Saw two totally different grocery checkout lines in Portland and it got me thinking

I was at the New Seasons on Division Street yesterday and noticed something wild. One line had a woman with a full cart of name-brand stuff, fancy snacks, and pre-cut veggies, and her total was over $250. The line next to her had a guy with a basket of store-brand basics, bulk rice, and some veggies he was chopping himself, and his total was $62. It made me wonder, is the real win sticking to a strict list of cheap items no matter what, or is it okay to budget for some pricier conveniences if it keeps you from getting takeout later? What's your line on convenience vs. cost?

2 comments

2 Comments

henry_grant19d ago

That bit about the guy chopping his own veggies hits home. I see this same split at my gym, where some people pay for the fancy pre-made smoothies and others just bring a shaker bottle with powder. It feels like the whole economy is pushing us to choose between spending our money or spending our time.

the_keith19d ago

Yeah that "spending money or spending time" thing is so real, @henry_grant. I'm totally the shaker bottle guy, but only because I'm too cheap. I mean, I'll stand there for ten minutes trying to get the last bit of powder out of the container while someone walks by with a twelve dollar drink. Maybe the real split is between people who are okay looking broke and people who aren't.