My friend Bel mentioned that she was going to S&R and was willing to take me. I thought that it was a great idea since I haven’t been to one near our area. I had the feeling that everybody and everyone I know belonged to S&R but me. S&R is the Costco version of the Philippines.

I usually do my grocery shopping in regular supermarkets and paying full retail while some people are out there in their vans hauling boxes of instant noodles and soda. Which I think isn’t fair so I decided to give it a try. And I thought today would be the day to change that.

So I arrived at that windowless warehouse before my friend and her husband, Ronnie. While waiting I decided to check out the appliance section which displayed different brands of flat screen TV and showing Mariah Carey in concert. I looked around some more and was mesmerized to see stereos, electric fans, oven toasters, sofas and washing machines in the same big place as the vegetables, fruits, chips, meat & poultry. You don’t see that in regular groceries.

Hardly noticing that my friend was not there yet, I ventured into the food section to get my morning coffee and got the disappointment of the day. Only decaffeinated coffee was available. I decided to wait it out and watched people grabbed oversized red carts (or orange) and headed inside.

When my friend finally arrived, I got the chance to push my own cart. I began to throw things into my cart. First was the yummy-looking muffins, then rib-eye steak and mushrooms, strawberries and black grapes and finally the Ben & Jerry ice cream. While some people were piling toilet paper, big-sized detergent and pancake mix as if it was a timed shopping and end of the world was near, I got what I just needed for the day.

I would have wanted to lob in everything I saw like that big bottle of Nivea lotion or that lifetime supply of sanitary napkins or even that big pack of frozen strawberries. But I didn’t. I had to calm down. It was also a good thing that my friend was there because it’s probably dangerous to let a newbie like me go to S&R alone. Self-control is needed in places like these. Everything here is a bargain if and only if you buy in bulk.

I suppose I’ll go back. It’s hard to pass up bargains and I’m a sucker for bargains. But there’s something wrong. I don’t think this place is for me. So much consuming in big quantities. And in those oversized red carts. In that windowless warehouse and with no good coffee…

photo: by ruarky99