I shall be disciplined, NOT!

How often do you walk into a supermarket meaning to grab just a handful of items but come out with a big bagful instead?  Does it happen to you too?  I am guilty of that.

I usually do a big food shop a week.  However, I may suddenly have the inspiration to create something and realise I don't have certain ingredients at home.  Usually I'll try to save it for the following week but sometimes, I'll be naughty and pop into the shop.  This is when it all goes downhill.

To prevent myself from buying the unnecessary stuff, I'll carry a basket instead of pushing a trolley.  Not only is it smaller, the basket will become too heavy to lug round if I try to pop too many things in so that's definitely a deterrence.  Even then, most often than not, I always buy more than what I'd intended to.

Take for example today.  It's the end of the week.  I'm running out of ideas as to what to cook.  *Ding*  I recalled the packets of udon sitting in the cupboard.  So I decided to have stir fry udon this evening.  You guessed it!  I'm missing some ingredients.  Since I'll be passing by my usual supermarket after work, I thought of just popping in for a bunch of spring onions, one packet of beansprouts and a bag of clementines.  There, just 3 items.  One of my colleagues asked me if I'm heading home after work.  I told her I'll be going to Morrisons for a bit.  (Yah right!  A bit.  Who am I fooling?)  In my head, I kept reminding myself 'Be disciplined!  Be disciplined!'  since I'll be doing my big shop tomorrow.

After witnessing a near collision at the carpark which I had to press on my horn to alert the drivers (2 cars were reversing into each other), I walked into the supermarket feeling rather smug that I'll be good.  The moment I walked through the door, I knew my plan had gone pear shape.  Right next to the baskets were some baguettes on offer.  I thought they'll be good for lunch tomorrow since what remains of the loaf of bread I made will not be enough for the 4 of us.  I comforted myself that I'm thinking ahead.  (We always make excuses for all that we do, don't we?)

Ok I got my packet of sprouts but then something is calling out to me.  A punnet of cherry tomatoes costing a mere 45p.  Hmm, I've just run out of that so I'll have one, thank you!  Then I walked by a shelf of celery.  Half price (45p) for a bunch!  We'd just finished ours last night.  Another item in the basket.  Then I recalled I'd been wanting to get some gourmet cheese.  It'll go well with the baguette.  Brilliant!  Yet another item.

Before long I saw a lady held up something familiar looking from a chiller fridge.  Activia yogurt!  I've run out of that sometime ago and it's less than half price!  I was tempted to put 2 packs into my basket since I consume 2 pots everyday.  But I talked myself out of it.  *A pat on the back* Got to the fruit section and went straight for the clementines.  I'd been good, I didn't look at anything else.

I walked on and something else caught my eyes (what else?!).  Pork loin steak on offer.  *Ding*  We can have tonkatsu for dinner tomorrow.  Fab!  I'm good, aren't I?  Planning meals ahead.  I dislike rummaging my head for meal ideas.  But hey!  There's no more fresh salad in the fridge.  I need a packet to go with the tonkatsu.  Back to the vegetable section.  Chose what I want and I suddenly 'woke up'.  What have I done, I wondered.  At that point of time, the basket had become a little too heavy for me to carry around comfortably.  So I didn't venture further and walked straight to the tills.  I only covered 1/3 of the supermarket.  Thank goodness but bad enough!  But really I should have just stayed at the veg/fruit section to the front of the shop.  The only comforting thought is that I can buy less tomorrow.  That is if the other supermarket does not have any offers that are too tempting to resist again!  *I shall be disciplined!  I shall be disciplined!*