Have you noticed that grocery shopping is getting to be more and more of a challenge and it seems to be taking longer and longer to get it done. For instance, have you been to the packaged meat section recently?

I can’t believe how long it took us to select packaged lunch-meats, it was simply crazy — especially since one of our goals when heading out to the store, was to pick up lunch-meat that was on sale. The “really terrific deal” advertised was a sale price but it’s wasn’t the bargain we thought we were getting. Instead of a one-pound package of sliced honey ham, the package contained only 10 ounces; a huge price per pound difference.

It was still a decent price, so we puchased a couple of packages and then started looking at the options available. It was very difficult to compare prices because the package sizes were all different.

The best way to avoid this issue is to purchase sliced deli meats. I prefer to have my meat sliced at the deli counter but it doesn’t last nearly as long and it’s considerably more expensive than the prepackaged meats. (Yes, it’s not nearly as healthy but we don’t eat a steady diet of the stuff.)

In the end, we bought the kind we like and didn’t worry too much about the extra cost. Next time, I plan to get out my calculator to do the math, as I have the time. Most people are in too big of a hurry and these companies are taking advantage of our lack of attention to detail. I’ll also be keeping an eye out for sales on the 1-pound packages, because that is what I normally buy.

I hate buying a bunch of these smaller packages, it simply ends up putting more waste in the landfill and doesn’t do a thing for my budget either — anyway you slice it, we end up paying for all those individually packaged food products.

You remember all those mandates for 100 calorie portions? You tell me, just how eco-friendly is that? Apparently, we can’t be health conscious and have ecologically sound practices — it’s one or the other.