Categorizing My Life

The money management system we use has categories and subcategories for withdrawals. For example, I would enter a check to our veterinarian as Pet Care with a subcategory veterinarian. For their food it would be Pet Care, food.

But I never know how to categorize my receipts from Target and WalMart.

Personal Care? 

I did buy mascara and body wash. 

Pet Care? 

Porter needed that new toy mouse because he has lost all his others. 

Job Expense? 

I will be using those Sharpie pens for my profession. 

Clothing?

The tights were on sale, and it's almost boot weather. 

Gifts? 

I did buy a card to give to someone else. 

Household? 

We were out of paper towels. 

 

Miscellaneous?

Chris doesn't always need to know what I buy on the dollar aisle. It's a dollar!

I've determined that I need a category titled All The Other Crap I Bought When I Only Meant To Buy Paper Towels.

Maybe it will be on the next software update.

A Saturday in Suburbia

Chris had to go to work today in his Cordova office. We decided that since I needed to buy groceries and run errands, we would strike out east together, and I could shop while he worked. Not a bad plan. 

For some reason, traffic was insane (to me) on our trip out there. It looked like this the entire time.

I had a long list of groceries and a few house items so I decided Target would be my first stop. I really wanted to go to Target because I never go anymore. The only Targets are pretty far from our house, and the Walmart is much closer, so it's my default. I was a total Target girl in Little Rock, but I've adjusted to my Walmart locale. So today I was stoked to get some Target time. 

I didn't realize it, but the Target closest to Chris' work is actually a Super Target. Oh my.

I walked in, and thought, "This is really big." 

But I pushed through my hesitation. I got one of the pretty, red carts, and began. To my right there was a full grocery store! A nice looking produce department, and aisles and aisles of food stuff. You know what I thought? "I bet it's cheaper at Walmart." Now when I pulled into the parking lot, I saw that there was a Super Walmart just across the lot. Oh the temptation. 

I reconciled myself with the plan that I would only purchase some house goods at Target, and I would go next door to WalMart for all my food stuff. 

On through the Target aisles I went. 

The first section was their Valentine's Day stuff, and this:

 

A wall of candy. There were bags and pull-down levers and candy. Then I saw the sign. $7.49 per pound. I'm pretty sure I could rack up some pounds of candy here, so I made myself keep walking. I walked through the health section, and thought, "I bet that shampoo is cheaper at WalMart." Then I walked through the housewares, and I thought, "I bet that's cheaper at WalMart." I continued through several sections, and that's all I could think! 

Then I found the Sam's-Club-inspired section. Everything in this department was in large quantities. For example, 2 packs of Special K protein bars instead of one. Another example: a 4-pack of Kleenex boxes and a 4-pack of shaving cream. Now this is what I'm talking about! I was finally comfortable putting some things in my cart that I was sure wouldn't be cheaper next door. I made sure I only purchased items that I would normally buy, they just happened to be in bulk. After a few bulks items, I decided I should just stop torturing myself and head next door to WalMart. 

This was the state of the car after my Super Target excursion. 

Yeah, that's a LOT of cat litter and a LOT of toilet paper. There was also a LOT of dish soap, shaving cream and toothpaste. Good thing I made myself leave. 

This post could stop here, but I went to WalMart next, and who can leave the story before WalMart? 

I'm not sure how much you can see of the photo above, but they were giving H1N1 and regular flu shots in an aisle at WalMart. I was pretty sure that I would be more exposed to the flu, and diseases in general, if I sat down in the middle of an aisle at WalMart and got a shot! Now granted, I want all these people to get shots so they don't get me sick, but my healthcare plan doesn't include getting shots in an aisle at WalMart.

I was able to move on and purchase all the items remaining on my list. I even found the bulk aisle at Walmart. 

 

Don't worry. I refrained this time. 

Bulls eye!

I found Target!!

........in Mississippi

I don't know what to tell you people. I was trusting my iPhone's Map feature, and maybe between having to click to the next step, watch the road and keep the phone from going to sleep, I must have missed some exit or ramp or turn. Okay, I did one or more of those things. 

I meant to go to F and I went to A:

The best part of the story is that once I realized I was lost, I determined that I would turn around at the upcoming exit. I pull off at the next exit, and there was a TARGET!

It was a miracle that no one could have planned. Thank you Horn Lake, Mississippi, Target for being there when I needed you. 

On the way home, ya know, back to Tennessee, I stopped at the Tennessee welcome center. Just a little shout out to Jack!