Never take five children with you to any retail venue. Trust me--you'll regret it.
Take Wednesday, for example. Megan had earned one of those insidious little Pizza Hut coupons from school for achieving her reading goal for March. You know the ones -- "bring this to any participating Pizza Hut location for your free Personal Pan Pizza". It sounds innocent, but it's a sinister conspiracy to sell pizza. I guess I left my brain in bed that morning, because I took all four kids plus an extra teenager with me to redeem that little scrap of consumerist propaganda. Of course, it wouldn't be fair to make all the other kids watch Megan eat her little fried disk of dough covered with extra cheese; I ended up buying four additional PPP's. But it would be 15 minutes until they were ready, so we went for a walk. Past the bakery where I dropped $4.20 for six orange rolls. Then on down to Payless Shoes, where it just happened to be BOGO week, so of course we couldn't just buy one pair of shoes for Susan's birthday. Nooooooooo we must buy two, to get our money's worth!
Pizzas consumed, we entered Wal-Mart. Walmart was inspired, I believe, by the devil. Not because of it's labor issues or market manipulation, but because I somehow cannot walk out of that store without having spent at least $50, even if I only had two small items on my list. On this day, the damage was far worse, because I had five adorable little and big helpers to fill the cart for me.
I've got to figure out a better strategy before April's Pizza Hut Reading Coupon comes home.
mmm. Fried disk of dough. It's the perfect food.
ReplyDeleteI am convinced that the school system is evil also. I myself have fallen prey to many such scams of "FREE" rewards. I have since learned to accidentily loose many of these rewards or at the very least to only take the recipient to redeem said reward. What do these schools think, that we are made of money or something? And if it is not the reward it is the stupid fundraising schemes designed to suck the life out of me and my checking account. When I think of all the money I have spent over the years just so we could WIN a glow in the dard pen that would bread the day we brought it home, you know I am insane. Recently Diana's school sent home a note about a school night at McDonalds. This is a night when they make the teachers actually work making and serving the food and some portion of the proceeds goes to the school. Anyway I take Diana (who is convinced that the world as we know it will end if she does not participate in every school sponsored activity and what kind of a deluded mother has let her do this up to now) to said McDonalds on siad day. We go while the men in our family are otherwise engaged so as to minimize the financial burden. We get to the place and not a soul is there. I wonder if it is the wrong McDonalds and so we drive a mile up the street and check there. No still no one. Of course by now we can not just go home and so I am forced to purchase food and watch while Diana plays in the play area. It is some kind of evil conspiracy I am sure. It is almost enough to make me think of home schooling, but not quite.
ReplyDeletePlease forgive my typos, it is very early.
ReplyDeleteYou can get out of Walmart with only spending $50?!?!?!? You are AMAZING!!! My drop dead amount is $100! :)
ReplyDeleteMy favorite times to go to Walmart with you is when you've gone to the temple that morning. It puts you in SUCH a good mood!
ReplyDeleteJen, I too usually spend more than $100, unfortunately. This time, I had but two items on the list, and somehow approached $80. It's a sinister plot, I'm telling you!
ReplyDeleteKarianne, my lovely scheming child, I learned my lesson the last time I took the hoarde on a Tuesday. I won't be making that mistake again, so forget it. :)
I am positively sure that the next time you decide to take an extra teenager along, I would be the better choice. Just ask my own mom (whom I was begging to buy a little Bison Frize today at the pet store)(Plus since I am absolutely sure that I spelled the name of that kind of dog wrong, it is the little, white, adorable, fluffy, cute, friendly, toppley, ball of fun dogs. Dang they are cute.). I will help you with your problems.
ReplyDeletealso, you should bring me along and make sure that you go to the temple erlier in that day.
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