MY EPIPHANY

Seniors are said to have wisdom and experience. The older generation tries to teach the younger generation in order to pass along their "smarts."

I have recently learned that the younger generation can teach us old folks some "smarts" too.

I used to be a "brand" person some of the time, like Heinz ketchup, or Kraft cheese and Lay's potato chips. But I have learned that sometimes brands don't matter.

Someone took me to Aldi's around the holidays. I purchased a few items, one of which was a rice and chicken microwave dinner. The box was a meal for two so it made two night's dinners for me.

Today I decided to go back to Aldi's and get a few more to put in the freezer for the winter. I don't get out much on heavy snow days. I like to stock my freezer with at least two weeks worth of meals just in case the weather is too bad to get to the store.

I purchased only 9 items, but learned a valuable lesson. With 4 rice and chicken dinners (enough for 2 meals each), 4 chicken pot pies, and one lasagna (enough for 2 meals), I can eat for 14 days and it only cost me $25.00. Wow, dinner for two weeks for only $25.00!

Then I went to the dollar store to get a couple things, and also picked up some ketchup (they only carried Hunts brand) and some spray cooking oil like PAM, but I got the store brand because it was cheaper.

I saved money at both stops, instead of going to Kroger. I learned that off brands taste just as good as the name brands sometimes. Someone had been trying to tell me that, but I was a slow learner! Smart kid! Now, smarter me!