuits and chips at school.

Back story why I decided to sell.

When I was on grade 12, our classroom was located at the 4th floor of the building and that’s one of the reasons why we always decided to stay on classroom during breaktime instead of tiring ourselves climbing up and down the stairs.

I easily get hungry and I sometimes can’t force my friends to buy foods with me and I also can’t buy alone. I can’t go alone. LOL

From then on, since we are just near the supermarket, I decided to do groceries instead so that I can bring snacks whenever going to school. But this is what happens next.

We are seated at the 2nd row at the back. I am seated with my friends on the same row and I am also close with my classmates at our front and at our back that when break time came and every time I have to eat my snack, “Mary, pahingi!” (Mary, can I have some?) comes next.

I have so many classmates to feed that when I bring a biscuit, I can only have one bite from it. So I have to bring at least 3 biscuits and the 2 will be given away to them. It has always been the case so one time, while I was buying groceries, I decided to bring all the foods that was supposed to be for myself only and then I sold it to them.

Mom and pop store in a classroom.

And the selling begins.

My seatmates don’t have to eat my food anymore. And my other classmates are so happy about it because they don’t have to go down anymore. The first day I tried it, since it’s only a few snacks, everything got sold out.

So at that very same day, I go straight to the supermarket before going home to buy another set of groceries which I will be selling the next day. It’s a little bit more the second time because I used the profit I earned from the first time and I added it to my principal.

It was again sold out so I decided to keep on doing it daily. Everyday, after school, before I go to our store, I buy groceries at the supermarket first. And when we got home, I allot time at night to write the price of what I am going to sell so that when they see it, they won’t bother asking me anymore and they will just pay me with the exact amount or serve themselves for I let them buy and I just ask them to put the payment in the bag. It’s like some honesty store and I don’t even have to look after it.

A week passed and because of that, I was able to observe their buying patterns. They also have some requests for snacks that they want so I didn’t had a hard time choosing what to buy because I already know their preference.

From biscuits and chips, I was able to add selling some drinks, candies and chocolates. And from only selling to my classmates, other section from the same floor started buying from me too.

Everything happens so fast. One day, I was just the transferee who only know my classmates and then I suddenly became the student who brings a sari sari store at a classroom.

Looking back at the experience.

It was actually fun reminiscing about it. It lasted for a few weeks, or months, I guess until Christmas break happened. And when we came back to school after Christmas break, I can’t remember my reason but I already stopped selling that time.

I started with the intention to stop sharing my foods because my groceries easily ran out, and I end up enjoying what I do and what’s more enjoying about it is that I got to earn.

But of course, I also did work hard for it. I endured the long lines at the supermarket, I allot time every night just to put the prices and there are also times that I had to commute on my way to school.

When I was younger, my sisters are always suggesting to me that I should sell at school because they used to do that too when they are studying. But I was kind of a shy person so I never really imagined myself doing that.

All in all, it was really fun. It was indeed worth the effort and experience and I just love how I was able to earn some extra money that I was able to have savings for myself.

I also realized that there is nothing to be shy about and if there’s something that I should feel, it’s to feel proud about what I do for I was able to earn at my simple way, at such a young age.

There you have it folks. I just shared something personal again but it’s fun this time. I hope that you did enjoy reading the same way that I enjoyed writing it.

Thanks for reading this far. Till next time. :)

Article No. 149 - October 15, 2021