Waiting behind someone at the supermarket checkout I while away time checking out what’s in their trolley. I’m always interested but more often shocked. There’s so much soft drink in their trolley! All that soft drink must cost heaps every week. In my childhood my grandparents were the only people who supplied soft drink, lemonade. Coke Cola was deemed bad by adults in my family thus we never drank Coke. Fortunately for me this meant I never got the taste for soft drink and so I don’t crave it. Instead of soft drink my food vices were ice cream and packets of potato chips. Looking at my shopping dockets I realised the cost of ice cream stood out as being costly compared to day to day items even when ice cream was on special. Ice cream was dangerous for me as I ate too much of it at each sitting, sometimes straight from the tub while watching television which is a very bad habit. Even worse were packets of chips. Once opened I didn’t stop until the packet was empty. Afterwards I felt queasy and worse, disgusted with myself. It became so bad it had to stop. I firmly told myself “no more”! I banned myself from buying ice cream and potato chips. No, it wasn’t easy, I have to be strong. Now as I walk down the ice cream isle gazing at all that temptation I need to remind myself of the ban otherwise I’d fall back into the same old behaviour. Potato chips – I avoid that supermarket isle altogether. All’s not lost; I’ve still got dark chocolate! Better still, by kicking the ice cream and potato chip habit I feel healthier while more money stays in my pocket.
Living well on a shoestring 