Buying in Bulk

I have a hot date tonight. My husband is taking me to Sam's Club. Now, I won't set foot in a Walmart to save my life, but there's something about Sam's that makes me giddy. It's a good thing we have lots of closets, because I secretly love to buy things in bulk. What fun is a single-serve Febreeze when you can buy the two pack AND a refill bottle all shrink wrapped together? 12 tiny cans of mushrooms all in one tidy package? Enough Hefty cups to last through three summers of barbecues? So many Ziplocs at one time you will have forgotten how to buy them when you need them again?

Before my tree-hugger friends get on me for buying things like Hefty cups and Ziplocs, I'd like to make a few points:

1) Hefty cups can be recycled. And we do.

2) I've been known to reuse Ziplocs if it's sanitary. 

3) I take my reusable grocery bags to Sam's with me.

4) Buying in bulk saves gas and carbon emissions. 

5) Okay, now I'm just making things up to justify my Sam's addiction.

I appreciate how the thoughful merchandisers put the gigantic, expensive televisions and electronics right by the entrance. Once I've "saved" us $1200 by not buying a large-screen plasma right off the bat, the $300 worth of stuff I walk out of the store with seems like an absolute bargain.

My puppy Roxy likes it when we go, too because we come home with a six-month supply of Beggin' Strips. That means we don't run out of treats nearly as often and end up giving her something lame like a pickle when we leave the house.

And tonight maybe -- just maybe -- I might get the Kitchen Aid stand mixer I've been coveting for almost two years now. I can't decide if this is really the time of year to splurge on an expensive kitchen gadget for myself. But if they have it in red, I just might have to. 

At least they don't come in two packs.