:::cereal rules:::

this week my sister and i were in charge of the grocery shopping. by this time, im decent at grocery shopping--except for the cereal part. we spent forever in that row, trying to find some sort of cereal that we both liked, that wasnt too expensive on our limited budget, etc., etc. this is relatively hard work, mind you, however, i believe that i have derived some handy rules for ensuring cereal consuming and shopping satisfaction.

1. use your kroger card. these handy little things are free [!] and they fit so nicely on your keychain. so get one and employ it and your cereal shopping adventures will be cheaper. this is not a bad thing, seeing as cereal is practically a staple and consequently its costs are apt to add up rather quickly. if shopping at somewhere other than kroger, get something thats on sale.
2. cereal in bags will invariably be cheaper than cereal in bags and boxes, but they taste practically the same [there are a few exceptions, but none that i can think of right now, so they must not be important]. so buy the cereal in a bag and use the extra money to buy a gascap to replace the one that you left in kalamazoo last weekend.
1&2 a. but if the cereal that you want most in the whole world is not on sale, and absolutely nothing else will take its place and you must have this cereal now or you will lose your mind, then its ok to get it.
3. get a cereal that will fill you up. ricekrispies and bananas and sugar is about as good as cereal gets, however, an hour after you eat it, you are hungry again, so its kinda unpractical. for best results, get something filling for goodness sake.
4. get something most people that will be eating it will like. this is potentially difficult to determine, as many have different prefrences for cereal. however, if you try not to get something too healthy [like grapenuts] or too sweet [cinnamon-sugar peanutbuttercup somethings] than you will probably be alright. something in the middle is just right for most occasions.
5. when in doubt about what everyone likes, get honey nut cheerios. everyone i know in the whole world likes these.
6. dont buy a box of cereal solely for the toy that is enclosed. this is not a wrong reason to get a specific cereal, but dont forget to eat the cereal after you find the toy.
7. cereal is generally better when its not at its soggiest. do your very best not to let it become so before you eat it. pour milk at last possible moment.
8. when eating cereal with others, try to remember your proper manners. compromise when choosing the cereal. give them the bigger bowl, you can have seconds to make up for it. try not to slurp, or make fun of them for doing things like not drinking their milk.
9. remember that cereal is not just a morning food. its works well any time, day or night.
10. perhaps most importantly, always have enough milk for the amount of cereal that you are seeking to consume. it is most unpleasant to have just poured yourself a nice-sized bowl of your favorite cereal, only to discover that you have just a smidgin of milk. when shopping, i suggest estimating a gallon per box/bag of cereal. this may be more than strictly necessary, but its better than not having enough.
11. finally, when you are finished, rinse off your bowl [or cup] and spoon. this makes it really easy to wash later [or right then, if you're really on top of things], and that means less work and the less work when it comes to washing dishes, the better, i say.

currently reading: i like cereal

Posted 7/2/2004 4:47 PM