I love shopping at my local Costco. I don't go for the samples, like my kids do, I go for the bargains.

And the entertainment. I'm simultaneously amused and shocked when I see some of the carts that people push up to the check out area. Piles and piles of chips (my favorite thing to hate!), lots of croissants, cakes, pizzas, sodas and other non-essential items. I know, I know, everyone gets to make their own decisions! But every time I shake my head at the craziness I see there.

When I shop at Costco, my bill is ALWAYS between $95 and $125 no matter what. I am not sure how it happens every single time. I've never gone over $125 in several years of shopping there. Very occasionally, I'll spend less. It doesn't seem to matter how often (or seldom) I go, or what I buy. Do I just have an internal clock-like limit? I'm never consciously paying attention to how much I buy. Instead, I'm monitoring the prices and whether each item is a good value or not. If we need it and it's a good price, into the cart it goes!

The good bargains at my store (I know that prices vary from location to location): flour, Tillamook cheese, Foster Farms chicken, eggs, butter, wheat bread, chocolate chips, ground turkey and milk.

Sometimes these things are a good price, but not always: berries, apples, grapefruit, oranges, avocados, carrots, salad mixes, chicken broth, and nuts.

Some of the items I buy I can sometimes get better deals with coupons (or make my own), but we go through enough of the item that it's worth a bit more money to have less hassle. Wheat bread is a good example. I make my own when I have time or buy it when I can get a great coupon deal, but I always need more. Same with eggs.

Last time I was at Costco, though, I got some great jeans! They are Calvin Klein and have cute pockets. They had just a few pairs left in the sizes at the ends of the spectrum (sorry, if you needed an 8-10-12, you were out of luck!), and oh yes, they had the right size and length for me. $24.99! I am thrilled. They fit me perfectly, look great and were certainly less than my favorite Gap jeans! I also picked up three pairs of Smartwool socks for $12.99, along with the groceries we needed.

The total? $115.72. Shrug and smile. Weird.