I needed to make a Trader Joes run today. This should have been fairly simple. I usually take the T to Coolidge Corners and it’s right there. So I got on the Blue Line en route to Government Center where I’d jump on the Green Line. I do this almost every day, and it’s no big deal. Well, as soon as I got on the T at Wood Island, they announced that the last stop would be Airport and that shuttle buses would take us to Government Center. Now, I would have appreciated knowing this BEFORE I got on the train, either at the station’s entrance or some overhead announcement. But not here in Boston. They decided to tell us AFTER we get on the train.
So at Airport, I jumped on the same train, headed back the opposite direction, got off at Wood Island, and jumped into my car and headed toward Salem, going to the Trader Joes in Swampscott. With only $20 in my pocket, I decided to see how far I could stretch my budget. I did well. With two quarts of soup, a package of crackers, and a small container of non-fat plain yogurt (for Reggie), I walked out of the store spending $8.11. The soup will be a fine addition to my steak and peppers/onions for lunch tomorrow. The soup at Trader Joes is usually really good, although it could certainly use salt and pepper. I bought Roasted Corn and Red Pepper soup as well as Tomato with Roasted Rep Pepper soup. They were each $2.49, and they’ll last me three or four meals. You just can’t stretch your food dollar better than that.
I really should tighten my food budget more often. It forces me to get creative, and frequently, it causes me to come up with some good stuff.