Nov 26, 2008
The Daily Poverty Post.
Yesterday Bossy bought a bunch of her Thanksgiving ingredients at this open-air market, where 5 lemons are only $1, and 5 pounds of apples are $2.
The downside of this sort of vendor shopping is the cash-only policy, where cash equals the one-dollar bills jammed in a coat pocket because wallets at this type of market are for sissies.
It’s not actually the cash-only part that Bossy minds, but rather the lack of receipts. Bossy can’t really tell you how much she spent yesterday, because even though she should have counted her money before she began shopping and again when she was finished and then calculated the difference, she is only right this second thinking of that particular strategy, because Bossy = Math Genius.
And the other downfall of this particular open-air market are the specialty shops that line the street on either side. Especially the cheese store, where Bossy purchased a half-pound of Brie and a large wedge of Locatelli while eating her weight in free samples. But luckily Bossy remembered to pocket this particular cheese store receipt, and the total came to $3.27.
Never mind, that’s last night’s McDonald’s receipt for Bossy’s daughter’s Double Cheeseburger hold the cheese– and speaking of holding the cheese on a cheeseburger, do you have any experience with this brand of Ridiculous?
Anyway, turns out Bossy forgot to collect her receipts from the specialty cheese store and the homemade sausage factory and even the fish market where Bossy and her friend Martha and Bossy’s mother sat in a back room drinking wine and eating calamari and fish chowder.
But Bossy’s husband remembered his receipt when he went to the supermarket to buy the other necessary ingredients for the Thanksgiving feast, such as mayonnaise and one-hundred cans of cream of mushroom soup. And that receipt came to $70.90
Luckily, Thanksgiving only comes around once a year, where once equals twice because Bossy cooks this entire meal again for Christmas.
Foods, especially fruits and vegetables, bought in the open air do not cost real money because they are like doing a good deed while shopping. They are a karmic freebie, no receipt required.
The word cheese has a Pavlovian affect on me. A 1/2 lb. of brie and a wedge of locatelli for $3.27. Way to shop, Bossy.
Time is forcing me to be frugal this year. I don’t have time to cook anything elaborate, so I have to keep it simple. Simple = Still expensive
I agree with TanyaK. Shopping locally for all that gorgeousness is worth every penny. I would rather give my money to the neighborhood cheesemonger than to the big refrigerated boxes with flourescent lighting. Brie for everyone!
I bought most ingredients yesterday for 104.00. C’eptin that does NOT include the wine…and I need (yes NEED) to buy some more pie plates-will check out Goodwill first. Our Friend Tom is coming to dinner, he’s 22 pounds and we are so excited this year. He is going to be grilled, he just doesn’t know it yet!
Gah – I spend 99 cents for *one* lemon at the grocery store. I’m jealous – wish I had an open air market!
I’m going to be eating macaroni and cheese for Thanksgiving, because of course my dog got sick. So I save money there. Point for me! Where I lose points- my inability to stop adopting dogs.
http://caleal.wordpress.com/2008/11/26/dogs/
I’m saving on Thanksgiving dinner by not having one! HA. I will be working the night shift in an ever so lovely ICU. So looks like I get out of family drama, save a buck and make a few in the process.
Did I teach you nothing? Hello… I posted my homemade sausage recipe last week… I made 3# of Italian sausage for 6 bucks… and you KNOW I have recipes for every thang.
Oh and Bossy’s daughter – I am also that kind of ridiculous.
We’re all about beef and ham up in here for Christmas. And it’s just as pricey.
Gosh, I hope your guests are going to bring the wine!
This is why I go elsewhere for Thanksgiving and allow people the pleasure of feeding ME. Granted, I have to pay about $50 in gas money…
Also! Frugal posting over here: http://www.cheapbutnoteasy.net/2008/11/back-in-the-day.html
Happy Thanksgiving everyone!
“do you have any experience with this brand of Ridiculous?”
I ordered this the other night for my 13 year old. I felt like a dork “double cheeseburger, no cheese and ketchup only”
Next time he can lean over my seat and place the order himself or I could just go backward through the drive thru
This is how I buy my produce all year round. Aren’t you jealous? And I just paid 35 Shekels a kilo (about 4 bucks a pound) for second cut brisket. The downside? I try to ignore the flies swarming over the food before I buy it. Everything has to be washed here, even meat, because Israelis don’t believe in covering things like fish, pastries and meat in an open air market. Ick.
You don’t have a monopoly on that brand of Rediculous. My preteen daughter used to order a McDaonald’s cheeseburger, hold the meat. Yes! She just got a “cheese” with ketchup – mustard – onions – pickles, on a bun. I paid full cheeseburger price, though!
Let me join the Mcd’s ridonkulous group. I’ll have one Mighty Kids meal w/a double cheeseburger, but not cheese and only ketchup. Nothing but meat, bread and ketchup. And a regular Happy Meal w/a hamburger, NOTHING on it. Meat and bread.
Have them 1) read that back to you correctly and 2) make it correctly.
And don’t get me started on the drive-thru Braum’s incident w/one scoop of green sherbet and one of orange and green has to be on top (while I peed my pants from the passenger seat while DH tried to get it right)
Can I come shopping with Bossy? Your markets and cheese shops and calamari lunches sound so idyllic. Anything like that ’round these parts is so over the top touristy that no self-respecting local would dare participate.