another day, another dollar (down the drain)...

i had to throw out over $20 worth of meat tonight.  i hate this on so many levels.  The money, the fact that there are people starving right down the street, the fact that my brain is fried, which is why i had to throw the meat out in the first place... and the biggest reason is because of the constant reminder that my favorite wholesale club store is gone.  gone, gone, gone.  
i am a HUGE wholesale club store fan.  i have been for years.  i love buying in bulk, i love deals, i love savings.  the whole concept has my name written all over it.  and for the past five years, i had my store about 8 minutes down the road.  until january, when they closed that location, leaving me the options of driving 25 minutes to another location or surrendering my membership.
i chose to drive, thinking it wouldn't be that bad, maybe it would even help- if i didn't go once a week, maybe i wouldn't spend so much money!  No.  instead, since i don't go once a week, i have ended up running to target for diapers (much more expensive there), or the the grocery store for meat (much more expensive), etc.  so, last week, i drove up there and bought EVERYTHING i could possibly need for at least a month.  and i do mean EVERYTHING!  my bill was outrageous (although i had over $40 in coupons!) so, tonight, i found three pounds of ground beef and 16 pork chops in the back of my fridge.  this was not a happy find, since i had meant to freeze them on monday (yes, just about a full week ago.)  the meat did not look good, and as much as i HATE to waste anything, i couldn't chance that it was still okay.  so, into the trash it all went.  and now, i feel horrible for forgetting it, but worse, i have to drive back up there this week, because now i have no meat in the house.  once again.  
and honestly, as much as i love my store, i really am not super fond of the drive, or the commitment to a couple hours (minimum) that i need just to get up there, in, shop, out, and home.  i don't have the time or energy anymore.
thank god for canned sauce, spaghetti and frozen meatballs, the three things i always have on hand, and that will never go bad in this house.  so, at least we got to eat a great dinner, even though we were technically meatless tonight.