random ramblings

I just came back from grocery shopping at Safeway, it’s only my 2nd time there in the past 4 weeks. The past 3 weeks I’ve survived on Korean groceries. But today I thought I should get more normal and healthy food such as yogurt, cereals, etc.

I was kinda shocked looking at the prices. I pretty much only shopped for things on sale haha. There was a time back in Columbus when Campbell soup was a staple of my diet heehe. So I know exactly what the price should be. I always got them in Wal-mart for $1.50-$1.70/can. Even after I moved to Austin I sometimes still bought these canned soups (my fave is the Select’s Italian Wedding Soup) and they’re still in that price range. Guess how much it is here? $3.67 !!! that’s more than double !!! Well I know in the past year inflation is quite high, but still..

Then I went to the dairy aisle to get my yogurt. In my head yogurt should cost 50 cents hehe or even less if I buy the multipack. Doesn’t matter what brand, usually between dannon or yoplait. But it seems to me that back in Indiana, one brand is always on sale on any given day and they’re always 50 cents. Over here they’re 75-99 cents !!

Then I went to the cereal aisle. I wanted to get the Special K bars for healthy snackings I know that usually a box of these is around $2.50.. it can be cheaper or higher but on average it’s around $2.50 for 6 bars. And over here?? It’s $4 something, I don’t remember the exact price.

Ok if you’re reading this you may think that I’m such a cheapskate I don’t mind being called a cheapskate, Well I’m just a very smart shopper hahaha ^_^ I know my prices. Even though the difference is only 50 cents or $1 but in percentages they’re like 200%!!!!

Hendrik and I often argue about this issue. We’re both careful with our spending, but in a different way. I think I’ve blogged about this a long time ago.. For example I still couldn’t get over the fact that last time we’re in Safeway when we first arrived here, he grabbed a $5 box of Lipton green tea (20 tea bags). I AM SURE that if he just spent a minute in that aisle and looked at other prices he probably could get another brand (dunno what) for much less. Or I bet he could have gotten a much bigger box for a different variety of Lipton tea for that price. I have these price limits registered in my brain. In my head, a box of tea should run around $2-$3. Grocery chains always have these advertised weekly sales on certain brands for almost every product category, and usually the brands not on sales have inflated prices.

But Hendrik’s pretty much blind about these everyday prices. Same thing occurs when we buy toothpaste, dishwasher’s soap, OJs, paper towels, bathroom tissue rolls, etc. I don’t care about brands for these things. If Colgate in on sale, I’ll buy Colgate. If Crest is, then Crest it is. Same thing for OJ with Minute Maid vs Tropicana vs Simple Orange — they’re all the same to me. I mean I have my price range, I don’t necessarily choose the cheapest thing out there, but I would always get the best price for the same quality !

If Hendrik were to buy these things, I can predict what he would get. He will always get Colgate for toothpaste, Minute Maid OJ jug (always the largest size), Tide for detergent, hmm what else, Listerine for mouthwash hehe. Sometimes in the grocery stores you can find coupons right there in the aisle (right in front of the food we’re buying) and I would check them out. They’re usually just 50 cents coupon or buy something get something else free. I do pay attention about these things. Hendrik doesn’t. One time when we went out grocery shopping together, which is not too often, I showed this coupon for Buy a Tropicana OJ and get a dozen of eggs free. Haahahaha.. that’s worth like $2. But Hendrik of course wouldn’t see that and just buy his Minute Maid OJ.

Also, I don’t understand why stores do this, but sometimes it’s cheaper to buy 2 small size than 1 large size items. You would think that there’s a discount associated with larger size, right? Usually that’s true. But I’ve seen many times that it’s not always the case. For example a 32 oz Orange juice is $1.99 (on sale) but a 64 oz of the exact same thing is $4.99. Now, if you see that would you buy 2 x 32 oz for $3.98 and saved a dollar or just grab the big size ? My husband predictably will grab the big size

Basically if he thinks he NEEDS it (daily necessity), then he doesn’t even look at how much it is unless it’s big purchases. Me, on the other hand, will spend a few minutes comparing prices just to save a couple bucks

BUT I don’t think too much when buying more expensive stuffs like purses, electronics (after some basic research online – of course) if I think they’re good deals. Like the other day I just bought a portable GPS, almost $200 – it’s already the best value for the money. It’s such a lifesaver for driving in a new city. When I decided that I want one, I got it the next day. Hendrik, in contrast, has been wanting to buy a good pair of headphones for while. For several weeks now, he’s been eying a $150 Bose headphone, which is undoubtedly of real superb quality, but he just can’t part with $150 :p because his current wireless headphones are still functional (but he just doesn’t like it). I’ve sent him some cheaper alternative on amazon.com but he can’t make up his mind because I know that deep down he really wants the Bose pair.

Another thing we couldn’t agree on is about upgrading our LCD and computers. So far I’m winning In this case Hendrik is a little out of his usual character because he really really wants to upgrade our desktop computer. HE NEEDS IT and HE WANTS IT even though it’s going to cost us several hundred bucks. Last time he said we need a new video card, bigger hard drive, and a new LCD monitor. I was like, “What is wrong with our 21 inch monitor now (other than the fact that it’s SUPER HEAVY AND BULKY) ?? WHY do we need an LCD monitor??” He said it would better for his eyes, better resolution, yada yada yada……… BUT we don’t NEED it !! We both have laptops which are our main PCs, the purpose of our desktop computer is only for my downloads and playing games :p Everything else we do on our laptop. I reminded him we just got a new video card for it not long ago. Then I checked our newegg account and yup got proofs, we just bought a new videocard less than a year ago, after I moved to Austin. So I don’t approve replacing the monitor because I don’t think it’s necessary to spend $200 to replace something that has no problem. But I agree we need to buy extra HD since we’re running out of space. Hendrik left the shopping part to me because he knows this is my specialty hahaha. I got us a 500 GB Maxtor external HD for only $75 which I think is a realllllly good deal.

Earlier this week Hendrik was looking at our credit card statement online while talking on the phone with me. “What is this $100 charge for Mercy Corps?” he asked. “Ooh itu, gua nyumbang buat earthquake di Zhong Guo”, I said. And his response, “WHHAAAATTTT???? $%%*()*&)%*%!!!” He’s like he still couldn’t buy the headphones because sayang duit and I go around donating $100 just like that ?? But to me I didn’t think much when I decided to donate. I just read some news and some accounts on the victims of the horrible disaster, and I think $100 is not that much for us (it’s like 2.5x our average dimsum bill) but can go a long way for them. So that was a couple of days ago and today at work out of nowhere on MSN he reminded me again to NOT donate money without telling him again Hahaha he’s still bitter about it. Then to make matter worse, I told Hendrik (I really can’t hide anything from him) that yesterday I just bought a $100 Dooney & Bourke wallet hehehhee. Well it’s on sale… normally it’s $185, so it’s already discounted. And I have a weakness for stuffs on SALE He’s like “You’re OUT OF CONTROL!!! ^)*&^*&%&*!!” Hahahahaha Anyways… *Note: we’re not really fighting… *

I’ve read a lot of articles about how differences in finance & spending habit can ruin a marriage. Even though we bicker a lot about these issues, fortunately they’re really small differences. In general our finance philosophy is the same, so we’re good