Today, I'm going to stand up on my soapbox and write about something that has been affecting me. At first, I didn't think that there was anything spiritual about this topic. However, after I got writing, I was able to add in a spiritual message to this post after all.
I've been without a vehicle for the last 8 weeks. The hardest part has been having to shop at the nearby neighborhood grocery store. I'm very grateful to my next door neighbor, Roger, who gave me a couple of rides so that I could buy food for my kids. However, I do have a complaint and since it's Soapbox Sunday, I'm going to express it.
Why does the local store have to charge 2 - 3 times the amount for the same grocery products that I can buy at a store just 20 minutes down the road? I would think that more people would be able to support their local grocery store if the prices were lower. Instead, most people here drive the 20 minutes to load up on food and pay 1/3 of the price. The only reason that I would ever go back to this store is if I'm in another desperate situation.
While shopping, a few days ago, I didn't get every item that I had on my list. I just couldn't bring myself to pay $2.39 for a small can of pears or $7.95 for a bag of chicken nuggets. We will just have to replace a couple of planned meals with pancakes, hot dogs, and boxed macaroni and cheese. I'll have to make a lot of bread or biscuits to fill up the kids' tummies.
If there is some way that I could make this post of importance, I guess that it would be to try to motivate you to shop around for the best deal on your food. Even if you have to drive an extra 20 minutes, it will save you a lot of money. You may need to buy 2 weeks of groceries at a time so that you only have to drive the distance twice a month. Try comparing the prices and adding up the totals that you save. You could end up saving hundreds of dollars every year.
The Bible tells us to be good stewards of the money that God had entrusted to us. Just cutting back on the cost of your groceries will add up - month after month after month. If you don't know what to do with the extra money, ask God. There are orphans, missionaries, and Christian organizations that He could tell you about.
