Shopping

Shopping Shopping Shopping. And now for a post that will only be of interest to myself, in a few years time, when I will be saying 'Oh, so that's when I got that!' and 'Oh, it cost that much?'.

I got some done yesterday. No new pretty tops or strappy high-heel sandals, my preferred shopping experience, but I got some nice new things.

First stop, bank, to pay off the visa card, then Kanji's work to drop off kids. They didn't want to come. They're a mixed blessing. It takes longer to load ourselves in and out of the car when they are with me, but they make the driving less dull, and I'm usually too busy to browse so I spend less money. Then to Keio to pay for kids' summer classes.

First shop, second hand store for an office chair to replace mine, which is so hopelessly broken that I am in genuine danger of actually falling off it. Chair found, 1980 yen. In a magazine article about cheap shopping tips, I read that stores put Sale items in the back of the store, because once shoppers decide to buy something, they are more likely to pick up more stuff. I proved this point in the second-hand store, and even though I remembered the article as I browsed, pushing my office chair ahead of me, I still stopped and decided I just had to have a new oven-toaster (true, mine is broken) for 2580, speakers at 798yen for my new computer, which does actually need them, and a clip-on light I don't really need at all for 598yen.

Second stop Gooday, the home store, where I got vacuum storage bags (997 for two, I got two sets) and fire extinguishers, as mine 'expired'. I'm not sure how a fire extinguisher expires, and who decides when they do, and how (is it a percentage of failures after so many years? what percentage? what's the chance mine is still okay? is it worth the risk?) Kanji told me to take the old one to the fire station. That should be fun, I'll take the kids! I also picked up bed pads for the girls and Kanji. Sweaty Japanese summer requires absorbent bedding. 997 each. The fire extinguishers were 2270 and I also threw in an aerosol can for 990 for small kichen fires, which seems a lot more convenient that a big whole fire extinguisher!

As you can see, while the second-hand store stuck to the traditional Japanese method of ending prices in a lucky Oriental No.8, for some reason Gooday has gone over to the Occidental Lucky No.7.

Third stop, Cosmos, the discount 'drug' store. It's a drug store, but sells a lot of groceries as well.

Toilet paper - 299 12 rolls
Paper kitchen towels 148
Potato chips 88 (to assuage hungry children, with whom I was due to reunite for final shopping)
Special K berry flavour 297 (Amy's favorite breakfast)
Fruit granola 399 (Erica loves this one!)
milk 169
'drinking' milk 105 (strange watered down stuff, great on cereal though)
Bulgaria natural yogurt 137 (for a yogurt dip I'm making for Sunday)
Individual serve curry x 4 267 89each (for the emergency box)
shredded cheese 198 (for pumpkin dish we're having for lunch today)
eggs 199 (can get cheaper, but I went for the Vitamin E red eggs)
jam 97 (TINY pot, just a lick really)
brown sugar 128 (for breakfast on corn flakes or genma
brown sugar lumps 219 (for the emergency box)
cashew nuts x 5 525 (for a dip I'm making for Sunday)
Tusbaki shampoo and conditioner
Cucute dishwasher gel
Dove body soap Nectarine and jasmine aroma (ridiculously over-specialized product, had me wondering as I bought it, was I supposed to be feeling all loved and protected now with my special just-for-me interesting self-spoiling-sensation extra-special aroma bath product?)

FINALLY Shinsenichiba, the cheap local supermarket, with loads of cheap fresh veges and cuts of meat. I had planned to buy enough to last until the end of the week, but I had already spent too much already and had to calcuate as I went so I wouldn't spend more than 3500. Here's what I got for my 3347

Negi 100
cucumbers 210
mini tomatoes 105
baby carrots 100
2x 4 hamsteaks 596
brocolli 50
veges 150
2 x corn cobs 190
bag of carrots 95
1/4 of a hakusai/white cabbage 95
chuu? 95
beans, 30% off 70
renkon/water lily roots 199
baby leaves 100
shimeji mushrooms 79
four non-the-best peaches 150
kiwifruit 95
pineapple fresh cut 130
two bunches of bananas 190
sliced tinned pineapples 100
tuna in light oil, 3 cans 258
outou 95

Funny how I can foget what I bought already and it's only been a day. Well, that's my boring shopping post for the year, it's lunchtime!