AN ORDINARY TRIP TO COSTCO

Shopping at Costco is risky business and never turns out as planned. It's like going to a candy store to pick up some chocolate - which, of course, is very much needed - and leaving with more chocolate than was needed. Along with two pounds of Holland Mints, some caramels (they just looked too good), a large lollipop, and a pack of discounted Christmas colored jelly beans. Do any of these things go un-eaten or un-used? Is it wrong to buy them? Are you a bad person for perusing the aisles and looking at each item? No...but that is what makes Costco like a giant black hole that sucks away any logical thinking and the ability to follow any list or plan you may have had. And this happens the second you flash your card at the door.

My all-time cheapest, least risky, and most successful Costco trip happened some time ago. I went in for a bottle of Kirkland's generic Motrin/Ibuprofen and came out with...a bottle of Kirkland's generic Motrin/Ibuprofen. It cost me less than $9.00. I was so proud of myself, I think I actually called Max to tell him about this.

On the other end of the spectrum are the numerous times I've gone there to pick up 4 items and came out with 12, only 1 of which was on my original list as I ended up forgetting to get the other 3 items.

Here is today's Costco experience: Max had the day off because of the holiday today. We didn't have any plans for the day but we did have a short list of things that we needed to get at Costco (no really - we did need them). So we all hopped in the car and set out for the Black Hole. We didn't forget anything and came home with everything on our list. Plus a bottle of olive oil, an extra case of water bottles, ravioli, disposable cloths for our dust mop, Go-Gurts, and a berry smoothie from the food court.

Unexpected purchases at Costco...if that isn't ordinary, I don't know what is.